Engineering compact Physalis peruviana (goldenberry) to promote its potential as a global crop

Goldenberry (Physalis peruviana) produces sweet, nutritionally-rich berries, yet like many minor crops, is cultivated in limited geographical regions and has not been a focus of breeding programs for trait enhancement. Leveraging knowledge of plant architecture-related traits from related species, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing to generate a compact ideotype to advance future breeding efforts and agricultural production. Goldenberry growers will benefit from these compact versions because it optimizes per plot yield, facilitating larger-scale production to meet rising consumer popularity and demand.