Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of improving the effectiveness of transgenic plants, either by maximizing the benefit of a transgenic trait in transgenic plants or overcoming deleterious effects on growth, stress tolerance, disease resistance, or insect resistance in transgenic plants expressing a transgenic trait. By applying a hypersensitive response elicitor protein or polypeptide to a transgenic plant expressing a transgene which confers a transgenic trait, or by preparing a transgenic plant expressing both a transgene which confers a transgenic trait and a second transgene which confers hypersensitive response elicitor expression, it is possible to realize the maximum benefit of the transgenic trait or overcome deleterious effects on growth, stress tolerance, disease resistance, or insect resistance which result from or accompany expression of the transgene conferring the transgenic trait.