The present invention relates to the field of plant improvement, in particularofplant improvement by modification of the quality and/or of the quantity oflignin. Giventhe qualitative importance of lignin, an increase, a decrease or amodification of thequantity and/or of the quality of lignin can have considerable industrial oragronomicconsequences. The present invention relates more precisely to the developmentof aspecific allele of the gene encoding the first isoform of cinnamoyl CoAreductase or CCR1(EC: 1.2.1.44) in maize. The presence of this allele results in a decrease inthe quantity oflignin present in the plant.
