Because plants cannot move, they must adapt to their habitats. They monitor their environment and synchronize growth and flowering with local climate. In many perennial plants, flower bud development and flowering occur during successive growing seasons. Using a large collection of woodland strawberry clones from across Europe, we have shown that winter temperature of their original habitats determines when they form flower buds during autumn. To understand this adaptive variation, we will study functions and interactions of several candidate genes using transgenic lines and mutants, and by exploring natural variation in these genes. The project produces new knowledge about genetic mechanisms controlling climate adaptation. This information is crucial for understanding responses of perennial plant populations to climate change and for adapting perennial crop plants to future growing conditions. The research will be carried out at the University of Helsinki.

2025

2029