A critical role of the soybean evening complex in the control of photoperiod sensitivity and adaptation

Significance In many plant species, the timing of flowering is sensitive to photoperiod. In many crop species, genetic variation in this sensitivity is critical for adaptation to specific regions and management practices. This study identifies a component of the genetic pathway controlling flowering time in soybean, a legume crop of major global importance. Notably, plants lacking this component flower extremely late. Photoperiod sensitivity in plants, including soybean, was first systematically described in a seminal paper 100 y ago, and the results presented here establish an important new molecular step underlying this response. This step is a critical control point that could be genetically adjusted to engineer photoperiod sensitivity for yield improvement across a broad range of locations and agricultural contexts.