Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing plants with labdane production in Nicotiana which comprises subjecting plans to somaclonal variation, and screening for plants having higher than average labdane content. The invention also provides improved Nicotiana sp. plant lines producing at least about 800 mg of cis-abienol or sclareol per kg of fresh plant weight.

Abstract: Transgenic plants have been created which express an insect-specific toxin from a scorpion. The chimeric inheritable trait produced conditions of toxicity in the plant cells of toxicity to certain insects upon ingestion of plant tissues. The inheritable trait has also been cross-bred to plants transgenic to the Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin to produce plants having two independent insect-specific toxin traits. Insect feeding trails revealed additive toxic effects. A generalized approach for developing other insecticidal toxins as candidates for insertion into transgenic plants is also presented.

Abstract: The present invention provides a maize plant wherein the growth and development of said plant is tolerant of inhibition by a cyclohexanedione herbicide, an aryloxyphenoxypropanoic acid herbicide, or mixtures thereof, at levels which normally inhibit the growth and development of maize, wherein said tolerance is conferred by an altered acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) tolerant of inhibition by said herbicide at levels which normally inhibit the activity of an unaltered ACCase.

Abstract: The preparation and use of nucleic acid promoter fragments homologous to the Em gene of wheat to bring the expression of selected genes in plants under external control are described. The Em promoter fragment is responsive to abscisic acid (ABA) and other compounds possessing ABA-like activity. Through transformation of protoplasts and plant cells with recombinant DNA constructs incorporating such promoter fragments, operably linked selected genes are expressed in response to ABA and compounds possessing ABA-like activity. The application of such promoter fragments and constructs to transient assay systems to predict the likelihood of stable transformation in plants is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for improving stick yield of a celery line which comprises culturing an explant on a first medium containing at least one auxin to produce callus, culturing the callus on a second medium without growth regulators to produce embryos, growing embryos unit mature plants are obtained and recovering from the mature plants variants exhibiting a stick yield of at least about 25% over stick yield of the parent line. Also provided are novel celery plants, having improved stick yield.

Abstract: A method for producing a stigma-like tissue of a saffron flower comprising (1) culturing a corolla tube of a saffron in the presence of a plant hormone or (2) culturing a female organ and/or a corolla tube of a saffron flower in the presence of a plant hormone and alanine, and a method for producing useful components of a saffron flower, e.g., saffron pigment, from the thus produced stigma-like tissue. The tissue cultures produce larger quantitites of the stigma-like tissue and useful components, compared to that obtained by conventional tissue cultures.

Abstract: The utilization of a positive selection seed screening process to isolate rate variants with resistance to a herbicide is described. The ability to screen large numbers of mutagenized seed has made it feasible to pursue and isolate plants with low frequency dominant herbicide-resistance mutations. The dominant herbicide resistance mutations are useful for many applications including expanding the utility of sulfonylurea herbicides for soybean weed control, production of F.sub.1 and F.sub.2 seeds, and as selectable markers for efficient seed purification.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a purified and isolated gene having a nucleotide sequence coding for the amino acid sequence for the CryIIB protein (the nucleotide coding sequence being illustrated in FIG. 6 extending from nucleotides 874 through 2775).