Lodging resistance in eragrostis tef

The genetically modified plant of any of the preceding claims, part thereof, or plant cell thereof, wherein the genetically modified lodging resistant Eragrostis plant is Eragrostis teff.

The genetically modified plant of any of the preceding claims, part thereof, or plant cell thereof, wherein the synergistic reduction in height comprises an approximate 50 percent reduction in height of the plant.

An expression construct for introducing a nucleic acid modification in a nucleic acid sequence in an Eragrostis plant, part thereof, or plant cell thereof, wherein the expression construct comprises a promoter operably linked to a polynucleotide sequence encoding a programmable nucleotide modification system targeted to a polynucleotide in a nucleic acid sequence encoding an SD1 protein, a DW1 protein, or a DW3 protein, wherein expression of the programmable nucleotide modification system introduces a nucleic acid modification into the nucleic acid sequence, and wherein the nucleic acid modification in the nucleic acid sequence encoding an SD1 protein results in a reduction in GA biosynthesis activity, the nucleic acid modification in the nucleic acid sequence encoding a DW1 protein results in a reduction in BR signaling activity, and the nucleic acid modification in the nucleic acid sequence encoding a DW3 protein results in a reduction in auxin transport activity.

A plant, part thereof, or plant cell thereof comprising one or more expression constructs of claims 21-28, one or more vector of claim 29, or any combination thereof.

A method of producing a lodging resistant Eragrostis plant, part thereof, or plant cell thereof, the method comprising:

• introducing into the plant two or more nucleic acid modifications that result in a reduction in two or more plant hormone activities selected from auxin transport activity, gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis activity, and brassinosteroid (BR) signaling activity.

The method of claim 31, wherein the nucleic acid modifications are introduced using a programmable nucleotide modification system.

The method of claim 32, wherein the programmable nucleotide modification system is selected from an RNA-guided clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated9 (Cas) (CRISPR/Cas9) nuclease system, a CRISPR/Cpf1 nuclease system, a zinc finger nuclease (ZFN), a transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), a meganuclease, ribozyme, and a programmable DNA binding domain linked to a nuclease domain.

A method of improving the yield of an Eragrostis plant, part thereof, or plant cell thereof, the method comprising using a method of claims 31-33 to generate a genetically modified lodging resistant Eragrostis plant of claim 1-20.