The Race Structure of the Rice Blast Pathogen Across Southern and Northeastern China.

Background: Rice blast, caused by the ascomycete Magnaporthe oryzae (Mo), imposes a major constraint on rice productivity. Managing the disease through the deployment of host resistance requires a close understanding of race structure of the pathogen population.

Results: The host/pathogen interaction between isolates sampled from four Mo populations collected across the rice-producing regions of China was tested using two established panels of differential cultivars.

Fine mapping and candidate gene analysis of qTAC8, a major quantitative trait locus controlling tiller angle in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Rice tiller angle is an important agronomic trait that contributes to crop production and plays a vital role in high yield breeding. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the cross of a glabrous tropical japonica rice D50 and an indica rice HB277, was used to investigate quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling rice tiller angle. Two major QTLs, qTAC8 and qTAC9, were detected.

Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed the genotype specific cold response mechanism in tobacco.

Cold stress is a major adverse environmental factor that affects plant growth, development, productivity and quality. In the present study, comparative genome-wide transcriptome analysis on two tobacco (Nicotiana tobacum L.) cultivars, cold-tolerant NC567 and cold-sensitive Taiyan8, was performed using RNA-seq technology.

Modified QuEChERS in combination with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of the floating organic droplet method for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides in milk samples.

In this work, a rapid, environment friendly and sensitive method was established for the extraction and analysis of five organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) (chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, isocarbophos, malathion and phorate) in milk samples by means of gas chromatography-flame photometric detection. The pesticides were first extracted with acetonitrile from milk samples by using the modified "quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe" (QuEChERS) method. No other clean-up was required after extraction.