New evidence has emerged about the agriculturally important process of vernalization in a development that could help farmers deal with financially damaging weather fluctuations.
New evidence has emerged about the agriculturally important process of vernalization in a development that could help farmers deal with financially damaging weather fluctuations.
Vernalization is the process by which plants require prolonged exposure to cold temperature before they transition from the vegetative state to flower. For decades it’s been a key focus of research into plant development and crop productivity.
But how vernalization might work under variable temperatures in the field has been unclear, as have some of the underlying molecular controls of the process.
The research carried out by John Innes Centre scientists in collaboration with colleagues in Hungary and France shows that vernalization is influenced by warm conditions as well as cold, and a much wider temperature range than previously thought.
Read more at John Innes Centre
Image: A new study highlights surprise findings on vernilization in wheat. (Credit: Sam Sapin)
