"Sense and insensitivity: Flowering time control in Cannabis sativa"

Venue: New Seminar Room, James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie

Host: Emma Hardy

Abstract

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an extraordinarily versatile crop, with applications ranging from medicinal compounds to seed oil and fibre products. As a short-day plant, hemp flowering is tightly controlled by the photoperiod. However, substantial genetic variation exists for photoperiod sensitivity in C. sativa, and photoperiod-insensitive (“autoflower”) cultivars are available.

We identified Autoflower2 as a locus significantly associated with photoperiod-insensitive flowering in hemp. Autoflower2 contains an ortholog of the central flowering time regulator FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). Extensive sequence divergence between alleles of CsFT1 was identified, including a duplication of CsFT1 in photoperiod insensitive cultivars.

This study reveals multiple independent origins of photoperiod insensitivity in C. sativa, supporting the likelihood of a complex domestication history in this species. We also show that genetic diversity in hemp is high, providing an important resource for targeted breeding efforts to generate cultivars better adapted to local conditions