From Blackberries to Corn: How Gene Editing Is Reshaping Plant Breeding

In our latest webinar, CEO of Pairwise, Tom Adams, presented how CRISPR gene editing is being used to accelerate plant breeding and develop crops with benefits for growers, food systems and consumers. The speaker described gene editing as an extension of conventional breeding, allowing specific genetic changes to be introduced much more quickly while avoiding the introduction of DNA from other species.

The webinar highlighted applications across both major agricultural crops and speciality crops. Examples included work on corn with increased yield potential, soybeans with improved tolerance to fungal disease and wheat with resistances to fungal diseases. The presentation also showed how gene editing can help reduce reliance on chemical crop protection by creating plants that are less susceptible to disease in general.

A particular focus was placed on consumer facing traits in fruit. Pairwise has used gene editing to develop blackberries with softer seeds, fewer thorns and a more compact plant architecture. These changes can improve the eating experience while also increasing planting density and potentially doubling yield without additional inputs. The company is applying similar approaches to cherries, with the aim of developing pitless fruit and shortening the time trees need before producing their first harvest. “If this technology is going to matter, we should do things that matter in a more direct way to consumers”, said Tom Adams in the webinar.

The discussion after the talk touched also on the changing regulatory environment for gene editing. The speaker noted that several countries already regulate gene edited crops in ways similar to conventionally bred plants and welcomed recent developments in the European Union that could enable gene edited products to be sold and grown in Europe. These changes could help unlock wider use of the technology as a breeding tool and support the introduction of new products into the European market.

NRP 84 webinar recordings are available by request.