**4. Application of Branching-Regulating TFs**

Genetic control of branches is the main determinant of yield, seed number regulation and harvestability. For example, interference mutations in *FZP* and *IPA1* in rice, *TB1* in maize, and *BRC* in grape lead to increased branching and increasing yield [20,48,75,79]. Overexpression of *Bl* in tomato increases the number of branches, also increasing yield. At the same time, the change in plant type caused by branching provides an opportunity to explore the ornamental value of plants. For example, overexpression of *CmERF053* significantly increases the number of branches in chrysanthemum. In summary, regulation of these key transcription factors can significantly increase the number of branches, thereby increasing crop yield or quality.

In addition, fine regulation of branching has become an important strategy for plants to morphologically adapt to various environments. Chestnut CsRAV1, a circadian rhythm response factor, participates in the winter dormancy and low-temperature response of poplar and increases branching. Thus, manipulating this gene may lead to the possibility of producing trees with greater biomass. In actual cultivation, plants usually inhibit axillary bud growth in response to reductions in the ratio of red light to far-red light (R:FR) caused by the presence of competitive neighbors. Overexpression of *PIF4* and *PIF5* significantly inhibit the branching caused by this shade-avoidance syndrome, providing opportunities for practical cultivation.
