Flowering pathway genes: key targets for accelerated breeding in woody plants

Abstract

Conventional breeding of many woody plants through hybridization is time-consuming in comparison to annual plants. This delay is primarily attributed to their lengthy juvenile phase, which typically spans multiple years depending on the specific crop before they are capable of blooming. Over the past two decades, significant efforts have been dedicated to deciphering the molecular mechanism of flowering and to accelerating woody plant breeding, also known as FasTrack breeding, by shortening juvenility. This has been achieved through the utilization of cutting-edge technologies such as genetic engineering of key flowering-pathway genes. By consolidating previous research and outlining potential candidate genes, this review discusses relevant strategies for FasTrack breeding to provide a foundational insight into accelerating woody species improvement via gene editing.