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Perenniality: from model plants to applications in agriculture.

Bo Zhao,Jia-Wei Wang

Published 2023 in Molecular Plant

ABSTRACT

To compensate for their sessile nature, plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms enabling them to adapt to ever-changing environments. One such prominent feature is the evolution of diverse life history strategies, particularly that annuals reproduce once followed by seasonal death, while perennials live longer by cycling growth seasonally. This intrinsic phenology is primarily genetic and can be altered by environmental factors. Although evolutionary transitions between annual and perennial life history strategies are common, perennials account for most species in nature because they survive well under year-round stresses. This proportion, however, is reversed in agriculture. Hence, perennial crops promise to likewise protect and enhance the resilience of agricultural ecosystems in response to climate change. Despite significant endeavors that have been made in generating perennial crops, progress is slow due to barriers in studying perennials, and many developed species await further improvement. Recent findings in model species have illustrated that simply rewiring existing genetic networks can lead to lifecycle transitions. This implies that engineering plant life history strategy can be achieved by manipulating only a few key genes. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the genetic basis of perenniality and discuss major questions and challenges that remain to be addressed.

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