Genetic Regulation of Flowering Time in Cereal Crops

The transition from vegetative growth to flowering is a pivotal developmental phase in cereals such as wheat, barley, rice and maize. This process is governed by an intricate network of genetic regulators that integrate environmental cues—including photoperiod and temperature—and endogenous signals. Core components include photoperiod receptors, vernalization‐responsive factors and mobile florigen proteins, which converge on MADS-box transcription factors to trigger floral initiation at the shoot apical meristem. Epigenetic marks such as histone modifications and chromatin accessibility further refine expression of key genes, creating plasticity in flowering behaviour. Natural allelic variation at loci encoding regulators of photoperiod sensitivity (for example, CONSTANS homologues) and vernalization response (for example, VRN1 and VRN2) underpins adaptation to diverse agroecological zones. Engineering of flowering-time genes promises to stabilise yield in a changing climate by aligning reproductive development with optimal environmental windows. Ongoing research seeks to unravel cis-regulatory landscapes, characterise non-coding elements and exploit novel germplasm to fine-tune flowering phenology for improved productivity and resilience.

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Genetic Regulation of Flowering Time in Cereal Crops publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic regulation of flowering time in cereal crops across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Vernalization: Induction of flowering competence by prolonged exposure to low temperature.

Photoperiod: Day-length cue that entrains flowering pathways via circadian and light-receptor mechanisms.

MADS-box transcription factor: Family of DNA-binding proteins central to floral identity and meristem development.

Florigen: Mobile protein signal, often an FT homolog, that moves from leaf to shoot apex to promote flowering.

Cis-regulatory element: Non-coding DNA sequence that controls spatial and temporal gene expression.

Apical meristem: Growing tip of a plant shoot where cell division leads to organ initiation.

References

1. Epigenomic identification of vernalization cis-regulatory elements in winter wheat. Genome Biology (2024).
2. The TaSOC1‐TaVRN1 module integrates photoperiod and vernalization signals to regulate wheat flowering. Plant Biotechnology Journal (2023).
3. Finding the right balance: The enduring role of florigens during cereal inflorescence development and their influence on fertility. Current Opinion in Plant Biology (2024).