Genome editing of the flowering time pathway for soybean regional adaptability

Postponed due to weather conditions Soybean’s ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen makes it a key asset for the development of agroecology in Europe. However, as a short-day legume, soybean cultivation is geographically restricted due to its sensitivity to photoperiod (day length). Its adaptation to long days in high-latitude regions requires early flowering. The control of flowering is regulated by a complex network of genes, which complicates traditional breeding methods. During my PhD, I employed an innovative genome-editing strategy, using CRISPR-Cas9 for multiple gene knockouts, to create allelic diversity within the genetic network regulating soybean flowering, aiming to develop early-flowering varieties.