Using Genomic Information for Altering Bolting and Flowering Behaviour of Crop Plants

Altering the phenological development of a plant is a major target of many plant breeding programs and can be exploited to achieve different outcomes. For example, in seed crops, the transition from the vegetative to

Altering the phenological development of a plant is a major target of many plant breeding programs and can be exploited to achieve different outcomes. For example, in seed crops, the transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase （flowering） should be as early as possible if unfavourable environmental conditions （drought, heat, cold） endanger seed harvest. By contrast, delayed flowering favours higher biomass production and increased yield potential by extending the grain filling phase. Flowering time is also important in crops where only vegetative parts of the plant are harvested because shoot elongation and flowering would substantially reduce yields.