Soybean reduced internode 1 determines internode length and improves grain yield at dense planting

Abstract

Major cereal crops have benefitted from Green Revolution traits such as shorter and more compact plants that permit high-density planting, but soybean has remained relatively overlooked. To balance ideal soybean yield with plant height under dense planting, shortening of internodes without reducing the number of nodes and pods is desired. Here, we characterized a short-internode soybean mutant, reduced internode 1 (rin1). Partial loss of SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA 105 3a (SPA3a) underlies rin1. RIN1 physically interacts with two homologs of ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5), STF1 and STF2, to promote their degradation. RIN1 regulates gibberellin metabolism to control internode development through a STF1/STF2–GA2ox7 regulatory module. In field trials, rin1 significantly enhances grain yield under high-density planting conditions comparing to its wild type of elite cultivar. rin1 mutants therefore could serve as valuable resources for improving grain yield under high-density cultivation and in soybean–maize intercropping systems.