VERNALIZATION

Certain plants require a low-temperature treatment during their earlier stages of life for
subsequent flowering. The low-temperature treatment or cold treatment that promotes
flowering is known as vernalization.

The word vernalization originated from the Latin ”vernus” which means “of the spring”.
Vernalization is the induction of a plant’s flowering process by exposure to the long period of the
cold of winter, or by an artificial equivalent.

After vernalization, plants have acquired the ability to flower, but they may require additional
seasonal cues or weeks of growth before they will actually flower.

History of Vernalization
Vernalization was first realised by American agriculturist John Hancock Klippart in 1857 when he
found that the winter wheat (sown in winter and flowering in summer) could be converted
into spring wheat (sown in spring and flowering in summer) if the seeds after slight germination
were kept at nearly freezing temperature (0°-5°C).
In 1928, the Soviet agronomist Trofim Lysenko published his works on the effects of cold on
cereal seeds and coined the term “яровизация” (“jarovization”) to describe a chilling process he
used to make the seeds of winter cereals behave like spring cereals (Jarovoe in Russian, originally
from jar meaning fire or the god of spring). Lysenko himself translated the term into
“vernalization” (from the Latin vernum meaning Spring).

Note: Jarovization (Russian)= Vernalization (Latin)= Springinization ( English)

*Vernalization is also called cold treatment or chilling treatment.

After Lysenko, the term was used to explain the ability of flowering in some plants after a period
of chilling due to physiological changes and external factors.

The formal definition was given in 1960 by French botanist P. Chouard, as “the acquisition or
acceleration of the ability to flower by a chilling treatment“.

Perception of the Cold Stimulus

The cold stimulus is perceived by the apical meristems. But the work of Wellensiek (1964) on the
vernalization of the excised or isolated left and root of Lunaria biennis has shown that all dividing
cells including those in roots or leaves may be the potential sites of vernalization.

*The plants regenerated from isolated leaves or roots of unvernalized Lunaria biennis plants
require vernalization in order to flower. But if the isolated leaves or roots are given a chilling
treatment for sufficient time, the plants regenerated from them respond as if they themselves
have been vernalized.
Presence of a Floral Hormone
It is believed that the perception of the cold stimulus results in the formation of a floral hormone
which is transmitted to other parts of the plant.

The floral hormone has been named vernalin but it is yet to be isolated.

But some indirect evidence supports the existence of vernalin. Melchers performed two
experiments:
1. In 1936, he grafted a vernalized henbane (Hyoscyamus) plant to a non-vernalized henbane
plant. He found that the non-vernalized henbane flowered. He suggested that a stimulus in the
form of a hormone had transmitted from vernalized to non-vernalized henbane inducing flower
and named it vernalin in 1939.
∗But florigen also passes through graft union. Therefore, some physiologists suggested that
florigen might be the vernalization stimulus.

2. An additional experiment by Melchers and Lang further proved it wrong. They grafted an
unvernalized henbane plant to a Maryland mammoth tobacco plant. The henbane plant
flowered. The stimulus is transmitted from the tobacco plant to the henbane through photo
inductive cycle or non-inductive cycles. Since florigen is not produced in non-inductive cycles.
Therefore, it cannot act as vernalin.

Chemical Nature of Vernalin

The low-temperature treatment produces vernalin. This vernalin induces flowering. However,
this hypothetical hormone vernalin cannot be isolated. But some plant physiologists believed
that some plant growth hormone gibberellins may act as vernalin.

Evidence of gibberellins as vernalin:

1. Anton Lang in 1957 applied gibberellins on biennials like henbane. Henbane requires a
vernalization stimulus for flowering. Gibberellins induced flowering in it without cold
temperature treatment.

2. Purvis in 1961 induced flowering in winter annuals by treating their seeds with gibberellins.

3. It was also found that the exposing of vernalization requiring species to low-temperature
treatment produces a large amount of natural gibberellin. These indicate that the properties of
gibberellins are similar to vernalin.

Objections on gibberellins as vernalin:

1. Gibberellin can induce flowering in long-day plants. However, if plants require both, i. e., long
days and cold treatment, the gibberellins cannot substitute for both.
2. In rosette plants, such as henbane; gibberellins may only promote stem elongation and not
flowering.
3. Gibberellins cannot induce flowering in short-day plants.
Hence, it may be stated that gibberellins and vernalin are two different compounds.
Mechanism of Vernalization

It involves the following steps:

1. Seed moistening: First, soak the seeds in water and later allow them to germinate in the
processing chamber under 10-12 degrees Celsius.
2. Chilling treatment: Expose the germinated seeds to the low temperature (3-5 degrees
Celsius) upto desired time.
3. Drying and sowing: Seeds are then dried and sown in a field with adequate water and oxygen
supply.
There are two hypotheses, which explain the theory of vernalization.

The hypothesis of phasic development

According to Lysenko, the vernalization method completes in two stages:

1. Thermostage: It refers to the primary stage, where the slightly germinated seeds are exposed
to a low temperature of 0-5 degrees Celsius in the presence of oxygen and moisture. During
this stage, structures like root, stem, and leaves develop, known as the vegetative phase.
Here, the seed loses its dormancy and starts to germinate.
2. Photostage: It is the secondary stage when the seedlings are subjected to the phase of correct
photoperiod or high temperature upto 40 degrees Celsius. It refers to the reproductive stage,
where the seedlings grow the reproductive structures like flowers and fruits.
The hypothesis of hormonal involvement

According to Chailakhyan, the vernalization method has two possibilities:

1. In long-day plants: A flowering hormone anthesin in long-day plants converts vernalin

hormone into a growth-regulating hormone gibberellic acid, which finally induces flowering
in plants.
2. In short-day plants: They lack a flowering hormone anthesin, which converts vernalin into
gibberellic acid, thereby inducing no flowering.
Examples of Vernalizatized Plants

 Food plants (wheat, rye, etc.) have both spring and winter varieties. The spring and winter
varieties are sown in the spring season and autumn season, respectively.
 Biennial plants (carrot, sugar beet, etc.) take two years to flower. In the first year, a plant
undergoes vegetative growth, while in the second year, it becomes dormant during the
winter, thereby producing flowers and fruits, and finally dies in the next summer.
Factors Affecting
The factors affecting vernalization includes:

1. Low temperature: A general process to grow healthy plants by employing vernalization

technique primarily requires a low temperature ranging between 0-10 degrees Celsius. After
this, you need to subject the seedlings to a high temperature of 40 degrees Celsius.
2. Time period: The time period of vernalization depends upon the plant type, and it can vary
from a few days to weeks or even several months.
3. Actively dividing cells: The process of vernalization occurs in the germinating seeds, which
comprises an active embryo. Thus, the process does not occur in the dry seeds. It requires
seeds moistened with active meristematic cells.
4. Water and Oxygen: Proper protoplasmic hydration is a prerequisite for the seedling to
recognize a stimulus. Vernalization needs adequate oxygen, as it is an aerobic process that
regulates the metabolic energy inside plant cells.
Importance
1. Vernalization gives adequate time for the plants to get mature and also prevents pre-
maturing during their growing season.
2. It reduces the vegetative phase and hastens the reproductive period.
3. Vernalization increases the plant’s growth and yield.
4. Vernalization makes the plants more adaptable by allowing them to grow in regions where
they usually don’t grow.
5. It also removes wrinkles on the kernels of the Triticale.
6. It is not only applicable for growing temperate plants, but also some tropical plants like
wheat, rice, millets etc.

Devernalization
To erase the effect of vernalization, a reverse process is applied which is known as
devernalization.
So, the reversal of the effect of vernalization is called devernalization. In other words, the positive
effect of the low-temperature treatment on the vernalization of the plants can be counteracted
by subsequent high-temperature treatment. This is called devernalization.
The reversal may be accomplished by drying the vernalized grains and storing them under dry
conditions for several weeks. Grains of Petkus winter rye retain the vernalized condition for 6
weeks, but by 8 weeks they are almost completely devernalized. However, the most effective
devernalizing factor is high temperature. If vernalized seeds are given high-temperature
treatment, the effect of vernalization disappears. The wheat and henbane grains can be
vernalized if they are kept at 35°C. But devernalization has to be done after a brief vernalization
period. Because an increase in the duration of the vernalization treatment causes an increase in
the stability of the plant toward high-temperature reversal. For example, if the vernalized
henbane is allowed a period of 3 to 4 days at 20°C, devernalization is not possible. After nullifying
the effects of high temperature, revernalization is again possible by cold treatments in many
plants.

The practical utility of Vernalization

1. Vernalization shortens the vegetative period of the plants.
2. It increases the cold resistance of the plants.
3. It also helps certain crop plants to escape the harmful effects of severe winter in colder
counties like Russia, thus improving crop production.
4. Increases the resistance of plants to fungal diseases.

Conclusion
Therefore, we can conclude that vernalization is a method of inciting early flowering in plants by
the pretreatment of seeds under a low temperature. Reversal of the vernalization process is an
effect known as devernalization, which interrupts the process during the period of low
temperature into a high temperature.