玉米是集粮食、饲料、工业原料于一身的重要农作物。开花期是作物适应不同生态环境及产量的关键决定因素。玉米开花期由营养生长时相转变和成花转变所决定, 是植物内部因素(遗传因子和植物激素等)和外部环境因素共同作用的结果。鉴于玉米开花期性状的重要性, 本文从控制玉米开花期的两次时相转变的组织结构基础、生理基础以及分子调控机理等方面入手, 系统总结玉米开花期的遗传调控机制, 以及关键开花调控因子对玉米区域适应性的重要性, 并对玉米花期性状研究和应用的重点方向进行了讨论, 旨在加深我们对玉米开花期遗传调控的认识, 为培育广适的玉米新品种提供理论依据。

Maize (Zea mays) is a staple crop worldwide, serving as a major source for food, feedstock, and industrial materials. Flowering time is a key agronomic trait determining diverse environmental adaptation and yield potential of crops, which is determined by two developmental transitions (namely vegetative phase change and floral transition), and is complicatedly regulated by internal factors (genetic factors, plant hormones, etc.) and external environmental factors. Given the importance of flowering time, in this review, we summarize the research progresses on the regulation of the two phase transitions in maize, mainly focusing on the aspects including their structural basis, physiological basis, genetic basis and molecular mechanisms. We also highlight the contribution of key flowering regulators to geographical adaptation of maize, and discuss future directions of research on flowering and application in breeding, aiming to deepen our understanding of the genetic regulation of maize flowering and provide a theoretical basis for genetic improvement of maize cultivars adapting to diverse environmental conditions.