Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for producing plants with increased fungal resistance, preferably seedling resistance against Northern Corn Leaf Blight. Further provided are methods for introducing, modifying, or modulating at least one wall-associated kinase (WAK) in(to) a plant cell, tissue, organ, or whole plant and thereby causing a reduced synthesis of benzoxazinoid and in turn increased fungal resistance. There are further provided methods to identify and/or modify downstream effector molecules in a WAK signalling cascade. Finally, plant cells, tissues, organs or whole plants having increased fungal resistance and methods using substances to activate signalling pathways in a targeted way are provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the provision of technical means such as nucleic acids which, after transcription or after expression in a plant, are suitable for mediating the property of a haploid inductor or for increasing the induction capability of a haploid inductor, as well as methods and uses for the production and identification of non-transgenic and transgenic plant haploid inductors, as well as the improvement of existing plant haploid inductors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the provision of technical means such as nucleic acids which, after transcription or after expression in a plant, are suitable for mediating the property of a haploid inductor or for increasing the induction capability of a haploid inductor, as well as methods and uses for the production and identification of non-transgenic and transgenic plant haploid inductors, as well as the improvement of existing plant haploid inductors.

Abstract: A method for modifying a plant includes coating a microparticle with at least one type of nucleic acid and/or at least one type of a protein, bombarding a shoot apex of a plant with the coated microparticle, growing the shoot apex bombarded with the coated microparticle to obtain a plant body, and selecting a modified plant body from the plant body. The shoot apex is selected from the group consisting of a shoot apex of an embryo of a fully mature seed, a shoot apex of a young bud, a shoot apex of a terminal bud or a lateral bud, and a shoot apex of an immature embryo.

Abstract: Sorghum plants are provided which are capable of inducing haploidy by modifications in the genome related to a pollen-specific expressed patatin phospholipid producing haploid offspring and can be produced for hybrid breeding in short time by chromosome doubling inbred lines, that is, homozygous father and mother lines. In addition, methods are provided for producing transgenic and non-transgenic plant haploid inducers and improving the induction performance of plants.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a transgenic maize plant or a part thereof comprising as transgene a nucleic acid capable of expressing a cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, preferably a Chenopodium rubrum cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, wherein as a result of the expression of the cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof the transgenic maize plant exhibits an enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress and/or an increased yield, to a method of producing such transgenic maize plant, to method of enhancing the tolerance to abiotic stress of a maize plant and/or of increasing yield potential of a maize plant, to a nucleic acid capable of expressing a cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, preferably a Chenopodium rubrum cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, to a vector comprising such nucleic acid, the use of the nucleic acid or vector for enhancing the tolerance to abiotic stress of a maize plant, for increasing yield potential of a maize plant and/o

Abstract: The present invention relates to artificial molecular complexes comprising at least one site-specific nuclease and directly in interacting therewith at least one repair template docking domain, said repair template docking domain interacting with at least one repair template nucleic acid sequence. The artificial complex can further comprise at least one interaction domain. The artificial molecular complexes are configured to mediate repair of a DNA target sequence in a prokaryotic or eukaryotic organism with high precision in a targeted way and can thus be used for genome engineering in a prokaryotic or a eukaryotic cell or organism, or editing of a viral genome. Further provided are methods of modifying at least one DNA target sequence in a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell or a viral genome, e.g., for trait development, or for treating a disease.