The Maryland Mammoth, discussed above, is an example of a short-day plant resulting from a mutation. Mutations that affect flowering time can lead to delayed flowering or to rapid flowering, regardless of photoperiod. Harmful effects of such mutations may include inadequate photosynthetic capability to sustain the crop (when flowering occurs too soon) or susceptibility to pests or cold temperatures at the end of the season (because of flowering too late). A focus of work on genetic modification of plants is the achievement of optimal flowering times.
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