Gene found that keeps rice leaves upright for better yields
Crispr
The upright, narrow leaves on a healthy stand of grain plants let sunlight reach lower leaves, the same logic behind spacing and pruning your own garden plants so no leaf sits in permanent shade.
Rice leaves that stick out sideways shade their neighbors, while upright leaves let light reach deeper into the field. Scientists compared 437 rice varieties and found a gene called FLBOA9 that widens the leaf angle; switching it off with gene editing made the top leaves stand straighter. Breeders can now combine helpful versions of this gene with three others to design compact rice that captures more light.
Key Findings
GWAS of 437 rice accessions using 3,172,711 high-quality SNPs found 44 significant loci for base and opening angle of the top three functional leaves, 36 of them newly discovered.
Two loci, qFLBOA3 and qFLBOA9, were shared between base and opening angle of the third leaf from the top.
CRISPR/Cas9 editing confirmed FLBOA9 as a negative regulator of functional-leaf angle, and pyramiding predictions combining elite alleles of FLBOA9, LG5, LC2 and FIB under three crossing strategies project further leaf angle reductions.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers scanned the DNA of 437 rice varieties and found a gene, FLBOA9, that keeps the top leaves more upright when active. Upright leaves let more light reach the whole crop, so breeders can use this gene to design higher-yielding, more compact rice plants.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Candidate gene FLBOA9 identified by genome-wide association acts as a negative regulator for leaf angle of functional leaves in rice
With the continuous growth of the global population, steadily increasing rice yield is crucial for ensuring food security. The leaf angles of the top three functional leaves of rice directly determ...
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