In the lifecycle of flowering plants, the transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth (flowering) is a crucial developmental process. It is also an important agronomic trait for crops, as the timing of floral transition directly influences both the yield and quality of agricultural products. Winter wheat, a primary grain crop, is widely grown in temperate regions. Sown in autumn to overwinter as seedlings, winter wheat requires a long period of sustained low temperatures (winter chilling) to gain the potential to flower the following spring-a process known as vernalization. This vernalization instills "winter memory" in winter wheat, ensuring that when temperature rises in spring, the plants can switch to reproductive growth (flowering) in a timely manner following the late phase of vegetative growth. However, the offspring produced after flowering and fruiting require another winter to gain the potential to flower. Hence, each generation of winter wheat must go through a period of sustained winter chilling to flower and bear fruit in spring.

Recently, the research team led by Dr. Yuehui He from the Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences published a research article titled "A molecular mechanism for embryonic resetting of winter memory and restoration of winter annual growth habit in wheat" in NATURE PLANTS. The study discloses the molecular mechanism of how "winter memory" is reset or erased during seed development in winter wheat and how the winter-annual growth habit is restored in offspring.