Maternal control of early life history traits affects overwinter survival and seedling phenotypes in sunflower (<i>Helianthus annuus</i>L.)

When cultivated and wild plants hybridize, hybrids often show intermediate phenotypic traits relative to their parents, which makes them unfit in natural environments. However, maternal genetic effects may affect the outcome of hybridization by controlling expression earliest life history traits. Here, using wild, reciprocal crop–wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrids, we evaluated on emergence timing seedling establishment field under controlled conditions. In field, between two populations with contrasting dormancy (the high dormant BAR low DIA) one cultivar (CROP) dormancy. Under conditions, (BAR RCU) CROP three temperature treatments. overwintered as seeds whereas DIA showed autumn (~50% planted seeds), resulting differential overwinter survival spring. Reciprocal resembled female parents success establishment. observed large most across temperatures. Cotyledon size explained variation traits, suggesting that seed have cascading Maternal early plant thus, they should be addressed studies, especially those involving highly divergent such species ancestors.