Plants utilize variation in day length (photoperiod) to anticipate seasonal changes. They respond by modulating their growth and development to maximize seed production, which in cereal crops is directly related to yield. In wheat (Triticum aestivum), the acceleration of flowering under long days (LD) is dependent on the light induction of PHOTOPERIOD1 (PPD1) by phytochromes. Under LD, PPD1 act...

Transition from the vegetative phase to reproductive phase is a crucial process in the life cycle of higher plants. Although the molecular mechanisms of flowering regulation have been extensively characterized in a number of plant species, little is known regarding how the transition process initiates. Here, we show that the Rice Indeterminate 1 (RID1) gene acts as the master switch for the tra...

Flower development at the shoot apex is initiated in response to environmental cues. Day length is one of the most important of these and is perceived in the leaves. A systemic signal, called the floral stimulus or florigen, is then transmitted from the leaves through the phloem and induces floral development at the shoot apex. Genetic analysis in Arabidopsis identified a pathway of genes requi...

Plant flowering is a crucial developmental transition from the vegetative to reproductive phase and is properly timed by a number of intrinsic and environmental cues. Genetic studies have identified that chromatin modification influences the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a MADS-box transcription factor that controls flowering time. Histone deacetylation and methylation at H3K9 and H3K2...

The timing of flowering is pivotal for maximizing reproductive success under fluctuating environmental conditions. Flowering time is tightly controlled by complex genetic networks that integrate endogenous and exogenous cues, such as light, temperature, photoperiod, and hormones. Here, we show that AGAMOUS-LIKE16 (AGL16) and its negative regulator microRNA824 (miR824) control flowering time in ...

Tamarix ramosissima has bi-seasonal flowering and fruit-setting characteristics. This study compared the morphology and germination characteristics of seeds from Tamarix ramosissima plants during the spring flowering period and the summer flowering period. The results are as follows: there is no significant difference in morphology, such as size and thousand-seed weight, between seeds from diff...