Angiosperms form reproductive cells within sporophytic tissues during late developmental stages, while animal germ cells arise early in embryos. In higher plants, germ cell genesis involves three major events: sex determination, male development (including stamen primordium initiation, meiosis, and mitotic divisions for pollen formation), and female development (involving meiosis of the female meiocyte to produce a functional megaspore that undergoes mitotic divisions to form the seven-celled female gametophyte). So far, over 100 genes related to florogenesis have been identified, broadening our understanding of plant reproductive development.

Manipulating plant reproductive organs holds immense importance for plant breeding and agriculture. For instance, male sterile varieties and the more recent thermo-sensitive female sterility mutations have greatly facilitated hybrid breeding and crop improvement. In addition to genetic and endogenous factors, plant reproductive development is also affected by a range of environmental conditions such as water deficiency, salinity, temperature, light, and nutrient availability. To fully grasp the depths and applications of plant reproductive development, a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving these processes is crucial.

The goal of this Research Topic is to elucidate the initiation of plant reproductive organs, the production of functional male and female cells, and the responses of plant reproductive development to diverse abiotic stresses. On this basis, the topic also aims to explore the application of these plant reproductive development-related genes in crop breeding.

In this Research Topic, we welcome all article types published by Frontiers in Plant Science that delve into the morphological observation and molecular mechanisms of plant reproductive development. Specially, we encourage contributions focusing on the following themes:

• Mechanisms of plant reproductive development, including sex determination, male and female organ development.
• Plant reproductive development in response to environmental signals, encompassing temperature, light, water deficiency, salinity, nutrient availability, etc.
• Molecular mechanisms of hybrid sterility, self-incompatibility, photo-thermo-sensitive genic male sterility, and their applications in agricultural breeding and production.
• High-throughput sequencing, proteome, metabolome, and evolutionary research on plant reproductive organogenesis.
• Epigenetic and small RNAs regulation of plant reproductive development.
• The origin and evolution of flower development.
• Application of genetic mapping and gene editing technology in understanding and manipulating plant reproductive traits.
• Mechanism of how organisms have evolved to perceive environmental cues and translate those cues into developmental programs such as the transition to flowering.

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Frontiers in Plant Science

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