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

通过我们由BBSRC资助的关于模式植物拟南芥生长素信号的工作，我们发现了一种改变植物根系以增强水分和养分吸收的方法。这项被称为ARF-DCA技术的发明，允许以一种保持对环境条件(如土壤养分水平)反应的可塑性的方式调节发育的特定方面。这些特性对育种者和种子公司极具吸引力，但为了迈出这项技术商业化的下一步，我们必须证明它在一种具有重要经济意义的作物上的功效。在这里，我们描述了一个工作计划，以将我们在拟南芥中的概念验证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技术也可以用于增强对作物营养和产量表现至关重要的额外的生长素调节的根特征来扩大本发明的范围。

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.