Genome-editing techniques are promising tools in plant breeding. To facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the use of genome editing, EU-SAGE developed an interactive, publicly accessible online database of genome-edited crop plants as described in peer-reviewed scientific publications.
The aim of the database is to inform interested stakeholder communities in a transparent manner about the latest evidence about the use of genome editing in crop plants. Different elements including the plant species, traits, techniques, and applications can be filtered in this database.
Regarding the methodology, a literature search in the bibliographic databases and web pages of governmental agencies was conducted using predefined queries in English. Identifying research articles in other languages was not possible due to language barriers. Patents were not screened.
Peer-reviewed articles were screened for relevance and were included in the database based on pre-defined criteria. The main criterium is that the research article should describe a research study of any crop plant in which a trait has been introduced that is relevant from an agricultural and/or food/feed perspective. The database does neither give information on the stage of development of the crop plant, nor on the existence of the intention to develop the described crop plants to be marketed.
This database will be regularly updated. Please contact us via the following webpage in case you would like to inform us about a new scientific study of crops developed for market-oriented agricultural production as a result of genome editing

Genome Editing Technique

Sdn Type

Displaying 53 results

Traits related to increased plant yield and growth

Increased grain yield under field drought stress conditions and no yield loss under well-watered conditions.
( Shi et al., 2017 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
DuPont Pioneer, USA
Early flowering under long day conditions of higher latitudes to spread production of maize over a broad range of latitudes rapidly.
( Huang et al., 2018 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Wisconsin, USA
Haploid induction to accelerate breeding in crop plants.
( Kelliher et al., 2017 )
SDN1
TALENs
Syngenta Seeds, USA
Enhancing grain-yield-related traits by increases in meristem size
( Liu et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Cold Spring Harbor
University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
Improved field performance: higher yield, producing on average 5.5 bushels per acre more. Waxy corn.
(Gao et al., 2020)
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Corteva Agriscience, USA
Altered spike architecture and grain treshability to increase grain production.
( Liu et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Bigger grains, increased grain weight.
( Zhang et al., 2018 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Increased plant yield due to architectural changes. Leaf inclination: maize plants with upright leaves can be planted at higher densities without shading.
(Brekke et al., 2011)
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Iowa State University, USA
Increased bending strength. Stalk lodging, which is generally determined by stalk strength, results in considerable yield loss and has become a primary threat to maize yield under high-density planting.
( Zhang et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
China Agricultural University, China
Iowa State University, USA
Increased density by early-flowering phenotype under long-day conditions.
( Li et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Shandong Agricultural University
South China Agricultural University
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, China
Semi-dwarf phenotype with increased lodging resistance.
( Zhang et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Improvement for larger kernel and yield.
( Ma et al., 2015 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Northwest A &
F University
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Increased spikelet number and delayed heading date. Two traits that are crucial and correlated to yield in wheat.
( Chen et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
China Agricultural University, China
Increased yield potential trough improved nitrogen use efficiency. Enhanced tolerance to N starvation, and showed delayed senescence and increased grain yield in field conditions. Lowered use of N fertilizer.
( Zhang et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Zhengzhou University, China
Increased tassel branch number (TBN), one of the important agronomic traits that contribute to the efficiency of seed production.
( Guan et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Increased grain weight and grain size. Carbohydrate and total protein levels also increased.
( Guo et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Sichuan Agricultural University, China
University of California, USA
Increased yield: plants produced more tillers and grains than azygous wild-type controls and the total yield was increased up to 15 per cent.
(Holubova et al., 2018)
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Palacký University
Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Czech Republic
Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Germany
Increased water use efficiency, a promising approach for achieving sustainable crop production in changing climate scenarios.
( Blankenagel et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Technical University of Munich
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology
Helmholtz Center Munich
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
Improves complex traits such as yield and drought tolerance.
( Lorenzo et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Center for Plant Systems Biology
Ghent University
Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Belgium
Increased total kernel number or kernel weight.
( Kelliher et al., 2019 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Research Triangle Park
University of Georgia, USA
Syngenta Crop Protection, The Netherlands
Increase in 1000-grain weight, grain area, grain width, grain length, plant height, and spikelets per spike.
( Errum et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC)
PARC Institute of Advanced Studies in Agriculture (PIASA)
Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Pakistan
Early heading. Heading date is an important agronomic trait that affects climatic adaptation and yield potential.
( Fan et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Henan Agricultural University, China
Enhanced grain yield and semi-dwarf phenotype by manipulating brassinosteroid signal pathway.
( Song et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
China Agricultural University, China
Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research Unit, USA
Enlarged grain phenotype.
( Wang et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Hebi Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Henan Agricultural University, China
Altered root architecture with increased tillers and total grain weight.
( Rahim et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Quaid-e-Azam University
National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC)
The University of Haripur, Pakistan
King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
Nile University
Ain Shams University, Egypt
Chonnam National University, South Korea
Significantly higher potassium accumulation. Potassium ions are essential nutrients for growth and development of tobacco.
( Gao et al., 2024 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Yunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences/National Tobacco Genetic Engineering Research Center
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China

Traits related to industrial utilization

Cytoplasmic male sterility.
( Chang et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Generating male sterility lines (MLS). Using MLS in hybrid seed production for monoclinous crops reduces costs and ensures high purity of the varieties because it does not produce pollen and has exserted stigmas.
( Fang et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Science and Technology Beijing
Beijing Solidwill Sci-Tech Co. Ltd., China
Generating male sterility lines (MLS). Using MLS in hybrid seed production for monoclinous crops reduces costs and ensures high purity of the varieties because it does not produce pollen and has exserted stigmas.
( Niu et al., 2022 )

CRISPR/Cas
Sichuan Agricultural University
Chengdu Agricultural College
Sichuan Institute of Atomic Energy, China
Enhanced haploid induction. Double haploid breeding based on in vivo haploid induction has been extensively used in maize breeding. The production of haploids depends on haploid inducers.
( Zhong et al., 2019 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
China Agricultural University, China
Establishment of maternal haploid induction. Doubled haploid technology is used to obtain homozygous lines in a single generation. This technique significantly accelerates the crop breeding trajectory.
( Zhong et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
China Agricultural University, China
Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
Haploid induction.
( Li et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
China Agricultural University
Longping Agriculture Science Co. Ltd., China
Significantly longer seed dormancy period, may result in reduced pre-harvest sprouting of grains on spikes.
( Abe et al., 2019 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Institute of Crop Science
Okayama University
Yokohama City University
Institute of Agrobiological Sciences
Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan
New red-grained and pre-harvest sprouting (PHS)-resistant wheat varieties with elite agronomic traits. PHS reduces yield and grain quality, additionally the red pigment of the grain coat contains proanthocyanidins, which have antioxidant activity and thus health-promoting properties.
( Zhu et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Henan University
Shenzhen Research Institute of Henan university
Taiyuan University of Technology
Southern University of Science and Technology, China
University of Edinburgh, UK
Generating male sterility lines (MLS). Using MLS in hybrid seed production reduces costs and ensures high purity of the varieties because it does not produce pollen and has exserted stigmas.
( Zhang et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Key Laboratory of Wheat Biology and Genetic Improvement on North Yellow and Huai River Valley
National Engineering Laboratory for Wheat and Maize
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Accumulate low levels of alkaloids. Nicotine is the most abundant alkaloid produced in tobacco plants. Switching to cigarettes containing levels of nicotine below the level of sustaining an addiction response will smoke less and/or find it easier to quit. Possibly, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may mandate such reductions in future cigarette products.
( Smith et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
North Carolina State University, USA
Induction of haploid plants for the development of good inbred lines for efficient and fast breeding.
( Liu et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Generation of male sterile (MS) lines. MS is a useful tool to harness hybrid vigor for hybrid seed production.
( Chen et al., 2018 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
China Agricultural University, China
Rapid generation of male sterile (MS) bread wheat. MS is an important tool in creating hybrid crop varieties that provide a yield advantage over traditional varieties by harnessing heterosis.
( Singh et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
DuPont Pioneer, USA
Glycoproteins without plant-specific glycans. Plants or plant cells can be used to produce pharmacological glycoproteins, for example antibodies or vaccines. However these proteins carry N-glycans with plant-typical residues [β(1,2)-xylose and core α(1,3)-fucose]. This plant-specific glycans can greatly impact the immunogenicity, allergenicity, or activity of the protein.
( Mercx et al., 2017 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Université catholique de Louvain
Université de Liège, Belgium
Generating male sterility lines (MLS). Using MLS in hybrid seed production for monoclinous crops reduces costs and ensures high purity of the varieties because it does not produce pollen and has exserted stigmas.
( Svitashev et al., 2015 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
DuPont Pioneer, USA
Generating male sterility lines (MLS). Using MLS in hybrid seed production for monoclinous crops reduces costs and ensures high purity of the varieties because it does not produce pollen and has exserted stigmas.
( Xie et al., 2018 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Science and Technology
Beijing, China
Beijing Solidwill Sci-Tech Co. Ltd, China
Generating male sterility lines (MLS). Using MLS in hybrid seed production for monoclinous crops reduces costs and ensures high purity of the varieties because it does not produce pollen and has exserted stigmas.
( Li et al., 2017 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Generating male sterility lines (MLS). Using MLS in hybrid seed production reduces costs and ensures high purity of the varieties because it does not produce pollen and has exserted stigmas.
( Li et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences
Peking University
Beijing Key Laboratory of Plant Gene Resources and Biotechnology for Carbon Reduction and Environmental Improvement, China
Nicotine-free tobacco.
( Schachtsiek et al., 2019 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
TU Dortmund University, Germany
Fertility recovery of male sterility in wheat lines with excelling agronomic and economic traits for breeding purpose, as male-sterile plants cannot be used for selection.
( Tang et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
China Agricultural University, China
Trait stacking. Modern agriculture demands crops carrying multiple traits.
( Ainley et al., 2013 )
SDN1
ZFN
Dow AgroSciences LLC
Sangamo BioSciences, Inc., USA
Generation of male-sterile hexaploid wheat lines for use in hybrid seed production. The development and adoption of hybrid seed technology have led to dramatic increases in agricultural productivity.
( Okada et al., 2019 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
The University of Adelaide, Australia
Huaiyin Normal University, China
Complete male sterility. The generation, restoration, and maintenance of male sterile lines are the key issues for large-scale commercial hybrid seed production.
( Li et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences
School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences
Beijing Key Laboratory of Plant Gene Resources and Biotechnology for Carbon Reduction and Environmental Improvement, China
Haploid induction to accelerate breeding in crop plants.
( Rangari et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Punjab Agricultural University, India
Pollen Self-Elimination, which prevents pollen transgene dispersal.
( Wang et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)
Northwest A&
F University
Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Lab
Henan Jinyuan Seed Industry Co., China
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico
Doubled haploids with increased leaf size. Doubled haploid technology is used to obtain homozygous lines in a single generation. This technique significantly accelerates the crop breeding trajectory.
( Impens et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Ghent University
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology
Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Belgium
Improved pollen viability.
( Lv et al., 2024 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Mianyang Normal University
South China Agricultural University, China