Source-sink interactions play a critical but mechanistically underexplored role in coordinating reproductive output and longevity in plants. Here, we investigated the role of FT1, the barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) homolog of the florigen FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), in regulating source (leaf) and sink (inflorescence) development and metabolism. Using ft1 knock-out mutants in the spring barley cultivar Golden Promise, which carries a mutated PHOTOPERIOD 1 (ppd-H1) allele, and in an introgression line with a wild-type Ppd-H1 allele, we showed that Ppd-H1 primarily regulates the timing of inflorescence development and flowering through FT1. In contrast, variation in tiller number and leaf size was determined by the genetic background. ft1 mutants exhibited reduced determinacy of both leaf and inflorescence meristems, resulting in increased leaf and spikelet numbers and size, but severely reduced inflorescence fertility, altered senescence patterns, and significantly extended plant longevity. The ft1 mutants exhibited a strong transcriptional reprogramming of genes involved in both the light and dark reactions of photosynthesis in the leaf, alongside an upregulation of genes associated with carbon catabolism and stress responses in the leaf and inflorescence. Elevated soluble sugar and starch levels in ft1 inflorescences indicated that the impaired development and fertility of ft1 inflorescences were not caused by carbon limitation, but instead reflected a reduced sink strength. Our work reveals that FT1 coordinates the development of vegetative and reproductive meristems and organs with plant physiology and metabolism, thereby regulating source-sink relationships and balancing plant longevity with reproductive output.

Abstract Although triploid poplars have larger cells and leaves than their diploid counterparts, the molecular mechanisms underlying this disparity remain elusive. Here, we found that PpnGATA8 and PpnGRF5 were significantly up-regulated in triploid poplars through differential gene expression analysis between diploid and triploid poplars. Furthermore, through genetic transformation in poplar, it was found that both PpnGATA8 and PpnGRF5 positively regulated poplar cell size, resulting in increased leaf size and improved photosynthetic efficiency. RNA-sequencing of PpnGATA8-overexpressing poplars showed that PpnGATA8 promotes expression of PagGRF5 and PagXTH9. Yeast one-hybrid system, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and dual-luciferase assay were employed to substantiate that PpnGATA8 directly regulated PagGRF5 and PagXTH9 expression. Meanwhile, PpnGRF5 positively regulates the expression of PagXTH9. Poplar protoplast co-transformation assays further proved that co-expression of PpnGATA8 and PpnGRF5 had the strongest effect on promoting PagXTH9 expression. Moreover, overexpression of PpnXTH9 also significantly increased poplar cell and leaf size. Therefore, GATA8, GRF5 and XTH9 formed a feed-forward regulatory loop to regulate plant cell size. Our results are of major significance for revealing the molecular regulatory mechanisms of plant cell size and leaf development, especially the genetic basis of giant variation in cells and leaves in polyploid plants.

This study tested the effects of soil amendment with orange peel powder (Citrus sinensis L.) on Brassica rapa growth, the performance of the aphid Myzus persicae Sulzer, and the foraging behaviour of its parasitoid Aphidius gifuensis Ashmead. Three peel: soil ratios (1:10, 1:15, 1:20 w/w) were compared with an unamended control. The 1:10 amendment significantly reduced seed germination, plant height, leaf size, and fresh weight, while the 1:20 amendment also decreased fresh weight. Aphid nymphal development was significantly delayed in the 1:10 and 1:15 treatments, and adult weight gain was reduced in the 1:15 treatment. Aphid population growth and parasitoid foraging time were unaffected across treatments. The results indicate that orange peel amendments can delay aphid development but also suppress plant growth at higher concentrations, highlighting the need for optimized application rates. This study supports further exploration of orange peel as a sustainable soil amendment in integrated pest management.

Spliceosomal Factor SmF Modulates Temperature-Mediated Flower and Leaf Size Plasticity in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Apricot is one of Türkiye's most important horticultural crops, accounting for approximately 21% of global production. The Hacıhaliloğlu cultivar, responsible for 90% of the country's dried apricot exports, is cultivated in Malatya, where declining precipitation due to climate change poses a significant threat to sustainable production. This study, conducted from 2021 to 2023, aimed to evaluate the effects of different drought irrigation regimes on the morpho-physiological and biochemical characteristics of Hacıhaliloğlu apricot trees under water stress. Four-year-old T-budded saplings were grown in pots and subjected to monthly irrigation treatments during the post-harvest period.The results revealed that drought stress significantly inhibited shoot elongation, reduced leaf size and dry matter accumulation, and impaired pistil development. The T0 treatment (full irrigation) consistently outperformed all other regimes in terms of shoot length, pistil length, specific leaf weight, and relative leaf dry weight. Drought-exposed trees, especially those under rainfall-only or late irrigation conditions (T1, T7, T8), exhibited increased oxidative damage, as indicated by elevated levels of membrane permeability, H₂O₂, MDA, and antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, POD, SOD). Moreover, leaf water potential and chlorophyll content declined under prolonged stress conditions.These findings emphasize that irrigation during critical developmental stages particularly July and August, when flower bud differentiation and vegetative growth overlaps is vital for preserving productivity and physiological integrity in apricot trees. Strategic water management in arid and semi-arid regions can mitigate the negative effects of drought stress and enhance tree performance even under limited water availability.

Abstract The Arctic is warming rapidly and much faster in winter than in summer. Warm spells in winter lead to more frequent extreme rain‐on‐snow events that alter snowpack conditions and can encapsulate plants in ‘basal ice’ (‘icing’) for months. Yet, how icing affects plant communities, especially over multiple winters and under warmer summers, remains largely unstudied. We investigated winter icing and summer warming effects on vascular plants' productivity, reproduction and phenology in mesic dwarf shrub heath, an important reindeer habitat in high Arctic Svalbard, where winter temperatures have been rising particularly fast. In a full‐factorial field experiment, rain‐on‐snow and resultant icing were simulated in five consecutive winters, and each followed by experimentally increased summer temperatures. Vascular plant responses at the community level, with particular attention to the dominant dwarf shrub Salix polaris , were assessed throughout each subsequent growing season. Icing alone increased community‐level primary productivity, but only late in the growing season and reduced inflorescence production. Accordingly, S. polaris showed delayed early leaf phenophases, but accelerated subsequent development, resulting in smaller, thinner leaves. This compensatory growth response apparently occurred at the cost of delayed seed maturation. The phenological delay was associated with icing‐induced delays in spring soil warm‐up, possibly favouring resource allocation to primary productivity over reproduction. Experimental summer warming (on average 0.8°C) largely counteracted the effects of icing, enhancing community productivity throughout the growing season, offsetting S. polaris leaf size reductions and turning around its delayed phenophases, including seed dispersal. Effect sizes of icing and warming combined could be larger than those under warming alone. Yet, summer warming did not negate the reduction in community inflorescence production caused by icing. Synthesis. Extreme rain‐on‐snow events encapsulating plants in ice can influence high Arctic plant communities in mesic habitats to similar extents as—the better‐studied—summer warming. Nevertheless, the absence of magnified icing effects over the years indicates community resistance to icing, particularly under warmer summers, which contrasts with earlier documented ice‐induced die‐offs in communities dominated by evergreen shrubs. As warm spells during winter become the rule rather than exception, we call for similar experiments in coordinated circumpolar monitoring programmes across the tundra biome.

Sorrels (Rumex spp.) from Polygonaceae have been utilized as medicinal plants or vegetable crops and inhabit in some areas of America, Asia and Europe as native or introduced plants. The target of the current investigation was to evaluate the genetic variation of 54 accessions of various species, including R. alpinus, R. kerneri, R. obtusifolius, R. patientia, R. pseudonatronatus, R. pulcher, R. rugosus, R. scutatus and Rumex spp. The plant materials from German IPK's gene bank (44 accessions) or various geographical areas of Iran (10 accessions), were evaluated in two separate trials, and 24 morphologic quantitative and qualitative characteristics were recorded. The coefficient of variation was very high for all measured traits across both trials whereas fresh and dry weight of leaves ranged from 20.3 to 210.1 g and from 2.7 to about 15.0 g, respectively. The factor analysis revealed four factors; leaf size, leaf number, leaf weight and the petiole length in the first trial while it identified leaf size, leaf weight blade width and the petiole length as important factors in the second trial, thus the importance of leaf size, leaf weight and the petiole length was confirmed at both trials. Also, the factor analysis of qualitative traits indicated five factors; anthocyanin blade and vein, leaf appearance, blade and the petiole properties, anthocyanin of the petiole and the midrib of the petiole. These consistent patterns affirm the reliability of trait-based factor analysis and underscore the potential of identified traits for use in genetic improvement and breeding programs. The study highlights the significant morphological diversity within sorrel germplasm, offering valuable insights for cultivar development and conservation strategies.

Plants are essential components of life, providing food, habitat, and ecological balance. Their leaves harness solar energy, making them critical indicators of environmental health. Leaf size indices provide valuable insights into plant health, transpiration, growth, temperature regulation, and light capture. This study investigated the effects of six heavy metals—Molybdenum (Mo), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), and Cadmium (Cd)—on the morphometric leaf traits of the halophyte Lumnitzera racemosa Willd. in an ultramafic mining site in Claver, Surigao del Norte, with a non-mining control site in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. Sediment analyses revealed that Cr (4,434 ppm) and Ni (4,234 ppm) in the mining site exceeded WHO and FAO permissible limits (100 and 50 ppm, respectively), while Ni (552 ppm) and Cr (334 ppm) in the control site also surpassed thresholds, indicating diffuse contamination. Morphometric analysis showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in all measured leaf traits between sites. L. racemosa in Nasipit exhibited longer leaves (mean = 5.17 cm) and greater leaf area (mean = 7.53 cm²) compared with Claver (4.17 cm and 6.83 cm², respectively), representing increases of 22% in length and 9% in area. In contrast, leaves from Claver had broader widths (by 12%) and longer petioles (by 15%), possibly reflecting compensatory morphological plasticity under multi-metal stress. The widespread contamination of all six heavy metals likely induced synergistic or antagonistic toxic effects, altering cell division and photosynthetic activity. Leaf macronutrient analysis revealed nitrogen deficiency in both populations, optimum to high phosphorus, and excessive potassium levels, suggesting that leaf size variations were not driven by nutrient imbalance but by metal toxicity and environmental stress. The study concludes that L. racemosa exhibits adaptive morphometric responses to heavy metal exposure, indicating its potential as a bioindicator species for monitoring contamination in ultramafic and mining-affected mangrove ecosystems.

This work addresses pattern recognition in the agronomic domain, with a particular emphasis on identifying plant leaves using an adaptive neural network technique. We introduce a tool designed for two primary groups: botany researchers and a broader range of scientists applying it to plant identification and classification. We delve into the capabilities of Deep Learning, focusing on generalization abilities that enable accurate predictions on unseen data, which is essential for handling the variation in leaf shapes, sizes, and structures across species. The implementation details of these neural networks are described, including data preprocessing, network architecture design, training strategies, and evaluation techniques to ensure robustness and reliability in real-world applications.

Crop growth models (CGM) are a valuable tool for predicting crop performance in contrasting growing conditions and interpreting crop responses to future scenarios. Inaccuracies in the simulation of leaf area dynamics directly impact estimates of intercepted radiation, biomass production and transpiration demand by the crop, especially during the early stages when the canopy is not yet fully covering the soil. An empirical bell-shaped function of individual leaf area versus leaf position, combined with the response of leaf appearance to thermal time, is used in many CGMs to simulate total leaf area per axis and generate canopy leaf area index. This study proposes that an individual leaf area approach, based on predicting blade length and blade width of successive leaves, can make modelling of leaf area dynamics less empirical, while offering the flexibility to better simulate genotypic, and genotypic × environment interaction effects in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), maize (Zea mays L.), and pearl millet (Pennisteum americanum L.). A generic model of leaf area by leaf position was developed using data on individual blade length and width compiled from numerous experiments over the period 1990-2022 that involved a broad range of genotypes of sorghum, maize, and pearl millet. This study developed and tested a generic individual leaf size model for maize, sorghum and pearl millet, based on relationships quantifying length and width of successive leaves. Generic parameters of an expolinear-logistic model obtained across species and related to total leaf number (TLN) as appropriate, facilitated satisfactory predictive performance for blade length, width, and leaf area profiles. Genotypic-specific parameters improved model predictions in this study. Improvements in parameterisation of canopy development in CGM can enhance predictions of Genotype × Environment × Management (G×E×M) interactions to support identifying breeding targets for enhanced yield and strategies for sustainable crop management.

Habitat‐modifying plants engineer landscapes through plant‐environment feedbacks. The strength of these feedbacks is determined by above‐ and below‐ground traits shaping landscape morphology. Besides interspecific differences, recent findings highlight that intraspecific trait variation, such as shoot density, can also influence landscape morphology. Trait expression often changes throughout a plant's life cycle and in response to environmental conditions. Traits advantageous during establishment in early successional stages may differ from those facilitating long‐term persistence in stabilized environments. Yet, it remains unknown how traits change relative to environmental stressors across a landscape successional gradient. We conducted a field experiment planting 120 juvenile Calamagrostis arenaria transplants, similar in size and appearance, across three successional habitats (beach, foredune, backdune) at four dune locations, covering its full habitat range. After two growing seasons, surviving transplants were harvested to analyze how establishment success, biomass dynamics and trait expression responded to environmental stressors. Establishment, biomass dynamics, and trait expression in C. arenaria varied across successional habitats. Initially, C. arenaria's capacity to cope with burial stress is limited, impeding establishment at the beach. Over time, however, high sediment dynamics in early successional habitats promoted growth. In contrast, stabilized foredune and backdune habitats, despite benefitting establishment, provide less favorable growing conditions, reducing biomass and plant vigor. Traits associated with growth strategy, like below‐ground stem length, increased in response to burial stress, indicating plasticity. Conversely, above‐ground traits reflecting vigor, e.g. stem diameter and leaf size, changed according to plant size, suggesting divergences in developmental. Collectively, our results demonstrate that trait expression and requirements change throughout the life cycle of a habitat‐modifying plant and in response to environmental conditions. While some traits shift with plant development, others show plastic responses to stress. Our results suggest that single‐season or large‐scale studies may overlook key features determining trait expression, essentially shaping emerging landscapes.

Leaf size and shape are crucial traits affecting photosynthesis. Moderate leaf curling is believed to be beneficial to photosynthesis because upright leaves are ideal for building a canopy structure with reduced shaded areas to improve light penetration and ventilation. In this study, we investigated the cytological features of a natural cotton mutant showing cup-shaped leaves due to upward curling of leaf edge and identified the gene regulating leaf edge curling. Genetic analysis indicates that the cup-shaped leaf is caused by mutations in an incomplete dominant gene, designated GhCUP. The gene was mapped to a 206-kb genomic region containing 16 annotated genes in chromosome A11. Based on the annotation and expression difference of the genes in the interval between the mutant and cotton cultivar with normal leaf shape, virus-induced gene silencing, and gene overexpression, GH_A11G3479 was identified as GhCUP. The promoter sequence of GhCUP contains several cis-elements that could potentially interact with transcription factors involved in leaf development, with some of them mutated in the cup-shaped leaf mutant. One of those mutations was in a binding site of KAN1, which might contribute to up-regulation of GhCUP in the mutant, leading to the mutant phenotype, as KAN1 could interact with the promoter of GhCUP from cotton cultivar with normal leaf shape but binding affinity to the mutant promoter was significantly reduced. Identifying GhCUP provides a novel gene for creating ideal canopy structure by manipulating cotton leaf shape.

The island syndrome can be defined as a suite of predictable and consistent similarities among island organisms. In plants, it can result from processes of biased colonization and/or in situ evolution. Despite recent progress in identifying its components, the relative contributions of these processes remain unclear. Here, I disentangle and quantify the relative roles of these processes in driving morphological change in Coprosma , a plant genus widespread across the Pacific. First, I amassed data for two morphological traits and tested for correlated evolution between morphology and insularity. I then used phylogenetic comparative methods and directed network models to determine whether possessing larger leaves and/or stature favoured island colonization, whether these similarities are exclusively the product of in situ evolution, or both. Results indicate that large‐leaved ancestors were favoured during island establishment, while both leaf size and stature consistently increased on islands as a result of in situ evolution. Overall, this study provides a framework to distinguish between biased colonization and in situ evolutionary processes in island plants.

Sansevieria, a perennial herb known for its ornamental and medicinal value, has many varieties due to its leaf size and stripe color. However, it is very difficult to distinguish them during the seedling stage. In this study, we conducted chloroplast genome sequencing analysis on 10 cultivars of Sansevieria trifasciata. The chloroplast genomes exhibited a typical quadripartite circular structure (154.2–158.7 kb), encoding 113 functional genes with highly conserved gene order. Phylogenetic analysis supported the evolutionary linkage between Sansevieria and Dracaena. Dynamic inverted repeats (IR) boundary expansions/contractions, particularly species-specific patterns in ndhF and rps19 gene distributions across IR junctions, indicating its adaptive divergence. We also discovered the trnT-psbD marker, which is a deletion marker developed from hypervariable regions and can effectively distinguish closely related species. This work provides critical molecular tools and theoretical foundations for germplasm identification, phylogenetic reconstruction, and chloroplast genome evolution in Sansevieria, and also promotes taxonomic revisions in Asparagaceae.

Crabapples (Malus spp.) are important ornamental trees in northern temperate regions. However, their phenotypic diversity and ornamental values remain poorly characterized, due to a lack of systematic comparison between introduced and domestically bred cultivars/lines. This knowledge gap limits the effective utilization of their germplasm. In this study, 111 floral, foliar, fruit, and tree architectural traits were measured across 93 introduced (North American) and 118 domestically bred (Chinese) cultivars/lines. Comparative analyses using Shannon–Wiener (H′) and Pielou’s evenness (J) indices revealed that floral traits exhibited the highest phenotypic diversity, followed by fruits, leaves, and tree architecture. Among these, 51 key traits (e.g., budlet color, leaf area, and fruit shape) showed above-average diversity, while others (e.g., flower type, leaf cracking, and exocarp color) were less uniform, indicating rare phenotypes. Domestically bred cultivars showed significant improvements in flower color and type, mature leaf shape and size, and fruit characteristics, including novel budlet, bud and petal colors, increased stamen numbers, semi-double or double flowers, and diverse fruit colors. A multi-dimensional ornamental evaluation (Analytic Hierarchy Process) identified 26 superior genotypes and several organ-specific selections for flower- (26), fruit- (25), foliage- (21), and tree architecture-viewing (14) purposes. These findings provide a theoretical basis for updating Malus distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) guidelines, targeted breeding, and strategic landscape applications, highlighting the potential of both introduced and domestic germplasm for ornamental improvement.

Abstract Plant phenotypic characteristics demonstrate species' adjustment capacity to environmental conditions, and their accurate assessment forms the cornerstone for germplasm resource appraisal and sustainable utilization. This study systematically examined morphological variations in foliage characteristics across prickly ash germplasm collections, with particular focus on leaf architecture diversity and its taxonomic implications. Fifteen leaf traits of 36 prickly ash germplasm resources were evaluated using a combination of cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) to characterize the diversity of their leaf traits. Statistical analysis revealed substantial variability across all measured foliar characteristics ( P < 0.05), with an average variation coefficient of 19.80% per trait. Multivariate analysis identified leaf dimensions (length and surface area) as pivotal diagnostic parameters for evaluating prickly ash germplasm among the quantified traits. Hierarchical clustering segregated specimens into two primary clusters at a Euclidean distance threshold of 15, subsequently differentiating into distinct chromatic categories (red and green prickly ash varieties). These findings substantiate significant phenotypic divergence within prickly ash germplasm, which can be classified into two distinct groups: (i) Red prickly ash, characterized by elongated, broader and more slender petioles; reduced leaf surface area; increased numbers of compound leaflets and diminished foliar water content. These morphological adaptations, particularly compact leaf size and lower moisture retention, likely contribute to enhanced cold tolerance. (ii) Green prickly ash, characterized by thicker, expanded foliage with greater surface area; elevated chlorophyll concentrations and reduced chlorophyll a / b ratios. The combination of broader photosynthetic surfaces and optimized pigment composition potentially enhances light capture efficiency, while modified chlorophyll ratios may indicate improved environmental adaptability. This study contributes significantly to advancing the understanding of genetic diversity within prickly ash species and enriching the theoretical framework of plant phenotypic trait research. Furthermore, the methodological approach and technical strategy used in this research offer valuable insights and references for analogous studies on other plant species. Significance of the study What is already known on this subject? At present, we have come to understand that plant phenotypic traits can reflect their adaptability to the environment. The identification of phenotypic traits forms the basis for the evaluation and comprehensive utilization of germplasm resources. What are the new findings? Based on the diversity of leaf characteristics, these 36 chili varieties were divided into two categories. The results showed that the first category had longer, wider and thinner petioles, smaller leaf areas, more small leaves in the compound leaves and lower leaf water content. All these varieties were red chili varieties. The smaller leaves and lower leaf water content could enhance their cold resistance. The second category had longer, wider and thicker leaves, larger leaf areas, higher chlorophyll content and a lower chlorophyll a / b ratio. All these varieties were green chili varieties. The larger leaf area and higher chlorophyll content could improve their photosynthetic efficiency, while the lower chlorophyll a / b ratio could enhance their adaptability to weak light. What are the expected impacts on horticulture? This study seeks to establish theoretical foundations and technical references for optimizing prickly ash germplasm utilization while facilitating novel cultivar development.

New Guinea, the most botanically diverse island on the planet, is the location for one of the boldest conservation initiatives. The Manokwari Declaration aims to achieve 70% conservation designation for the Bird's Head Peninsula. This is 40% higher than the 2022 Global Biodiversity Framework target. However, there is a lack of species occurrence data to support evidence of where biodiversity can be best protected. To address this, we integrated plant trait data from taxonomic descriptions in species occurrence models that can inform conservation planning. Inclusion of traits improved the performance of co-occurrence models of ∼800 plant species across the 100,000-km2 landscape. Traits generally improved model performance, but not all traits contributed equally (e.g.,leaf size and red flower color most improved accuracy of occurrence prediction). Likewise, trait-parameterized models tended to be most useful with rare species occurrence prediction, but this was inconsistent among traits. Under 70% protection, three-quarters of the areas selected conserved trait diversity. Critically, trait diversity also increased the chances that areas at high risk of deforestation were selected as conservation priorities. Overall, we found that plant species' traits, often key parameters of ecosystem function and resilience, improved spatial conservation planning.

Leaf anatomy is a key factor determining plant ecology. Cell size and number are related to leaf size in tracheophytes, but this has been little studied in bryophytes, which never reach large leaf sizes. We studied the main anatomical factors determining leaf size in mosses, and how this is related to their ecology. We measured cell and leaf dimensions in 287 moss species, as well as cell density, cell wall thickness and midrib length. These measurements were contrasted against different traits, highlighting growth form and genome size, and correlations among traits. Moss leaf size was positively correlated with cell size but negatively correlated with cell density. The longest moss leaves were always supported by midribs reaching or surpassing the leaf apex. Genome size was positively correlated with cell and, especially, leaf size. All these relationships were stronger in acrocarpous mosses. Leaf size in mosses is limited by the mechanical support provided by cell turgor and the midrib. Both mechanical support and effect of genome size were more important in acrocarpous mosses. Our findings suggest anatomy as a key linking factor between genome size and plant ecology.

The trait plasticity may be critical to the successful invasion of invasive plants (IPS). Furthermore, multiple IPS can coexist in a given habitat. Nevertheless, it remains unclear which functional trait's plasticity contributes most to the competitive advantage of IPS under the co-invasion scenarios. This study aims to evaluate the differences in the trait plasticity, and to assess the contribution of the trait plasticity of multiple IPS on their competitive advantage under the co-invasion scenarios mediated by three IPS, namely Erigeron canadensis L., E. sumatrensis Retz. and Solidago canadensis L., in comparison to native plants, in Jiangsu, China. This study was conducted by cross-comparing plant communities under different invasion scenarios mediated by different species number of IPS, including plant communities invaded by one, two and three IPS listed above and plant communities without any invasion. These three IPS displayed a significantly lower trait plasticity, particularly with regard to plant height, leaf size and green leaf area, in comparison to coexisting native plants, regardless of the invasion scenario. The competitive advantage of these three IPS was greatest when they invaded independently. The competitive advantage of these three IPS was largely contributed by the plasticity of green leaf area and leaf nitrogen content.

As leaf organ size is a key determinant of plant morphology and development, elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing organ size regulation has become a central research focus in legume biology. DNA binding with one finger 32 (MtDof32), previously identified as a key regulatory factor in organ development, has been shown to influence leaf and flower organ size in Arabidopsis. Here, we demonstrated that MtDof32 overexpression in Medicago truncatula resulted in the enlargement of both leaf and flower organs. Cellular analysis revealed that MtDof32 primarily modulated organ size by controlling cell expansion. Yeast two-hybrid, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays collectively established the nuclear-localized interaction between MtDof32 and MtEBP1. Additionally, we observed that MtDof32 overexpression led to delayed flowering and reduced branching in transgenic plants. Comparative analysis with wild-type plants indicated significant alterations in the expression levels of key flowering and branching regulatory genes. This study underscored the conserved role of MtDof32 in regulating organ size across leguminous species, offering valuable insights for the genetic modification and utilization of this gene in crop improvement strategies.