Floral transition is a major developmental switch that is tightly controlled by a network of proteins that perceive and integrate developmental and environmental signals to promote or inhibit flowering. In many crop species the timing of flowering greatly affects yield and the crop's potential for cultivation under extensive conditions. In sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris), an extension of the growing season by cultivation over winter is expected to result in significant gains in root yield for sugar or biofuel production but is not possible in Central Europe due to induction of flowering, which is associated with a high yield penalty, by cold temperatures (vernalization). Genotypes that do not bolt after exposure to cold but can be induced to flower for seed production under defined conditions are difficult or impossible to breed by traditional methods, but may be developed through targeted genetic modification of floral transition genes and their induction requirements. Therefore, the main objectives of GABI-GENOFLOR are:

1. genome-wide identification and expression profiling of floral transition genes in sugar beet

2. functional characterization by RNAi, overexpression and TILLing

3. phenotyping for bolting and flowering time to identify demonstration plants with improved bolting resistance.