No-tillage (NT) has been widely recognized for significantly enhancing crop yield and nitrogen (N) use efficiency in dryland agricultural systems globally. However, in irrigated fields, NT has demonstrated adverse effects on wheat yield, and limited information is available regarding its impact on N uptake and use efficiencies, and grain protein characteristics. Previous studies concluded that drip fertigation (DF) achieved superior yield gain over the conventional N fertilizer broadcasting with flood irrigation (BF) under NT compared to rotary tillage (RT) and intensive tillage (PRT; first plowing followed by rotary tillage). This study measured tissue N concentration, grain protein content and composition, dough processing quality traits, and the activities of N metabolism enzymes in flag leaves and developing grains. The objectives were to (1) evaluate the response of N use traits and grain quality to DF, and (2) elucidate the relationship between gains in yield and N uptake across varying tillage methods. Results revealed that DF significantly increased N uptake by 35.4–38.0%, 22.1–22.2%, and 16.0–16.6% over BF under NT, RT, and PRT, respectively. This boosted N uptake predominantly contributed to enhanced N use efficiency (grain production per unit of total soil mineral and fertilizer N input). Regression analysis indicated that increased N pre-anthesis uptake was the primary driver of yield improvement by DF (r² > 0.99, P < 0.01). Furthermore, NT demonstrated superior improvements by DF in N nutrition index, grain protein content, gliadin content, wet gluten content, and water absorption rate compared to RT and PRT. In conclusion, wheat N use and grain protein under NT responded greater to DF than intensive tillage. Therefore, our findings emphasize that transitioning from conventional water and N management to DF is an effective and practical strategy for enhancing N uptake, achieving high yield, improving N use efficiency, and enriching grain protein content, particularly under NT conditions.

Conservation tillage, particularly no tillage (NT), has been recognized as an efficient farming practice, particularly in dryland agriculture, as it significantly enhances crop yields, improves soil health, and contributes to environmental sustainability. However, the influence of NT on winter wheat radiation interception and utilization, biomass, and yield under NT in irrigated fields, especially under drip fertigation, is unclear. A field experiment was carried out for two growing seasons in Shandong province, China, using a split-plot design with the tillage method as the main plot (no tillage, NT; rotary tillage, RT; and first plowing the soil and then conducting rotary tillage, PRT), and water–nitrogen management as the sub-plot (N fertilizer broadcasting and flood irrigation, BF and drip fertigation, DF). Our results showed that DF increased yield by 11.0–28.5%, but the yield response to DF depended on the tillage methods. NT had the highest response in yield of 26.3–28.5%, followed by RT of 14.6–15.1% and PRT of 11.0–11.9%. Both increased grains per ear and ear number, a result of the greater maximum stems number donating to the yield gain by DF under NT. This gain was also due to the substantially promoted post-anthesis biomass (36.7–47.3%), which resulted from the increased interception of solar radiation and radiation use efficiency after anthesis. In addition, the extended post-anthesis duration also benefited biomass and yield. To conclude, our findings underscore the critical need to optimize water and nitrogen management strategies to maximize yield under conservation tillage systems.

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a severe ocular pathological condition characterized by abnormal vascular proliferation in the choroid layer, penetrating Bruch’s membrane, and entering the subretinal space. It usually occurs in the macular area and may lead to irreversible vision impairment or even blindness. The formation mechanism of CNV is complex and involves the abnormal activation of multiple molecular signaling pathways. Among them, the overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor is the primary driving factor. At present, the traditional treatment strategies for CNV mainly include anti-VEGF drug injection and photodynamic therapy (PDT), but they have limitations, including the need for frequent injections, poor patient response, and potential side effects. To address these issues, researchers have proposed using nanomaterials in CNV treatment. As novel drug delivery systems, nanomaterials offer advantages such as targeted delivery, intelligent response, and precise release in the treatment of CNV, significantly improving drug bioavailability, reducing systemic toxicity, and enhancing therapeutic effects. This article systematically analyzes the application and mechanism of nanomaterials in CNV treatment, including their use in drug therapy and PDT, by screening studies on the application of nanomaterials in CNV treatment in the past decade using “nanomaterials” and “CNV” as keywords in the database, providing a reference for the development of new nanomaterials.