The genetic control of crop growth and behaviour can be modified through traditional plant breeding or genetic engineering, but is fixed once a variety is sown. New spray-on viral transfection technology can transiently alter gene expression to fine-tune agronomic traits within the season while avoiding modifications to the genome.
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Massel, K., Godwin, I. & Hickey, L. Tunable crops are just a spray away. Nat. Plants 7, 102–103 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-021-00849-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-021-00849-6