Seed dormancy shapes gene drive dynamics in plants

Gene drives offer revolutionary potential for the management of problematic plant populations, such as invasive weeds and herbicide-resistant species, by rapidly spreading desired genetic alterations. Two recent studies have provided experimental demonstrations of engineered CRISPR gene drive systems in plants (CAIN and ClvR). However, the successful application of such systems in the field will critically depend on an accurate understanding of plant-specific life-history traits, especially seed dormancy, a ubiquitous yet frequently overlooked eco-evolutionary force. In this study, we develop a comprehensive modelling framework for gene drives in plant populations that incorporates a persistent soil seed bank. We show how the presence of a seed bank can substantially slow gene drive spread but also reduce the genetic load required to achieve population elimination. Furthermore, we show that seed banks substantially increase the required introduction frequency of threshold-dependent gene drives, which could prevent establishment in some cases, yet also provide an intrinsic biosafety mechanism for confining a highly efficient drive to a target population. Our study highlights the need to incorporate seed-bank dynamics into gene drive strategies to ensure realistic predictions and successful field applications. The authors present a comprehensive plant-specific modelling framework for CRISPR gene drives: dormant seed banks can slow spread and require larger releases but can also ease weed elimination and limit unintended spread to nearby populations.