Effects of Si on relative water content, ion content (Na⁺, K⁺ and Si), antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO₂ concentration, stomatal conductance in Kunlun14 and Ganpi6 seedlings under alkali stress. Furthermore, effects of glucosamine on O₂^– and H₂O₂ content in Kunlun14 and Ganpi6 seedlings under alkali stress.

Phytoene synthase (PSY) is the first enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis, which plays important role in fruit coloration at ripening. CaPSY1 was predicted as putative candidate based on relative expression values using five fruit developmental stages of Zunla-1 and in ripen fruits of five contrasting pepper lines. The CaPSY1 gene was validated functionally through silencing and overexpression by VIGS in ripen fruits and in Arabidopsis thaliana respectively.

Mycorrhizal fungi are ubiquitous in agroecosystems and contribute to the phosphorus acquisition of many plants. Five annual pasture legumes were grown to determine the effect of mycorrhizal fungi on plant adaptations to low phosphorus supply. Mycorrhizal colonisation improved the shoot yield and phosphorus acquisition of the legumes in phosphorus-deficient soil, but markedly reduced root acclimation responses to phosphorus deficiency. The relative efficiency of phosphorus acquisition was dependent on the intrinsic root morphology of the legumes, irrespective of mycorrhizal colonisation.

Soybean is the largest oilseed crop in the world, providing almost 28% edible vegetable oils for human. In higher plants triacylglycerols (TAGs) are the most common storage lipids in seed as the form of lipid droplets. The limited understanding of soybean oil biosynthesis has become a significant obstacle for the improvement of soybean oil production. This study focussed on the genetic engineering of soybean to increase the amount of seed oil with better nutrition value as well as better stress tolerance.

The expression characteristics of several key CcADFs were revealed by analysing the stress response pattern of CcADFs and the time series RNA-seq of aluminium stress. This study extends the relationship between plant ADF family and aluminium tolerance, as well as adding to the understanding of CcADF family in woody crops. Moreover, it provides a basis for the ADF family gene to become a candidate gene for molecular breeding.

We showed a working model for BR action in the guard cell response of Arabidopsis thaliana. We investigated the role and the relationship between H₂S and H₂O₂ in EBR-induced stomatal closure, and suggest that EBR can promote H₂O₂ production in guard cells, further increases L-/D-CDes activity and H₂S synthesis, and finally causes stomatal closure. Our findings elucidate the important role of H₂S and H₂O₂ in guard cell BR signaling.

Natural senescence companied with grain filling influence rice yield, a longer active photosynthetic duration ultimately improving grain yield. In this work, we found an efficient and useful tool for estimate leaf senescence linked to active photosynthetic duration. This information will be of value for further rice breeding for enhanced yield.

Hakea prostrata (Proteaceae) shows delayed greening during leaf development. This strategy is linked to nutrient-use efficiency. We show that delayed greening helps H. prostrata to save nutrients through sequential allocation of these resources first to cell production and structural development and then to chloroplast development. Delayed greening also offers photoprotection to young leaves during early leaf expansion.

Plant functional traits can directly reflect plants performance under environmental. We show that traits growth relationships are strongly size-dependent in tropical rainforest in south-west China: diameter growth rates correlated significantly with leaf economic spectrum traits for middle sized trees, but for large sized trees hydraulic efficiency traits play a more important role on growth. This suggests ontogenetic shift of functional traits could potential contribute to different growth response to climate change.