This publication describes tomatoes and physalis plants from the Solanaceae family that have been modified by CRISPR/Cas so that they are much smaller in size and flower earlier than other tomatoes. 3 genes were knocked out in the tomato using CRISPR/Cas, which are necessary for the time of flowering, the length of the stem and the growth of the tomato plants.
According to the authors, such highly compacted tomatoes can be used for a new type of agriculture, so-called urban agriculture. Urban agriculture aims to grow plants and keep animals in an efficient way in and around cities. Plants that are small and quickly bear fruit are ideal for the limited space for cultivation in urban regions.
Comment: Questions that are relevant for risk assesment are 1.) process-based errors of CRISPR/Cas, such as the occurrence of off-target effects or changes that are triggered by the transformation of the plant cells with the Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and 2.) the impact of the new traits on the metabolism of the plants.