Scientists are using CRISPR gene editing to switch crops from sprawling, open-ended growth to compact, synchronized plants that flower and ripen all at once — making them far easier to harvest by machine. The key target is a gene called SELF-PRUNING, already known from the compact tomato varieties used in commercial processing.
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CRISPR editing of the SELF-PRUNING (SP) / TFL1 gene family successfully converted indeterminate growth to compact, determinate forms across tomato, legumes, cotton, cereals, and horticultural crops.
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Determinate growth engineering synchronizes flowering and fruit set, directly enabling mechanical harvesting and reducing labor costs at scale.
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Hormonal pathways — specifically auxin and cytokinin — interact with SP/TFL1 genes to regulate the vegetative-to-reproductive transition, offering additional editing targets for fine-tuning plant architecture.
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