Seedling cultivation and transplanting are common rice cultivation methods, and directly sowing rice seeds into the field for rice direct broadcasting has been a simplified cultivation method in recent years, but there is also a problem of low seedling emergence rate. Recently, a team led by Academician Hu Peisong from the China Rice Research Institute found that in rice live broadcasting with soil cover, there is a major quantitative trait gene qME1 on chromosome 1 that can simultaneously control the elongation of the seedling hypocotyl and the emergence rate. This study reveals a new mechanism for regulating the emergence of rice seedlings through soil breaking, providing important reference for breeding new rice varieties suitable for live broadcasting. The related research results are published online in the academic journal "Acta Botanica Sinica". The research team experts introduced that with the development of society, the traditional intensive cultivation and transplanting cultivation method of rice seedlings is no longer able to meet the needs of modern agricultural production. The light and simplified cultivation method characterized by labor-saving and labor-saving - rice direct seeding cultivation technology has shown great potential for development. However, at present, there are still problems with high seed usage, low seedling emergence rate, and uneven seedling emergence in rice live broadcasting, which seriously restrict its promotion and application on a larger scale. Research has shown that the elongation of rice hypocotyls plays a crucial role in the emergence of seedlings through soil breaking, providing the main driving force for their rapid soil breaking. Therefore, studying the mechanism of elongation of the hypocotyl during seedling emergence and identifying excellent genes that control the elongation of the hypocotyl are of great significance for promoting rice direct seeding technology. Previous studies have shown that modern cultivated rice generally loses the ancient trait of long mesodermal axis, but the genetic domestication basis behind it is not clear. Therefore, with the support of projects such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China, researchers used genetic technology and found through experiments that the gene qME1 endows rice with the trait of long hypocotyl. Further research has found that the mechanical pressure on rice soil induces the release of ethylene, ultimately promoting the elongation of rice hypocotyls. Through further domestication studies, researchers have found that the elongation trait of the hypocotyl is gradually lost in rice dwarfing breeding, suggesting that the long hypocotyl is one of the key factors for wild rice and early rice to adapt to harsh environments during soil breaking and seedling emergence. In addition, the study also found that qME1 has advantages such as tolerance to flooding, early growth and rapid development. Ectopic expression of this gene in the rice hypocotyl can promote the elongation of the hypocotyl without significantly affecting rice plant height and lodging resistance. (Lai Xin She)