Compositions containing chimeric RNA molecules which comprise meristem targeting sequences that are fused to RNA cargo sequences that include gene editing molecules are provided. Methods of using the compositions to efficiently edit plant genomes without intervening tissue culture steps are also provided. The solutions described here relate to engineered RNA molecules useful in producing plants with altered genomes. As such, it relates to substantially purified compositions, vectors, systems, as well as genomes of plants.

Conventional gene transformation requires tissue culture, and some elite lines have very low transformation efficiency in tissue culture. The disclosure relates to methods of in planta transformation. In some aspects, an axillary meristem of a plant is wounded and contacted with a transformation agent. The wounded axillary meristem is then regenerated and treated with a selection step, resulting in transformed tissue that can produce transgenic seeds.

The current disclosure relates to methods and compositions for improving plant varieties through plant breeding and plant genetics. For instance, the disclosure concerns increasing the recombination frequency of a heterozygous trait genetically linked to a second trait within plants. Further, the disclosure concerns breaking the genetic linkage between a first allele and a second allele.

Gene-edited soybean plants, plant parts, and plant cells that have a reduced isoflavone content compared to the corresponding unaltered soybean plant, plant part, or plant cell and methods of their production are disclosed. For example, introducing one or more mutations in the coding region of Myb29 gene, the MYBCORE binding motif of the IFS2 promoter, the MYBCORE binding motif of the IFS1 promoter, the coding region of the IFS2 gene, the coding region of the IFS1 gene, or a combination thereof is used to produce the gene-edited plant, plant part or plant cell via targeted genome modification.

The present invention is directed to methods and compositions for breeding plants with an altered flavor or odor profile. Particularly, next generation plant breeding technologies are utilized for producing plants with target genes edited to reduce pungency in flavor or odor. The breeding method is capable of producing mustard plants in which the mustard bomb reaction is disarmed and/or plants with a reduced pungency and/or bitterness in flavor and/or odor.

Compositions and methods are provided for the introduction and the regulated expression of genes in plants. Compositions include promoter constructs that provide a level of activity useful for the regulated expression of site-specific recombinases, while avoiding premature excision. Further provided are isolated polynucleotides encoding novel babyboom polypeptides, expression cassettes, and plants comprising the same. Methods for the introduction of genes into plants are provided, including methods for plastid transformation and methods for the transformation of tissues from mature seeds and leaves.

Disclosed herein are methods for the production of Cannabis meristem explants from dry seeds. Also described are methods of transforming and gene editing using the Cannabis meristem explants disclosed herein.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for modifying cells. Provided herein are methods and compositions for modifying an organism of a cell. Provided herein are methods and compositions for introducing polynucleotides and/or polypeptides into a nucleus of a cell.

The invention provides novel synthetic small nuclear RNA (snRNA) promoters which are useful for CRISPR-mediated targeted gene modifications in plants. The invention also provides methods and compositions for use for the snRNA promoters driving expression of guide RNAs and non-coding RNAs for development of plants and plant cells comprising modified genomes.

This disclosure provides compositions, recombinant expression constructs, and engineered systems that include a polynucleotide including or encoding a Cas12a tracrRNA, and methods for their use. The materials and methods of the disclosure are especially suited to sequence-specific genome editing of eukaryotic genomic sequences.