The development of ARF-DCA technology as a novel tool for crop improvement

通过我们的BBSRC资助的关于模式植物拟南芥中生长素信号传导的工作，我们发现了一种可以改变植物根系以增强对水和养分的吸收的方法。被称为ARF-DCA技术的本发明允许以保持对环境条件（例如土壤养分水平）的响应的可塑性的方式调节发育的特定方面。这些性状对育种者和种子公司极具吸引力，但为了在该技术的商业化中迈出下一步，我们必须在具有重要经济意义的作物中证明其功效。在此，我们描述了工作方案，以将我们在拟南芥中的概念验证ARF-DCA工作转化为全球重要的油料作物油菜，并进一步通过证明ARF-DCA技术也可用于增强对作物营养和产量表现至关重要的附加的生长素调节的根性状来拓宽本发明的范围。

Through our BBSRC-funded work on auxin signalling in the model plant arabidopsis we have discovered a way in which plant root systems can be altered to enhance the uptake of water and nutrients. The invention, known as ARF-DCA technology, allows the modulation of specific aspects of development in a manner that retains the plasticity of responses to environmental conditions such as soil nutrient levels. These traits are extremely attractive to breeders and seed companies but in order to take the next step in the commercialisation of the technology we must demonstrate its efficacy in an economically-important crop. Here we describe a work programme of work to translate our proof-of-concept ARF-DCA work in arabidopsis to the globally-important oilseed crop, oilseed rape and further, to broaden the scope of the invention by demonstrating that ARF-DCA technology can also be used to enhance additional auxin-regulated root traits that are crucial to crop nutrition and yield performance.