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

Displaying 48 results

Traits related to abiotic stress tolerance

Increased tolerance to salinity stress. Development of lines with reduced inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) content may enhance phosphate and mineral bioavailability. ICP6 is a major storage form of phosphate in cereal grains.
( Vicko et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Modulate aluminium resistance. Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the main factor inhibiting plant root development and reducing crops yield in acidic soils.
( Zhang et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences
China Agricultural University, China
University of California, USA
Drought and salt tolerance.
( Curtin et al., 2018 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Minnesota, USA
The University of Newcastle, Australia
Increased tolerance to salinity stress. Improved rice yields in saline paddy fields by root angle modifications to adapt to climate change.
( Kitomi et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)
Tohoku University
Institute of Agrobiological Sciences
Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
Advanced Analysis Center
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
Increased drought tolerance.
( Abdallah et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Cairo University, Egypt
Crop Improvement and Genetics Unit, USA
Drought tolerance.
( Kim D et al,. 2018 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Montana State University, USA
Enhanced responses to abscisic acid (ABA), which plays an important role in drought stress responses in plants. Improved drought tolerance through stomatal regulation and increased primary root growth under non-stressed conditions.
( Ogata et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science
University of Tsukuba, Japan
Improved salinity tolerance.
( Wang et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
National Taiwan University, Taiwan
University of North Carolina, USA
Improved lodging resistance.
( Wakasa et al., 2024 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Institute of Agrobiological Sciences
Institute of Crop Sciences, Japan
Broad-spectrum stress tolerance: enhanced low temperature, salinity, Pseudoperonospora cubensis and water-deficit tolerance.
(Dong et al., 2023)
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
University of California, USA
Reduced stomatal density. Intrinsic water-use efficiency was significantly impacted under both well-watered and drought conditions, making reduced stomatal density as a preferable trait.
( Clemens et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of California
San Diego State University, USA
Increased root length, which can restore good performance under water stress.
( Gabay et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of California
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA
University of Haifa, Israel
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)
Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), Argentina
Fudan University
China Agricultural University, China
Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

Traits related to industrial utilization

Restoring cytoplasmic sterility.
( Kazama et al., 2019 )
SDN2
TALENs
Tohoku University
Tamagawa University
The University of Tokyo
National Institute of Genetics
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Tamagawa University
Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan
Accelerated abscission. Plant organ abscission is a process important for development and reproductive success,
( Liu et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Shenyang Agricultural University
Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Ministry of Education, China
University of California at Davis
Crops Pathology and Genetic Research Unit, USA
Hairy root transformation. Hairy roots play a role in multiple processes, ranging from recombinant protein production and metabolic engineering to analyses of rhizosphere physiology and biochemistry.
( Ron et al., 2014 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of California
Emory University, USA
University of Cambridge, UK
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
Generate self-compatible diploid potato lines for the application of efficient breeding methods.
( Enciso-Rodriguez et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Michigan State University, USA
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
Rubber biosynthesis. To accelerate the domestication of Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TK), a plant notable for its ability to produce high molecular weight rubber in its roots and which might be an alternative source of natural rubber.
( Iaffaldano et al., 2016 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, USA
Reduced lignin content and S (syringyl lignin)/G (guaiacyl lignin) (S/G) ratio alteration to reduce cell wall recalcitrance and improve bioethanol production. Lignin is a major component of secondary cell walls and contributes to the recalcitrance problem during fermentation.
( Park et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
BioEnergy Science Center
University of Tennessee, USA
Production of herbicide-sensitive strain to prevent volunteer infestation. Volunteer rice grows when cultivated rice seed fall into fields, overwinter and spontaneously germinate the next spring.
( Komatsu et al., 2020 )

BE
Institute of Agrobiological Sciences
National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)
Graduate School of Science
Technology and Innovation, Japan
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
Complete reproductive sterility to prevent the spread of highly domesticated, exotic or genetically modified organisms into wild populations.
( Azeez et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Michigan Technological University, USA
Dwarf plants that retain favourable fruit traits.
( Nagamine et al., 2024 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Tsukuba, Japan
Bio-fuel production: Reduced lignin content and improved sugar release.
(Park et al., 2017)
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Noble Research Institute, USA
Modified wood composition with traits desirable for fiber pulping and lower carbon emissions. The edited wood could bring efficiencies, bioeconomic opportunities and environmental benefits.
( Sulis et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
North Carolina State University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Beihua University
Northeast Forestry University, China
Fertility restoration of cytoplasmic male sterility.
( Suketomo et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Tohoku University, Japan
Bioethanol production: Improved saccharification efficiency without compromising biomass yield.
(Kannan et al., 2017)
SDN1
TALENs
University of Florida
Novozymes North America Inc, USA
Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), South Korea
Stem wood discoloration due to lignin reduction.
( Zhou et al., 2015 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Georgia, USA
Bio-fuel production: Reduced lignin content, improves cell wall composition for production of bio-ethanol.
(Jung et al., 2016)
SDN1
TALENs
Korea University, South Korea
University of Florida, USA
Asexual propagation trough seeds. Induction of apomeiosis, mitosis instead of meiosis. This proces leads to the production of genetically identical seeds, serving many applications in plant breeding.
( Khanday et al., 2019 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of California
Innovative Genomics Institute
Iowa State University, USA
Université Paris-Saclay, France
Confer male and female sterility to prevent the risk of trasgene flow from transgenic plants to their wild relatives.
( Shinoyama et al., 2020 )
SDN1
TALENs
Fukui Agricultural Experiment Station
Institute of Agrobiological Sciences
National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)
Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
Yokohama City University, Japan
Altai State University, Russia
Enhanced biological nitrogen fixation to reduce the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers. Enhanced biofilm formation of soil diazotrophic bacteria by modified root microbiome structure.
( Yan et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of California
Bayer Crop Science, USA
Trait stacking. Modern agriculture demands crops carrying multiple traits.
( Ainley et al., 2013 )
SDN1
ZFN
Dow AgroSciences LLC
Sangamo BioSciences, Inc., 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.
( Svitashev et al., 2015 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
DuPont Pioneer, USA
Induction of haploid plants and a reduced seed set for rice breeding.
( Yao et al., 2018 )
SDN2
CRISPR/Cas
ZhongGuanCun Life Science Park, China
Syngenta India Limited
Technology Centre
Medchal Mandal, India
Syngenta Crop Protection
LLC
Research Triangle Park, USA

Traits related to product color/flavour

Colour modification. Purple tomatoes.
( Cermak et al., 2015 )
SDN2
CRISPR/Cas
University of Minnesota, USA
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic
Brown seed-coat color.
( Jia et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Southern University of Science and Technology
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
South China Agricultural University, China
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
University of Missouri, USA
Color modification: yellow. Ipomoea nil exhibits a variety of flower colours, except yellow.
(Watanabe et al., 2018)
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Tsukuba
National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Japan
Color modification due to reduced anthocyanin accumulation.
( Klimek-Chodacka et al., 2018 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland
East Carolina University
University of Maryland, USA
Albino phenotype.
( Syombua et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
University of Nairobi, Kenya
University of Missouri
Iowa State University
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA
Reduced citrate content. Citrate is a common primary metabolite which often characterizes fruit flavour.
( Fu et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Zhejiang University, China
University of Florida, USA
The New Zealand Institute for Plant &
Food Research Limited (Plant &
Food Research) Mt Albert
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Colour modification. Purple tomatoes.
( Cermak et al., 2015 )
SDN2
TALENs
University of Minnesota, USA
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic
Albino phenotype.
( Brewer et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Florida, USA
Fruit coloration. Fruit color affects consumer preference and is one of the breeding objectives of great interests. For example, white-fruited cultivars are sold at a much higher price than red-fruited cultivars.
( Gao et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Huazhong Agricultural University, China
University of Maryland, USA
Increased content of phenylacetaldehyde, sucrose and fructose, which are major contributors to flavor in many foods, including tomato.
( Li et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
University of Florida, USA
Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Germany
Crop modification: albino phenotype.
(Wang et al., 2017)
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Huazhong Agricultural University, China
University of Pennsylvania, USA
Flower color modification due to reduced anthocyanin content. Flower color is one of the most important traits in ornamental flowers.
( Nishihara et al. (2018) )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Japan