Mineral nutrients as regulators of plant flowering time: A molecular perspective.
Zeng H, Wang Y, Xu J, Zhang S, Ali S
Plant Signaling
How much fertilizer you use — and when — can quietly shift your tomatoes, beans, or dahlias into bloom weeks earlier or later than expected, and now scientists are beginning to map exactly why.
Plants don't just respond to sunlight and cold snaps to decide when to flower — they also read chemical signals from the soil, especially from nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. This review pulls together what scientists have learned about how those soil signals connect to the plant's internal flowering clock. Big gaps still exist for nutrients like potassium and sulfur, and we barely know how soil microbes fit into this picture yet.
Key Findings
Nitrogen and phosphorus are the most studied nutrients affecting flowering time, with their signals feeding directly into at least five core flowering regulatory pathways including photoperiod and gibberellin pathways.
Potassium, sulfur, and micronutrients remain poorly understood in terms of their roles in flowering regulation, representing major research gaps.
Rhizosphere microorganisms and nutrient-derived metabolites are largely unexplored as potential regulators of when plants flower.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A new review reveals how soil nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus directly influence when plants flower, by tapping into the same molecular switches that respond to daylight and temperature. Understanding these connections could help breeders develop crops that flower at the right time even under variable soil conditions.
Abstract Preview
Flowering time is a key agronomic trait that influences plant reproductive success and crop yield, and its regulation is closely associated with soil nutrient availability. This review summarizes r...
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