Engineered Brassica Rapa

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Mutation Impacting Locule Number in Brassica Rapa Tech ID: UA21-147 Invention: Brassica rapa is a plant species growing in various widely cultivated forms including the turnip (a root vegetable), Napa cabbage, bomdong, bok choy, and rapini. The oil made from the seed is sometimes also called canola or colza. The invention provides mutant Brassica plants that have increased locules and seed production relative to native wild-type plants. The primary use for these plants is to produce oil. Background: Global demographics are changing and driving the need for higher agricultural yields. Part of this changing demographic has led to consumption of higher quality food, including meat. This has created a higher need for feed crops to match this growth. Urbanization, population growth, and global warming have led to a decrease in the acreage of arable land available. These forces are pressing the agriculture industry to create more from less. This new technology will aid in seed production and allow for higher yields and greater production to help solve the problems faced by the agriculture industry.