CROP BIOTECH UPDATE
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A weekly summary of world developments in agri-biotech for developing countries, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA)
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September 9, 2026
In This Week’s Issue:
News
New Breeding Technologies
• CRISPR Editing Unlocks Self-Pollinating Buckwheat for Faster Breeding
• CRISPR Gene Editing Increases Rainbow Trout Weight by 56%
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NEWS
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New Breeding Technologies
CRISPR EDITING UNLOCKS SELF-POLLINATING BUCKWHEAT FOR FASTER BREEDING
Scientists from Poland have found a way to overcome self-incompatibility in common buckwheat, a major barrier to self-pollination and efficient breeding. By using CRISPR to disable the FeS-ELF3 gene, the scientists produced a buckwheat line capable of self-pollination, establishing a framework that could support faster breeding and the development of improved buckwheat varieties.
Achieving self-compatibility has long been a goal for improving buckwheat breeding, as common buckwheat is naturally hindered by distyly, a difference in flower form that prevents successful self-pollination. To overcome this barrier, the researchers first developed and conducted the species' first stable genetic transformation protocol by adapting an Agrobacterium-mediated system with a heat-shock treatment. CRISPR-Cas9 was then used to target the FeS-ELF3 gene in the commercial 'Panda' cultivar, resulting in a line that is capable of self-pollination.
Under greenhouse conditions, plants derived from this single edited line exhibited shorter plants and shorter inflorescences while maintaining seed yields comparable to untransformed plants. Since these physical changes were observed in only one edited plant line, further testing of independent edited lines will be needed to determine whether the traits are direct effects of disabling the FeS-ELF3 gene.
Read the abstract in Frontiers in Plant Science to learn more.
Researchers from Ataturk University, Turkey and partners have found that CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing can significantly increase the growth of rainbow trout by disrupting the myostatin gene, mstnb1. The study showed that edited rainbow trout developed substantially greater body weight than unedited fish, highlighting the potential of gene editing to improve production efficiency in aquaculture.
The researchers used two guide RNAs targeting the first exon of mstnb1 and injected them into fertilized rainbow trout eggs. Although only 23.5% of the injected embryos survived to the swim-up stage, Sanger sequencing confirmed successful mutations in the resulting F0 fish. The fish were then monitored for growth over a 10-month period and compared with a wild-type control group.
The edited rainbow trout showed a 56% increase in body weight, reaching an average of 825.0 grams compared with 464.1 grams in the control group. The researchers said the results demonstrate that disrupting mstnb1 can produce substantial improvements in overall body growth, rather than only changes in muscle characteristics. The findings suggest that CRISPR-Cas9 could help shorten production time and reduce costs in sustainable rainbow trout farming.
For more information, read the study in the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society.