Different cultivation methods significantly affect wheat quality. However, the optimal cultivation pattern for strong-gluten wheat in Shandong province remains unclear. Through field experiments conducted over three consecutive wheat-growing seasons, wheat-quality-related traits under traditional cultivation practices (TC) and different cultivation patterns for Jimai44 (a strong-gluten wheat variety) were investigated. Plowing, delayed sowing date and increasing seeding rate could enhance grain protein content, SDS sedimentation value, wet and dry gluten content, and also had a clear positive effect on thousand-kernel weight and test weight. Employing a protocol of increased basal nitrogen (300 kg/ha) and topdressing water and fertilizer twice significantly increased wheat grain protein and nitrogen content, flour yield, gluten index, SDS sedimentation value, dough stability time, and extensibility. On the basis of the two wheat seasons experiments, we developed an optimized cultivation practice (Opt, that is, combined with plowing, delayed sowing date, seeding rate of 3.15 million or 3.60 million, basal nitrogen fertilizer application of 300 kg/ha, topdressing fertilizer twice, topdressing water twice or three times). Compared with TC treatment, the optimized cultivation demonstrated superior performance in grain protein content, flour yield, SDS sedimentation value, wet and dry gluten content, stability time, formation time, extension area, extension, and maximum retensibility with high grain yield. Meanwhile, we found that the expression of TaGlu1 was significantly increased under the optimized cultivation practice. In summary, the optimized cultivation practice might be a promising approach for improving strong-gluten wheat quality in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain.

Drought stress is a devastating natural stress that threatens crop productivity and quality. Mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress on wheat is a key object in agriculture. C-repeat binding transcription factor/DROUGHT RESPONSE ELEMENT BINDING FACTOR 1 (CBF/DREB1) transcription factors are well known for their role in cold acclimation. However, the involvement of CBF genes in drought stress and the mechanisms underlying their function remain poorly understood. In this study, 81 CBFs were identified in wheat, which were further clustered into four distinct lineages based on phylogenetic analysis. Chromosomal localization indicated that most CBF genes were dispersed across chromosome 5. We identified three homoeologous genes (TaCBF14A, TaCBF14B, and TaCBF14D) that were simultaneously upregulated under drought stress based on RNA-seq analysis. According to the high expression after drought stress, TaCBF14B was selected for further functional analysis. Subcellular localization and transcriptional activation activity analysis indicated that TaCBF14B likely functions as a transcription factor involved in drought stress tolerance. Overexpression of TaCBF14B in Arabidopsis enhanced the primary root growth by 13.49% (OE1), 12.56% (OE2), and 19.53% (OE3) under 200 mM mannitol treatment, and 21.65% (OE1), 16.63% (OE2), and 28.13% (OE3) under 250 mM mannitol treatment compared to WT. Meanwhile, the water loss rate of transgenic lines was 56% in WT leaves, but only 44%, 50%, and 40% in OE1, OE2, and OE3 lines, respectively. Compared to the wild type, POD activities of OE1, OE2, and OE3 were significantly increased by 42.94%, 29.41%, and 62.52%, respectively. And the Pro activities in OE1, OE2, and OE3 were significantly increased by 16.33%, 5.18%, and 29.09%, respectively, compared to the wild type. Additionally, the MDA content in OE1, OE2, and OE3 was significantly reduced by 40.53%, 15.81%, and 54.36%, respectively. Further analysis showed that the transgenic lines were hypersensitive to abscisic acid (ABA), and exhibited increased expression of AtABI3. We speculate that TaCBF14B plays an important role in enhancing drought tolerance. In summary, our findings provide new insights into the functional roles of CBF genes in drought stress tolerance.