Breeding Approaches Research Articles

In silico analysis of L- and G-type lectin receptor kinases in tomato: evolution, diversity, and abiotic responses

Solanum lycopersicum (family: Solanaceae) is a crucial crop and model organism for many phenotypic traits, and its sequenced genome provides valuable insights into plant biology and crop improvement. This study investigated lectin receptor-like kinases (LecRLKs) in tomato, focusing on L-type and G-type families. Mining the tomato genome (ITAG2.4) revealed 161 putative lectin genes across seven families, with GNA-related genes being the most abundant. Gene duplication analysis indicated that tandem and segmental duplications were the primary mechanisms driving LecRLK gene family expansion, particularly for G-type LecRLKs. These duplicated genes showed evidence of both purifying and negative selection, suggesting functional conservation and sub-functionalization. L-type and G-type LecRLKs exhibited diverse domain rearrangement architectures and subcellular localizations, with G-type LecRLKs showing greater expansion and architectural diversity. Differential expression analysis during abiotic stress (drought, heat, and cold stress) revealed key responsive genes. During drought stress, 63.2% of L-type and 18.5% of G-type LecRLK genes were expressed, with L-type Solyc09g005000.1 and G-type Solyc03g078360.1 genes showing significant 2-fold upregulation. Heat stress (42 °C) induced the upregulation of L-type Solyc04g071000.1 and G-type Solyc03g078360.1 and Solyc04g008400.1, particularly after 12–24 h of exposure. Promoter analysis revealed numerous stress-related cis-elements. Transcription factor predictions and miRNA targeting sites suggest complex regulatory mechanisms. This comprehensive in silico characterization of tomato LecRLKs, including their expansion patterns and evolutionary pressures, provides insights into their potential roles in abiotic stress responses and lays the groundwork for enhancing crop resilience through targeted breeding or genetic engineering approaches.

Genetic Insights and Molecular Breeding Approaches for Downy Mildew Resistance in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.): Current Progress and Future Prospects

Cucurbit downy mildew, caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis, is a devastating disease in cucumbers that leads to significant yield losses in many cucurbit-growing regions worldwide. Developing resistant cucumber varieties is a sustainable approach to managing this disease, especially given the limitations of chemical control and the evolving nature of pathogens. This article reviews the genetic basis of downy mildew resistance in cucumbers, emphasizing key resistance (R) genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that have been mapped. Recent advances in molecular breeding tools, including marker-assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection (GS), and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, have accelerated the development of resistant cultivars. This review also explores the role of transcriptomics, genomics, and other ‘omics’ technologies in unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind resistance and offers insights into the future of breeding strategies aimed at long-term disease management. Management strategies for cucurbit downy mildew are discussed, along with the potential impacts of climate change on the occurrence and severity of downy mildew, highlighting how changing environmental conditions may influence disease dynamics. Integrating these advanced genetic approaches with traditional breeding promises to accelerate the development of downy mildew-resistant cucumber varieties, contributing to the sustainability and resilience of cucumber production.

An innovative natural speed breeding technique for accelerated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) generation turnover

BackgroundThe slow breeding cycle presents a significant challenge in legume research and breeding. While current speed breeding (SB) methods promise faster plant turnover, they encounter space limitations and high costs. Enclosed environments risk pest and disease outbreaks, and supplying water and electricity remains challenging in many developing nations. Here, we propose an innovative natural speed breeding (nSB) approach to achieve two generation cycles per rabi season under natural open field conditions in chickpea. This cost-effective, environmentally friendly method offers a location-specific alternative to prevalent SB techniques.ResultsTwo field experiments were conducted. First, 11-day-old fresh immature green (FIG) seeds exhibited an 80% germination rate, reducing the duration of the breeding cycle by 14%. In second, abiotic stresses such as atmospheric, nutrient, soil, and water stresses reduced the duration of the breeding cycle by 40%, 18%, 15%, and 18%, respectively. Despite the shortened generation time, we consistently obtained a minimum of 4–6 pods plant-1, ensuring continuity in the subsequent breeding cycle without compromising the nSB process.ConclusionOur investigation revealed that the combination of this location advantage (40%) with the sowing of FIG seeds (14%) enables Baramati to achieve progress from F2 to F5 in 1.5 years, with two generation cycles per rabi (cool) season. Using the nSB method can save 3 years, marking a notable reduction from the conventional six-year timeline. Moreover, incorporating the additional abiotic stresses mentioned above will further reduce the generation advancement time. Therefore, nSB accelerates generation turnover and reduces varietal improvement time at a low cost.

Advance breeding approaches for quality enhancement in apiaceae family

Advance breeding approaches for quality enhancement in apiaceae family

Vegetables grafting: Green surgical fusion to combat biotic and abiotic stresses

Vegetables are considered protective foods with high nutritional value and play an important role in subsistence farming, generating more income. Vegetable crops are highly sensitive to weather fluctuations, which impact their growth, flowering and fruit development and ultimately reduce yield. Grafting has become a viable green surgical option to decelerate conventional breeding approaches to enhance resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. It is the technique of uniting 2 plants with different genetic backgrounds to create a new one, allowing genetic differences to transfer to the scion. This process offers a better alternative to chemical sterilants in mitigating certain soil-borne diseases in vegetable crops. Solanaceous and Cucurbitaceous vegetable grafting is commercially practiced and has a greater impact in farmers’ fields. Grafting is suggested to mitigate environmental changes' negative impact on vegetable quantity and quality by enhancing physiological activities in plants grafted onto rootstocks with potential traits. This method offers insights into stress response mechanisms, improves stress tolerance and enhances vegetable yield and quality. Recent research on vegetable grafting aims to promote sustainable agriculture by offering resilient, high-yielding crop varieties, such as dual-grafted Brimato, suitable for urban and suburban areas. Research is necessary to comprehend the genetic mechanism and physiological process of grafting technology, with a focus on identifying key physiological processes associated with the characteristic features of rootstock.

Breeding and biotechnology approaches to enhance the nutritional quality of rapeseed byproducts for sustainable alternative protein sources- a critical review.

Global protein consumption is increasing exponentially, which requires efficient identification of potential, healthy, and simple protein sources to fulfil the demands. The existing sources of animal proteins are high in fat and low in fiber composition, which might cause serious health risks when consumed regularly. Moreover, protein production from animal sources can negatively affect the environment, as it often requires more energy and natural resources and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, finding alternative plant-based protein sources becomes indispensable. Rapeseed is an important oilseed crop and the world's third leading oil source. Rapeseed byproducts, such as seed cakes or meals, are considered the best alternative protein source after soybean owing to their promising protein profile (30%-60% crude protein) to supplement dietary requirements. After oil extraction, these rapeseed byproducts can be utilized as food for human consumption and animal feed. However, anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) like glucosinolates, phytic acid, tannins, and sinapines make them unsuitable for direct consumption. Techniques like microbial fermentation, advanced breeding, and genome editing can improve protein quality, reduce ANFs in rapeseed byproducts, and facilitate their usage in the food and feed industry. This review summarizes these approaches and offers the best bio-nutrition breakthroughs to develop nutrient-rich rapeseed byproducts as plant-based protein sources.

Applications of CRISPR Technologies in Forestry and Molecular Wood Biotechnology.

Forests worldwide are under increasing pressure from climate change and emerging diseases, threatening their vital ecological and economic roles. Traditional breeding approaches, while valuable, are inherently slow and limited by the long generation times and existing genetic variation of trees. CRISPR technologies offer a transformative solution, enabling precise and efficient genome editing to accelerate the development of climate-resilient and productive forests. This review provides a comprehensive overview of CRISPR applications in forestry, exploring its potential for enhancing disease resistance, improving abiotic stress tolerance, modifying wood properties, and accelerating growth. We discuss the mechanisms and applications of various CRISPR systems, including base editing, prime editing, and multiplexing strategies. Additionally, we highlight recent advances in overcoming key challenges such as reagent delivery and plant regeneration, which are crucial for successful implementation of CRISPR in trees. We also delve into the potential and ethical considerations of using CRISPR gene drive for population-level genetic alterations, as well as the importance of genetic containment strategies for mitigating risks. This review emphasizes the need for continued research, technological advancements, extensive long-term field trials, public engagement, and responsible innovation to fully harness the power of CRISPR for shaping a sustainable future for forests.

Physiological responses to different temperature in the liver of Takifugu rubripes larvae revealed by integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses

Water temperature plays a vital role in shaping the physical conditions crucial for the growth, development and reproduction of fish species. Since limited comprehensive multi-omics analyses exploring the molecular mechanisms of temperature influences on the early life stages of fish. Here, the effects of temperature variations on the growth of Takifugu rubripes, a commercial teleost farmed in Asia were investigated. Nineteen-days-old fugu larvae were subjected to different temperature (15 °C-T15, 20 °C-T20, 25 °C-T25) for 30 days. Liver tissues were harvested at the end of the study for transcriptomic and metabolomic assessments. The T. rubripes larvae in the T15 group showed a significant decrease in total length and body weight compared to the T20 and T25 groups (p < 0.05). 1344, 416, and 2080 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in T15-vs-T20, T20-vs-T25, and T15-vs-T25 comparisons, respectively. Those DEGs were mainly enriched in metabolic, protein digestion and absorption, steroid biosynthesis, and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways. 15 DEGs were randomly selected for RNA-seq validation, and the transcriptome results were consistent with the qPCR validation results, illustrating the accuracy of transcriptome sequencing. 340, 238, and 330 significantly different metabolites (SDMs) were identified in positive modes when comparing in T15-vs-T20, T20-vs-T25, and T15-vs-T25, respectively. Additionally, 145, 137, and 159 SDMs were identified in negative modes within the three comparisons. Those SDMs enriched in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, and metabolic pathways. The integration of transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses indicated that DEGs and SDMs mainly enriched in metabolic pathways. These discoveries provide valuable insights into the effects of temperature on fish larvae in aquaculture, laying a foundation for future breeding approaches aimed at improving the growth of T. rubripes.

African Horned Melon (Cucumis metuliferus): Climate‐Resilient Crop and Gene Donor in the Breeding of Major Cucurbits

ABSTRACTAfrican horned melon (Cucumis metuliferus E. Meyer ex Naudin, 2n = 2x = 24) is an under‐researched and under‐utilised cucurbit crop primarily grown for its nutritious fruit. In its centre of diversity, the crop is valued for its relatively high tolerance to insect pests, diseases, drought and heat stress. It is a potential opportunity crop and a valuable source of genes to major Cucumis species, including cucumber (Cucumis sativas L.) and melon (C. melo L.). Its climate resilience and nutrient‐rich fruit provide niche market opportunities. Hence, production and value‐adding will make African horned melon a crop of choice globally. There is a need for an in‐depth investigation into the genetic diversity, breeding and food composition of the crop. Therefore, the objective of this review was to provide perspectives on the production and breeding status of African horned melon to appraise its genetic value for human welfare, strategic production, genetic conservation and breeding of market‐preferred varieties, including closely related Cucumis species. The first section described the botany, production status, germplasm resources and characterisation based on phenotypic and genetic markers. This is followed by breeding progress for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, utilities and challenges of gene transfer and potential rootstock to Cucumis species, especially cucumber and melon. The review summarised the main breeding goals and approaches, including mutation breeding to fast‐track the development of new varieties. Information presented in the review will guide cultivar design in African horned melon or related cucurbits, aiming for superior agronomic and nutritional quality traits and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Brassica Vegetables - An Undervalued Nutritional Goldmine

Abstract The genus Brassica includes six species and over 15 types of vegetables that are widely cultivated and consumed globally. This group of vegetables is rich in bioactive compounds, including glucosinolates, vitamins (such as vitamin C, folate, tocopherol, and phylloquinone), carotenoids, phenols, and minerals, which are crucial for enriching diets and maintaining human health. However, the full extent of these phytonutrients and their significant health benefits remain to be fully elucidated. This review highlights the nutrient compositions and health advantages of Brassica vegetables and discusses the impacts of various processing methods on their nutritional value. Additionally, we discuss potential strategies for enhancing the nutrition of Brassica crops through agronomic biofortification, conventional breeding, and biotechnological or metabolic engineering approaches. This review lays the foundation for the nutritional improvement of Brassica crops.

Integrating Environmental Covariates into Adaptability and Stability Analyses: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach for Cotton Breeding

Breeding programs rely on genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) to recommend cultivars for specific locations. GEI describes how different genotypes perform under varying environmental conditions. Several methods were proposed to assess adaptability and stability across environments. These methods utilize various statistical approaches like parametric and non-parametric regression, multivariate analysis techniques, and even Bayesian frameworks and artificial intelligence. The accessibility of environmental data through platforms like NASA POWER allows breeders to integrate this information into a breeding process. It has been done by using multi-omics integration models that combine data across various biological levels to create accurate predictive models. In the context of phenotypic adaptability and stability analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) offers an interesting approach to integrating environmental covariates. This work aimed to propose a novel approach that integrates weather information into adaptability and stability analysis, combining SEM with the established Eberhart and Russell model. Additionally, a user-friendly applet, denoted ECERSEM-AdaptStab, was made available to perform the analysis. This approach utilized data from 12 cotton cultivar trials conducted across two growing seasons at 19 sites. This approach successfully integrated environmental covariates into a phenotypic adaptability and stability analysis of cotton cultivars. Specifically, the genotypes TMG 41 WS, IMA CV 690, DP 555 BGRR, BRS 286 and BRS 369 RF were recommended for favorable environments, while the genotypes TMG 43 WS, IMA 5675 B2RF, IMA 08 WS, NUOPAL, DELTA OPAL, BRS 335, and BRS 368 RF are more suitable for unfavorable environments.

Progress and prospects in the molecular basic research on important traits in sorghum

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a significant crop serving food, energy, feed, and industrial raw materials, featuring extensive growth adaptability and diverse utility values. Despite the achievements in sorghum breeding in the last decades, conventional breeding methods still confront challenges such as lengthy breeding cycles, low efficiency, and complex genetic backgrounds. With the rapid advancement of molecular biology, genetics, and bioinformatics, molecular breeding has carved new pathways for enhancing sorghum yield and quality. This article reviews the molecular basic research progress in the key agronomic and adaptive traits of sorghum, including grain yield, grain quality, flowering time, plant height, tillering, stress resistance, and male sterility, and discusses future research priorities, offering novel insights and approaches for sorghum breeding.

Revolutionizing livestock sustainability: Pioneering breeding strategies for superior forage biomass and quality

Livestock primarily rely on forage crops as a source of feed and nutrition. The milk productivity of a cow or meat production in goat/sheep could directly be associated with the availability of a sufficient quantity of quality green fodders with essential nutrients in a balanced ratio. Feeding the cereal/grass: legume fodders in the required proportion will not only improve productivity but also the reproductive capacity of animals. However, many countries of the world experience a huge gap between demand and availability of green fodder. In this context, emphasis should be placed on developing efficient forage genotypes with increased biomass and quality as per the requirements of animals, duly considering their digestibility. Breeding approaches encompassing required classical approaches, including wide hybridization to exploit natural genetic variability, biotechnological tools such as transgenic technology, marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and various omics techniques alongside high-throughput phenotyping using multispectral cameras, would help to sustain livestock productivity by meeting out the present and future fodder requirements coupled with enhanced nutrients

Omics-Driven Strategies for Developing Saline-Smart Lentils: A Comprehensive Review.

A number of consequences of climate change, notably salinity, put global food security at risk by impacting the development and production of lentils. Salinity-induced stress alters lentil genetics, resulting in severe developmental issues and eventual phenotypic damage. Lentils have evolved sophisticated signaling networks to combat salinity stress. Lentil genomics and transcriptomics have discovered key genes and pathways that play an important role in mitigating salinity stress. The development of saline-smart cultivars can be further revolutionized by implementing proteomics, metabolomics, miRNAomics, epigenomics, phenomics, ionomics, machine learning, and speed breeding approaches. All these cutting-edge approaches represent a viable path toward creating saline-tolerant lentil cultivars that can withstand climate change and meet the growing demand for high-quality food worldwide. The review emphasizes the gaps that must be filled for future food security in a changing climate while also highlighting the significant discoveries and insights made possible by omics and other state-of-the-art biotechnological techniques.

Harnessing Genomic Resources and Molecular Breeding Techniques for Advancing Crop Resilience and Productivity

Crop improvement and adaptation are critical to ensure global food security in the face of climate change, population growth, and resource limitations. Exploiting genomic resources and molecular breeding techniques offers immense potential to accelerate the development of resilient, high-yielding crop varieties. This review provides an overview of the current state and future prospects of leveraging genomics and molecular breeding for crop improvement, with a focus on major food crops. We discuss key genomic resources such as reference genomes, transcriptomes, and pan-genomes, as well as powerful molecular breeding approaches like marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and genome editing. Integrating these tools into crop breeding pipelines can greatly enhance the precision and efficiency of developing improved varieties with desirable traits such as abiotic stress tolerance, disease resistance, and enhanced nutritional quality. We also highlight successful examples of applying these techniques in crops like rice, wheat, maize, and legumes. Furthermore, we explore the role of big data, machine learning, and systems biology in extracting actionable insights from the vast genomic data being generated. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in translating genomic discoveries into improved crop varieties, emphasizing the need for multidisciplinary collaborations, capacity building, and public-private partnerships. Harnessing the power of genomics and molecular breeding will be pivotal in developing climate-resilient crops to feed the growing global population sustainably.

CRISPR/Cas9 mediated CHS2 mutation provides a new insight into resveratrol biosynthesis by causing a metabolic pathway shift from flavonoids to stilbenoids in Vitis davidii cells

Abstract Resveratrol is an important phytoalexin that adapts to and responds to stressful conditions, plays various roles in health and medical therapies. However, it is only found in a limited number of plant species in low concentrations, which hinders its development and utilization. Chalcone synthase (CHS) and stilbene synthase (STS) catalyze the same substrates to produce flavonoids and resveratrol, respectively. However, it remains unclear how CHS and STS compete in metabolite synthesis. In this study, two CHS2 mutant cell lines (MT1 and MT2) were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. These CHS2 mutant cell lines exhibited abundant mutations in CHS2, leading to the premature termination of protein translation and subsequent CHS2 knockout. Amplicon sequencing confirmed comprehensive CHS2 knockout in MT1, whereas the wild-type sequence remained predominant in the MT2 cell line. Transcriptome and RT-qPCR results showed a significant downregulation of genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, including CHS2, CHS3, F3H, F3’H, DFR, FLS, LDOX, among others, resulting in decreased flavonoid accumulation, such as anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, quercetin, and kaempferol. Conversely, STS genes involved in stilbenoid biosynthesis were upregulated competing with the flavonoid pathway. Consequently, there was a marked increase in stilbenoids, including resveratrol, piceatannol, piceid and pterostilbene, with a 4.1-fold increase in resveratrol and a 5.3-fold increase in piceid (a derivative of resveratrol) observed in CHS2 mutant cell lines. This research demonstrates that CHS2 mutation induces a shift from flavonoid biosynthesis towards stilbenoid biosynthesis, offering new insights into metabolite biosynthesis and regulation, as well as an alternative solution for natural resveratrol production, and a novel breeding approach for eliminating non-target agronomic traits using CRISPR-Cas9.

Improving the process of identification of superior pearl millet populations using Genotype by Yield × Trait (GYT) biplot

Abstract Utilizing a trait-based breeding approach is crucial for developing diverse materials with various agronomic traits, emphasizing a common focus on achieving high grain yield, as seen in many breeding programs. Genotype evaluation based on yield × trait combinations is essential, with yield as the primary variable. Genotype by yield × traits biplot analysis was used in pearl millet to assess associations among yield-trait combinations, trait profiles, and superiority rankings. The Biplot analysis reveals prevalent positive associations among yield-trait combinations, implying that selecting multiple traits can augment grain yield productivity. Notably, ICMV 221 and Dhanashakti exhibit elevated levels of YLD×Fe and YLD×Zn, while SOSAT C88, EC C6, Raj 171, and CZIC 618 excel in combining grain yield with traits such as plant height (PH), panicle length (PL), and days to maturity (DM). Based on overall superiority in yield-trait combinations, populations were ranked as follows: AIMP 92901 &gt; ICMV 221 &gt; SOSAT C88 &gt; CZIC 618 &gt; Raj 171 &gt; ICMP 87307 &gt; EC C6. This study demonstrates the practical utility of the genotype by yield × traits biplot approach for selecting pearl millet germplasm with diverse trait combinations, enhancing the breeding program's effectiveness. Keywords: Trait Association, Trait Profile, Selection Index, Multiple Trait-Based Selection, GYT-Biplot

Assessment of variability for biochemical and mineral contents in fenugreek germplasm

Thirty accessions of fenugreek (Trigonellafoenum-graecumL.) were investigated for the morphological and proximate composition of (moisture, protein, phenols, total antioxidants and mineral contents) during 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The genotypes showed a wide range of variations in the biochemical parameters. The fully mature leaves of fenugreek germplasm were subjected to biochemical analysis and revealed a wide range of variability in biochemical traits viz. Protein (3.19 to 5.57%) ascorbic acid content (31.8 to 82.5 ug/ g-1), phenol content (0.74 to 2.74 mg GAE g-1) and total antioxidants capacity (0.60 to 5.11 mg Trolox/g). EC 510685 was identified for green- copper color leaf with high antioxidant content of leaves ((5.11 mM Trolox/g), EC510717 was found rich in protein (5.5 %) and Zn content (1.12 mg/100 gm).EC510559 was reported to have higher Ca content (360mg100g-1) while EC510579 was observed with a higher test weight (20.15g). Significant differences were also recorded in mineral content viz. Ca (105 to 360mg/100 gm), Zn (0.34 to 1.2mg/100 gm) and mg (45.7 to 131mg/100 gm). Based on the evaluation superior genotypes identified can be exploited either for the promotion of antioxidants rich fenugreek, coloured leaves genotype for ornamental purposes and minerals-rich genotypes in the processing industry for fortification of fenugreek by developing products with other functional food to overcome malnutrition. This information could also be used to develop antioxidant-rich varieties through a suitable breeding approach.

Cassava breeding: Classical to recent breeding approaches for food, industry and climate resilience

Cassava ranks as the fourth-most significant starchy root crop in underdeveloped countries in terms of future food and acting as a key source of income for small and marginal farmers. To meet the growing demands for food security and economic development, it is imperative to develop improved cassava varieties that offer higher yields, enhanced nutritional content, safer for consumption, greater resistance to diseases and climate change. The development of these improved varieties necessitates advancements in breeding techniques, leveraging both traditional methods and modern biotechnological tools. However, a major challenge in cassava breeding is heterozygous nature and the crop’s sparse flowering, which limits the potential for sexual reproduction, thereby constraining breeding efforts for predominantly clonal selection. The continuous clonal propagation impedes genetic diversity and the introduction of novel traits, narrowing the overall progress of breeding programs. Integrating genomic tools and accelerating the adoption of biotechnological advancements can overcome these limitations and expedite the development of superior cassava varieties. This review highlights the need of cassava breeding for addressing these challenges with conventional as well as with new breeding techniques with the aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current scenario and future directions of cassava breeding research. Key words: Climate change, CRISPR/Cas 9, New breeding techniques, PPD, speed breeding, Waxy cassava

The transcription factors GmVOZ1A and GmWRI1a synergistically regulate oil biosynthesis in soybean.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a major oil-producing crop worldwide. Although several related proteins regulating soybean oil accumulation have been reported, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms. In this study, we characterized vascular plant one-zinc-finger 1A (GmVOZ1A) that interacts with WRINKLED 1a (GmWRI1a) using yeast two-hybrid library screening. The GmVOZ1A-GmWRI1a interaction was further verified by protein-protein interaction assays in vivo and in vitro. GmVOZ1A enhanced the seed fatty acid and oil contents by regulating genes involved in lipid biosynthesis. Conversely, a loss-of-function mutation in GmVOZ1A resulted in a reduction in triacylglycerol (TAG) content in soybean. Protein-DNA interaction assays revealed that GmVOZ1A and GmWRI1a cooperate to up-regulate the expression level of acyl-coenzymeA-binding protein 6a (GmACBP6a) and promote the accumulation of TAG. In addition, GmACBP6a overexpression promoted seed fatty acid and oil contents, as well as increased seed size and 100-seed weight. Taken together, these findings indicate that the transcription factor GmVOZ1A regulates soybean oil synthesis and cooperates with GmWRI1a to up-regulate GmACBP6a expression and oil biosynthesis in soybean. The results lay a foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying soybean oil biosynthesis and will contribute to improving soybean oil production through molecular breeding approaches.