Gene Editing Boosts Soybean Yield Under Dense Planting

Experts from Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University and partners in China used CRISPR to improve soybean seed size and yield under high-density planting. The research team found that editing four closely related calcium-binding receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase genes (GmCRCK1a-1d) produces larger seeds and higher yields. The findings suggest that these genes could be valuable targets for developing high-yield soybean varieties.

The researchers generated soybean lines with all four GmCRCK1 genes simultaneously edited using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technique. The edited plants consistently produced larger and heavier seeds, while plants engineered to overexpress one of the genes developed smaller seeds. Further analyses showed that the edited plants had higher protein content and changes in amino acid composition, indicating that the genes also influence seed quality and development.

Field trials conducted under different planting densities showed that the edited soybean lines maintained larger seed weights and produced 12% to 29% higher plot yields than conventional plants. The researchers concluded that editing the GmCRCK1 genes could help breeders develop soybean varieties with improved protein content and higher yields, particularly under dense planting systems commonly used in modern agriculture.

For more information, read the article from Plant Biotechnology Journal.