The study evaluated a transgenic soybean line (VPZ-34A) expressing Arabidopsis VDE, PsbS, and ZEP for combined improvements in light‑use efficiency and carbon assimilation under ambient and elevated CO2 in a FACE experiment. While VPZ‑34A showed enhanced maximum quantum efficiency of PSII under fluctuating light, it did not increase carbon assimilation efficiency or yield, and transcriptome analysis revealed limited gene expression changes. The results suggest that VPZ‑mediated photosynthetic gains are insufficient to boost productivity under elevated CO2.

The study examined soybean (Glycine max) responses to simultaneous drought and Asian soybean rust infection using combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis identified stress-specific gene modules linked to metabolites, while Copula Graphical Models uncovered sparse, condition‑specific networks, revealing distinct molecular signatures for each stress without overlapping genes or metabolites. The integrative approach underscores a hierarchical, modular defense architecture and suggests targets for breeding multi‑stress resilient soybeans.

The chickpea-derived cysteine‑rich peptide NCR13_PFV1 exhibited nanomolar antifungal activity against both QoI‑sensitive and -resistant isolates of the soybean pathogen Cercospora sojina, protecting sprayed soybean leaves without phytotoxicity and showing additive effects with azoxystrobin. The peptide disrupts fungal plasma membranes, induces ROS, is rapidly internalized, binds fungal rRNA, and inhibits protein translation, with iron availability modulating its activity. These multifaceted mechanisms suggest NCR13_PFV1 as a promising bio‑fungicide for durable FLS management.