Japanese scientists have discovered new chemicals that can delay the flowering of plants, offering a breakthrough that may help improve crop yields and food security in a changing climate.
The research, led by Assistant Professor Makoto Shirakawa at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), introduces a group of small molecules called devernalizers, or DVRs. These compounds allow plants to postpone flowering without the need for heat treatment — a method that is often expensive and difficult for farmers to apply in the field.
How Plants Know When to Bloom
Plants rely on environmental cues like temperature and daylight to decide when to flower. In many species, flowering begins in spring only after the plant has been exposed to cold. This natural process is known as vernalization. Once a plant begins to flower, it shifts its energy to producing seeds — which can lower the quality of leafy crops such as spinach or lettuce.
Scientists have long wanted to find a way to reverse or delay flowering — known as devernalization — but the only known method until now was using heat. That method isn’t ideal for most farmers.
Delaying flowering helps crops stay leafy and nutritious for longer. This means better harvests and less food waste.
A New Way to Delay Flowering
To find a better solution, Shirakawa’s team tested over 16,000 chemical compounds and found six with devernalizing power. They ran their tests on Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering plant commonly used in labs.
Five of the compounds successfully turned back on a gene called FLOWERING LOCUS C, or FLC, which stops plants from flowering. These DVRs work by changing how certain proteins interact with the plant’s DNA, helping delay the blooming process — even after cold weather has told the plant it’s time to flower.
Three of the DVRs had two special structural features that seemed key to their effect: a hydantoin-like shape and a spiro-like carbon. The sixth compound, called DVR06, had a simpler structure but still worked well — and it had fewer side effects on the plants.
Why DVR06 Is a Game-Changer
DVR06 showed promise because it was not only effective but also more targeted than heat treatment. It influenced a smaller set of genes, which means it could be a safer and more precise way to control flowering.
“It was well known that applying heat treatment to plants in the field is both labour-intensive and costly,” said Shirakawa. “So, I was really excited when we found out that DVR06 had a more specific effect than heat treatment. This was the moment when all the time we had spent on screening finally paid off!”
What’s Next?
The research team now plans to refine the DVR compounds even more. “We will conduct further research to change the structure of DVRs to develop compounds with greater activity and specificity,” said co-author Toshiro Ito. “We expect the results of these studies to lead to the development of new technologies for stable food production under a fluctuating global environment.”
If successful, this discovery could give farmers around the world a powerful new tool to better manage crops in the face of climate change.
