Research could pave the way for more resilient winter cereals in warmer climates

June 3, 2026 dialog Research could pave the way for more resilient winter cereals in warmer climates Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor The arrival of winter marks not only a change in weather, temperature, and day length, but also a change in our activity and behavior. The social outdoor events and trips to the beach over summer soon become a distant memory, and we ready ourselves for more solitary evenings indoors with a hot drink and a good book. Things slow down. The same can be said for winter varieties of cereal crops such as wheat and barley. After seeds are sowed in late summer and autumn, closely followed by a burst of activity through germination and early growth, these grasses settle down for a period of winter dormancy where growth dramatically slows and reproduction is blocked during the cold months. Vernalization—the 'when to flower' signal During the dormancy phase, a critical process called vernalization takes place within the plants, triggered by prolonged exposure to wintery conditions such as low temperatures. Vernalization involves a range of internal signaling events that ultimately ensure flowering is postponed during the coldest season and occurs at the optimal timepoint in the spring and summer. Without vernalization, the dormancy-induced block on reproduction is not lifted, and plants will not flower or produce grain when conditions become favorable again. Most research into the causes and mechanisms of vernalization has focused on so-called chilling vernalization (induced by prolonged winter cold). However, in our recent study published in the New Phytologist, we shed light on the less well-studied short day vernalization (SDV), triggered by shortening days in the autumn and winter. How the two different types of vernalization function and their relative importance for well-timed flowering is not well understood, likely because major winter crops are typically exposed to both short days and cold temperatures in the field. This is something that may be changing as the climate warms. Unpicking the molecular mechanisms of SDV We performed gene expression analysis (transcriptomics) across 24 species from the Pooideae subfamily, which includes many of the world's most important crops. This showed SDV responses in at least 5 of 15 different tribes. Such widespread adaptation conserved across tribes/species that diverged long ago suggests that the SDV trait emerged early as grasses colonized temperate regions and evolved alongside chilling vernalization. By comparing gene activity across the species, we identified 54 SD-responsive genes. This included the gene encoding a protein called GENE REGULATORY FACTOR 14h (GF14h). Using gene editing in the grass species Brachypodium distachyon, which is related to the major cereal species, we removed functional GF14h and showed that this triggered early flowering—confirming GF14h as a repressor that blocks flowering under long days (before winter dormancy and vernalization). Subsequently, GF14h expression is likely silenced by short days in the autumn and winter as vernalization signaling is activated. Providing more insight into the molecular mechanisms involved, we suggest that, under short days, GF14h activates expression of the genes VERNALIZATION 2 (VRN2) and FLOWERING LOCUS T-like 4 (FTL4)—both with well-known roles in repressing flowering in the context of chilling vernalization. Then, after SDV, the signal to activate flowering involves a group of proteins collectively termed the FT1 florigen activation complex (FT1-FAC), which is also known to be targeted by chilling vernalization. Toward climate-resilient winter cereal crops Warmer temperatures and erratic winters interrupted by warm spells threaten to interfere with the vernalization requirement of many temperate winter crops. Incomplete vernalization increasingly leads to delayed flowering and yield losses, with obvious implications for food security. SDV responds to day length, an astronomically fixed signal completely unaffected by climate change. Understanding the genetic basis of SDV therefore opens opportunities to produce more resilient winter cereal crops in an unstable climate. A better understanding of the intersection and complementarity of chilling vernalization and SDV—as our study goes some way to achieving—could help to produce elite winter crop varieties that are able to time optimal flowering competency independent of the signals received through low winter temperatures. Toward this goal, there are many exciting new avenues to explore to further improve our understanding of SDV. For example, what is the precise connection between reduced light exposure (photoperiod) and the molecular network that can trigger vernalization independently of temperature? Because the core of the molecular SDV network is conserved across Pooideae and thus major cereal crops, which versions of key genes need to be targeted by modern breeding efforts to produce SDV responsive crop varieties? Additionally, our results strongly suggest an involvement of the phytohormones auxin and cytokinin in SDV. This could open up the possibility of regulating flowering competency and initiating flowering by adjusting hormone levels in the plant. Our future work will focus on answering these questions to build a comprehensive picture of the mechanisms regulating SDV. We believe this effort has clear and significant implications for crop development under a warming climate. This story is part of Science X Dialog, where researchers can report findings from their published research articles. Visit this page for information about Science X Dialog and how to participate. Publication details Marian Schubert et al, Conservation of the short-day vernalization flowering response pathway in temperate Pooideae grasses, New Phytologist (2026). DOI: 10.1111/nph.71009 Journal information: New Phytologist Marian Schubert is a research scientist at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and Siri Fjellheim is a professor of Plant Biology at NMBU. Both researchers study climate adaptations in grasses, using phylogenetic comparative approaches coupled with omics and molecular evolution to better understand how plants evolve new traits. Joseph Robertson is a Communications and Research Dissemination Senior Advisor at NMBU.