Mutation of homologous genes confers ideal plant architecture in .

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Varieties with a semi-dwarf compact plant architecture may increase yield per unit area in rapeseed () by allowing high-density cultivation and mechanical harvesting while conferring lodging resistance. Mutation of (), which encodes a receptor-like protein kinase, generates a compact and upright plant architecture in ; however, there have been no reports on the roles of the ER family (ERf) in . In this study, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to generate mutants in each of the two homoeologs of members and (), and in the single gene, resulting in the homozygous mutants , /, and . Under greenhouse conditions, / plants were shorter than the wild type, with a compact inflorescence and shorter siliques. In addition, / plants produced significantly more branches and total siliques than the wild type, with no significant changes in the number of ovules per silique or thousand-seed weight. Under field conditions, the mutant plant showed a phenotype comparable to that under greenhouse conditions, but with a notable drop in thousand-seed weight. These results indicate that the mutant offers a valuable germplasm resource for breeding rapeseed with ideal plant architecture.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-025-00217-4.