http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0210/c90000-20274603.html

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.14499

Researchers at the CAAS Biotechnology Research Institute in collaboration with Anhui Agricultural University and South China Agricultural University have developed a technology for rapid and precise modification of plant height across different genetic backgrounds. It provides technical support for breeding corn varieties optimized for dense planting and enhanced lodging resistance

The team has focused on modifying the Br2 gene through targeted gene editing. Researchers designed a knockout vector for the Br2 gene and identified seven transgenic lines with distinct mutations in corn inbred varieties. Hybridization experiments showed that all 28 hybrid offspring derived from crosses with elite inbred lines produced dwarf progeny. To accelerate breeding, the team developed a haploid inducer-mediated genome editing system, enabling the conversion of edited haploid plants into stable double-haploid lines within two generations. Three elite inbred lines treated with the system exhibited significant reductions in plant height.

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