Nomura, C.; Kanzaki, H.; Kanzaki, E.; Shimizu, M.; Oikawa, K.; Utsushi, H.; Ito, K.; Sugimura, Y.; Terauchi, R.; Abe, A.

Although recent plant pan-genomes have revealed extensive copy number variations, studies addressing their phenotypic consequences are limited. Here, we manipulated gene copy number for OsMADS18 through gene editing and evaluated the effects. The presence of one to three OsMADS18 tandem copies was reflected in stepwise higher transcript levels and concomitant trait values for leaf blade and culm length, demonstrating that manipulating gene copy number can fine-tune important agronomic traits.