The present technology provides targeted genome engineering (also known as genome editing) techniques to modify nicotine biosynthesis. In particular, the present technology relates to the use of genome editing methods to generate mutations resulting in an out-of-frame start codon upstream of the open reading frames (ORFs) of genes of interest, such as nicotine biosynthesis genes, to genetically engineer protein translation levels and modulate nicotine production in plants for producing plants and plant cells having reduced nicotine content.
