As a pivotal global oil crop, soybean production plays a vital role in ensuring food security and promoting sustainable development. The processes of flowering and pod drop are critical determinants of soybean yield, thus, effective regulation of flowering is essential for achieving both high and stable yields. The differentiation of flower buds marks a crucial stage in the flowering process, governed by a complex interplay of environmental and endogenous pathways, including photoperiodic, vernalization, autonomous, gibberellin, and age pathways. These pathways converge to integrate flowering signals, subsequently activating downstream floral meristem identity genes that orchestrate the formation of floral primordia. Sucrose, the primary sugar transport form in soybeans, serves not only as a fundamental component of carbon metabolism but also as a significant signaling molecule. Through the age pathway, sucrose harmonizes various flowering-related genes, thereby influencing the timing of soybean flowering. Gibberellin, an essential hormone for plant growth and development, modulates flowering through the gibberellin pathway, with DELLA proteins acting as key regulators in the signal transduction cascade. The synergistic interaction between sucrose and gibberellin on gene expression occurs via distinct signaling pathways, collectively orchestrating flower bud differentiation. A thorough exploration of the molecular mechanisms by which sugars and hormones regulate flowering is anticipated to yield valuable insights and guidance for enhancing field crop production. This study highlights the critical role of soybean (Glycine max) as a global oil crop, emphasizing its importance in food security and sustainable agricultural development. Our findings reveal that the processes of flowering and pod drop are pivotal determinants of soybean yield, underscoring the necessity for effective regulation of flowering to achieve both high and stable yields. We identified that flower bud differentiation is a crucial phase in the flowering process, regulated by a complex interplay of environmental and endogenous pathways, including photoperiodic, vernalization, autonomous, gibberellin, and age pathways. These pathways work in concert to integrate flowering signals, which subsequently activate downstream floral meristem identity genes responsible for the formation of floral primordia. Our research further elucidates the dual role of sucrose, the primary form of sugar transport in soybeans, as both a fundamental component of carbon metabolism and a significant signaling molecule. Through the age pathway, sucrose coordinates the expression of various flowering-related genes, thereby influencing the timing of flowering in soybeans. Additionally, we found that gibberellin, a vital hormone for plant growth and development, regulates flowering through its specific signaling pathway, with DELLA proteins serving as key regulators in the signal transduction process. The synergistic effects of sucrose and gibberellin on gene expression occur through distinct signaling pathways, collectively orchestrating the differentiation of flower buds. Overall, our comprehensive exploration of the molecular mechanisms by which sugars and hormones regulate flowering in soybeans is expected to provide valuable insights and practical guidance for enhancing field crop production, ultimately contributing to improved agricultural practices and food security.

Global agriculture must urgently adopt a new approach to ensure adequate food production for the increasing population in the current context of adverse conditions, while prioritizing environmental sustainability. This change requires innovative and environmentally conscious methods, such as symbiotic-microorganisms-based products. Among these organisms, the genus Trichoderma stands out, as these fungal endophytes reside within many plant species including those in the Brassicaceae family and interact with them positively. Brassicaceae encompass numerous taxa of special agricultural and food interest, those known as oilseed brassicas (OSBs). Among these group vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower or turnip can be found, together with canola and mustard seeds, commonly used for oil and spices production, respectively. OSBs are of greater interest for food because they are rich source of vitamins and minerals, and have also a great antimicrobial, antioxidant and antitumor potential application. Therefore, the improvement of these plant species (or of their cultivation methods) may ultimately lead to an improvement in human food and, accordingly, human health. This progress could go hand in hand with the Trichoderma fungal genus, either based on transgenesis with some of their genes, or using these fungi to formulate and produce bioinoculants. In relation to transgenesis, the most widely studied are those based on Trichoderma genes encoding endochitinases and Kelch-like family proteins, in both cases to achieve an antifungal effect against pathogenic fungi. With regard to Trichoderma -based products, these can be aimed at promoting plant growth, protecting crops against pathogens by acting as biological control agents (BCAs), or even reducing contaminants in the soil, such as heavy metals. The purpose of the present literature review is to analyse and discuss most of the existing studies to date on the interaction between Brassica crops oilseeds and Trichoderma fungi. • Brassicaceae includes crops of food and industrial interest, such as oilseeds. • They can be agronomically improved with endophytic fungi of the genus Trichoderma. • Transgenesis and Trichoderma -based bioinoculants are two methods for such improvement. • One of the main objectives of these methods is the biological control of pathogens. • These advances increase production, while reducing the use of phytochemicals.