Plant architecture is a complex agronomic trait and a major factor of crop yield, and effected by several important hormones. Strigolactones (SLs) is identified as a new class hormone inhibiting branching in many plant species and involved in various developmental processes. Genetically and chemically modulated the SL pathway has been recognized as a promising approach to modify plant architecture. However, whether and how the genes involved in the SL pathway could be utilized in breeding is still elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a partial loss-of-function allele of the SL biosynthesis gene, HIGH TILLERING AND DWARF 1/DWARF17 (HTD1/D17), which encodes CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 7 (CCD7), increases tiller number and improves grain yield in rice. We found that the HTD1 had been widely utilized and co-selected with Semidwarf 1 (SD1) and contributed to the improvement of plant architecture in modern rice varieties since the Green Revolution in the 1960s. Understanding how phytohormone genes regulate plant architecture and how these genes have been utilized and selected in breeding will give insight into the rational approaches for improving crop yield.