Abstract

Genetic transformation of plants underpins functional genomics and molecular breeding, but many plants are still constrained by slow, labor-intensive, tissue culture-dependent methods, including Glycine max (soybean), and Suaeda glauca. Here we develop a rapid, tissue culture-free Agrobacterium-mediated transformation approach based on targeted wounding of the seedlings' shoot apical region, followed by Agrobacterium inoculation under nonsterile conditions. Using this direct delivery strategy, we obtained transgenic plants in the same generation, with a transformation-positive frequency exceeding 57.6%. Transgenic lines transmitted the introduced gene to their progeny, supporting stable inheritance across generations. This streamlined method substantially lowers technical barriers and accelerates transgenic production in recalcitrant crops and halophyte species, offering a practical platform for rapid trait engineering and functional gene validation.