Photoperiod and ambient temperature control flowering time of cultivated oat genotypes

Abstract

Flowering time is a crucial step in the adaptation of annual crops such as oat. The main objectives of this work were to characterize flowering time in oat genotypes of different origins in field experiments, to isolate oat sequences of the flowering regulator gene ELF3, and to analyze the level of ELF3 expression in different oat genotypes. Field data showed that oat genotypes perceived and responded differently to changes in photoperiod and ambient temperature. Oat sequences with high identity to the circadian clock gene ELF3 were successfully cloned and sequenced. The level of ELF3 expression allowed differentiation between early and late flowering oat genotypes. These results support the involvement of ELF3 in the regulation of flowering time in hexaploid oat. Understanding the mechanisms that control flowering time in response to seasonal photoperiod and temperature cues will help to improve oat varieties with superior performance and resilience to climate change.