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Abstract

The transition from the vegetative stage to the reproductive stage is a crucial process for all Ìýflowering plants. The optimal timing for the development of flowering tissue not only increases Ìýfertility and reproductive success, but also improves pollination, seed formation, and seed Ìýdispersal. This timing of this transition is initiated by a network of a few hundred regulatory Ìýgenes which respond to changes in the plant’s environment, as well as other factors. The Ìýcollection of these genes is referred to as the Flowering Time Regulatory Pathway. The genomic Ìýnature of this pathway has been studied for several decades in model species of Arabidopsis and ÌýBrassica, as well as important crop species like wheat, barley, and sunflowers. The identification Ìýof these genes in other novel crop species, like Cannabis, remains an important step in Ìýdescribing the presence/absence and variation of the flowering time pathway. Using protein Ìýalignment tools and publicly available genomic data, this research identified 618 candidate Ìýflowering time genes present in Cannabis for future investigation into expression, variation, and Ìýselection. The information gained on these candidate flowering time genes within Cannabis can Ìýnow be used to develop molecular primers to amplify these regions of the genome for Ìýexperimental purposes. The increasing economic importance of Cannabis propelled by recent Ìýlegalization movements in the US states and other countries makes the timing of this research Ìýparticularly relevant for growers, breeders, and geneticists aiming to understand the genomic Ìýnature of flowering time in Cannabis.