Harnessing light, photoperiod and temperature for accelerated flowering in speed breeding: Mechanisms, applications and crop diversity.

Accelerated flowering, an essential aspect of speed breeding, has become a significant tool to enhance crop improvement programs, especially in changing climates. This review examines how temperature, light quality, and photoperiod regulate flowering time across diverse crops. The mechanisms that drive these factors are being studied at the molecular, physiological, and phenotypic scales, highlighting how changes in light spectrum, photoperiod sensitivity, and temperature regimes can significantly influence flowering patterns. We emphasize the optimization of these factors in controlled environments to achieve accelerated flowering, thereby improving breeding cycles without compromising yield or plant health. The review explores the integration of these strategies into speed breeding platforms for legumes, cereals, and forage species, highlighting the challenges and potential for scaling this technology. This paper also synthesizes current knowledge and identifies understanding gaps to provide insights into strategically manipulating light quality, photoperiod, and temperature to expedite crop development and meet sustainable agriculture's demands.