Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for increasing plant yield in plants grown under non-stress growth conditions relative to yield in corresponding wild type plants grown under comparable conditions, the method comprising preferentially increasing activity in the cytosol of a plant cell of a type I DnaJ-like polypeptide or a homologue thereof. One such method comprises introducing and/or expressing in a plant, plant part or plant cell a type I DnaJ-like nucleic acid or variant thereof. The invention also relates to transgenic plants grown under non-stress conditions having introduced and/or expressed therein a type I DnaJ-like nucleic acid or variant thereof, which plants have increased plant yield relative to corresponding wild type plants grown under comparable conditions. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for altering characteristics of a plant. The invention describes the identification of a gene that is downregulated in transgenic plants overexpressing E2Fa/DPa and the use of such sequences to alter plant characteristics. A preferred way for altering characteristics of a plant comprises modifying expression of one or more nucleic acid sequences and or modifying level and/or activity of one or more proteins, which nucleic acids and/or proteins encoded thereby are essentially similar to SEQ ID NO 1835. The gene identified in the present invention have an E2Fa target consensus sequence in their 5? upstream region. The identified gene is postulated to play a role as transcription factors.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving growth characteristics of plants by increasing expression and/or activity in a plant of an LRR receptor kinase or a homologue thereof. One such method comprises introducing into a plant an RLK827 nucleic acid molecule or functional variant thereof. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having improved growth characteristics, which plants have modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding an LRR receptor kinase. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for enhancing various economically important yield-related traits in plants. More specifically, the present invention concerns a method for enhancing yield-related traits in plants by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a bHLH9 (basic-Helix-Loop-Helix group 9) polypeptide. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a bHLH9 polypeptide, which plants have enhanced yield-related traits relative to control plants. The invention also provides hither-to unknown BHLH9-encoding nucleic acids and constructs comprising the same, useful in performing the methods of the invention. Furthermore, the present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for improving various plant growth characteristics by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding an IMB1 (Imbibition-inducible 1) polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving the growth characteristics of plants by increasing activity in a plant of a YIPPEE-like polypeptide or a homologue thereof. One such method comprises introducing into a plant a YIPPEE-like nucleic acid or variant thereof. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having introduced therein a YIPPEE-like nucleic acid or variant thereof, which plants have improved growth characteristics relative to corresponding wild type plants. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for modifying the growth characteristics of plants by modifying expression in a plant of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a 2×C2H2 zinc finger protein and/or modifying level and/or activity in a plant of a 2×C2H2 zinc finger protein. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having modified growth characteristics, which plants have modified expression of a nucleic acid encoding a 2×C2H2 zinc finger protein. For example yield of crop plants are improved by the methods of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving the growth characteristics of plants by increasing expression of at least part of a Leucine Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinase (RKS11, RKS4 or an orthologue of these). One such method comprises introducing into a plant a nucleic acid encoding at least part of a Leucine Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinase (RKS11 or RKS4 or an orthologue thereof). The invention also relates to transgenic plants having introduced therein a nucleic acid or variant thereof encoding at least part of a Leucine Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinase (RKS11 or RKS4 or an orthologue thereof), which plants have improved growth characteristics relative to corresponding wild type plants. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: A process for breeding plants which comprises growing plants of a species in an array of containers charged with growing medium of uniform characteristics in an environment of controlled climatic conditions with controlled supply of nutrients and feed water and changing the positions of the containers within the environment as required to ensure at least substantially uniform exposure of all plants in the containers to conditions in the environment. A process for the breeding of open pollinating plants in a greenhouse environment is also provided. A process for breeding plants which comprises identifying trait leads.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving the growth characteristics of plants by increasing activity in a plant of a YIPPEE-like polypeptide or a homologue thereof. One such method comprises introducing into a plant a YIPPEE-like nucleic acid or variant thereof. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having introduced therein a YIPPEE-like nucleic acid or variant thereof, which plants have improved growth characteristics relative to corresponding wild type plants. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for modifying plant growth characteristics by modifying expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a methionine aminopeptidase (MAP protein) and/or by modifying level and/or activity in a plant of a MAP protein. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having modified growth characteristics, which plants have modified expression of a nucleic acid encoding a MAP protein. Particularly the present invention discloses a method to increase yield of a plant, preferably in a cereal such as rice or corn.

Abstract: A method to change development of a plant or plant part, when compared to the wild-type plant or plant part, by increasing or decreasing expression in a plant or plant part of a cdc27a nucleic acid sequence and/or increasing or decreasing levels and/or activity in a plant of a CDC27A protein; a plant obtained by this method; a genetic construct for enacting the method; a food including the plant or plant part; an enzyme or pharmaceutical produced by the plant or plant part; and a method of making an enzyme or pharmaceutical by the plant or plant part.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for enhancing various economically important yield-related traits in plants. More specifically, the present invention concerns a method for enhancing various economically important yield-related traits in plants relative to control plants, by increasing expression in a plant of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a Yield-Enhancing Polypeptide (YEP). The YEP may be a Class I TCP or a CAH3 or a Clayata 1 (CLV1) polypeptide with a non-functional C-terminal domain. The present invention also concerns plants having increased expression of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a YEP, which plants have enhanced yield-related traits in plants relative to control plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving the yield of plants by introducing into a plant a nucleic acid encoding a cyclin D3 protein under the control of a promoter capable of preferentially expressing the nucleic acid in shoots. The invention also relates to transgenic plants comprising a nucleic acid encoding a cyclin D3 protein under the control of a promoter capable of preferentially expressing the nucleic acid in shoots, which plants have improved yield relative to corresponding wild type plants. The invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for increasing plant yield in plants grown under non-stress growth conditions relative to yield in corresponding wild type plants grown under comparable conditions, the method comprising preferentially increasing activity in the cytosol of a plant cell of a type I DnaJ-like polypeptide or a homologue thereof. One such method comprises introducing and/or expressing in a plant, plant part or plant cell a type I DnaJ-like nucleic acid or variant thereof. The invention also relates to transgenic plants grown under non-stress conditions having introduced and/or expressed therein a type I DnaJ-like nucleic acid or variant thereof, which plants have increased plant yield relative to corresponding wild type plants grown under comparable conditions. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: A process for breeding plants which comprises growing plants of a species in an array of containers charged with growing medium of uniform characteristics in an environment of controlled climatic conditions with controlled supply of nutrients and feed water and changing the positions of the containers within the environment as required to ensure at least substantially uniform exposure of all plants in the containers to conditions in the environment. A process for the breeding of open pollinating plants in a greenhouse environment is also provided. A process for breeding plants which comprises identifying trait leads.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for altering characteristics of a plant. The invention describes the identification of a gene that is downregulated in transgenic plants overexpressing E2Fa/DPa and the use of such sequences to alter plant characteristics. A preferred way for altering characteristics of a plant comprises modifying expression of one or more nucleic acid sequences and or modifying level and/or activity of one or more proteins, which nucleic acids and/or proteins encoded thereby are essentially similar to SEQ ID NO 1835. The gene identified in the present invention have an E2Fa target consensus sequence in their 5? upstream region. The identified gene is postulated to play a role as transcription factors.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving growth characteristics of plants by modulating activity of a mutant CDKA kinase or a homologue thereof in a plant and/or modulating expression of a nucleic acid encoding such mutant CDKA. One such method comprises introducing into a plant a mutant CDKA nucleic acid molecule or mutant functional variant thereof. The invention also provides an isolated CKA mutant protein and nucleic acids encoding such protein. The invention furthermore relates to transgenic plants having improved growth characteristics, which plants have modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a mutant CDKA kinase. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: A process for breeding plants which comprises growing plants of a species in an array of containers charged with growing medium of uniform characteristics in an environment of controlled climatic conditions with controlled supply of nutrients and feed water and changing the positions of the containers within the environment as required to ensure at least substantially uniform exposure of all plants in the containers to conditions in the environment. A process for the breeding of open pollinating plants in a greenhouse environment is also provided.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for modulating flower organ development, leaf formation, phototropism, apical dominance, fruit development, initiation of roots, and for increasing yield in a plant are provided. The compositions include a ZmPKT sequence. Compositions of the invention comprise amino acid sequences and nucleotide sequences selected from SEQ ID NOS: 1 and 2 as well as variants and fragments thereof. Nucleotide sequences encoding the ZmPKT polypeptides are provided in DNA constructs for expression in a plant of interest are provided for modulating the level of a ZmPKT sequence in a plant or a plant part are provided. The methods comprise introducing into a plant or plant part a heterologous polynucleotide comprising a ZmPKT sequence of the invention. The level of the ZmPKT polypeptide can be increased or decreased. Such method can be used to increase the yield in plants; in one embodiment, the method is used to increase grain yield in cereals.