About this Research Topic
The change from juvenile to reproductive growth is a key step for fruit and seed crop productivity, plant breeding, ornamental flowering plants, and more. This transition is influenced by many factors, including genetics, plant age, phytohormones, and the environment. Improved understanding of when plants flower and the genetic underpinnings of that developmental process, along with floral form and function, is of interest to many stakeholders.
The goal of this topic is to advance knowledge in the understanding of floral timing and floral morphology, and applications of this work. Recent advances in genome sequencing, transcriptomes, genetic transformation, and targeted genome editing have made it possible to identify key genes, explore genetic pathways, and alter floral timing and floral morphology. While a shortened juvenile period is a valuable trait for many plants, sometimes delayed floral onset is desirable, particularly for leafy crops such as lettuce and kale. Additionally, many key floral genes have low levels of vegetative tissue expression and likely have roles in vegetative growth and development. Possible areas of application for this topic include accelerated breeding, delayed floral onset, floral sterility, and ornamental flowers.
We welcome original research, reviews, and commentaries from a wide range of themes, some examples are listed below:
- Identification and analysis of pathways and genes for floral onset and floral development
- Investigation of environmental factors and their interplay with genetic pathways for floral induction
- Modification of floral form for the purpose of increased genetic containment and/or horticultural applications
- Modulation of the timing of floral onset, including (but not limited to) delay of floral onset for genetic containment or leafy crop production, early floral induction for accelerated breeding in species with long juvenile periods
- Examination of floral gene diversity across related species and the floral phenotypes thereof
The goal of this topic is to advance knowledge in the understanding of floral timing and floral morphology, and applications of this work. Recent advances in genome sequencing, transcriptomes, genetic transformation, and targeted genome editing have made it possible to identify key genes, explore genetic pathways, and alter floral timing and floral morphology. While a shortened juvenile period is a valuable trait for many plants, sometimes delayed floral onset is desirable, particularly for leafy crops such as lettuce and kale. Additionally, many key floral genes have low levels of vegetative tissue expression and likely have roles in vegetative growth and development. Possible areas of application for this topic include accelerated breeding, delayed floral onset, floral sterility, and ornamental flowers.
We welcome original research, reviews, and commentaries from a wide range of themes, some examples are listed below:
- Identification and analysis of pathways and genes for floral onset and floral development
- Investigation of environmental factors and their interplay with genetic pathways for floral induction
- Modification of floral form for the purpose of increased genetic containment and/or horticultural applications
- Modulation of the timing of floral onset, including (but not limited to) delay of floral onset for genetic containment or leafy crop production, early floral induction for accelerated breeding in species with long juvenile periods
- Examination of floral gene diversity across related species and the floral phenotypes thereof
Keywords: floral biology, fruit and seed crop productivity, plant breeding, ornamental flowering, morphology, phenotypes
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
