Abstract: The present invention provides a method for transforming plants with genetic material. The new method described herein represents a significant improvement in transformation technology. Direct inoculation of an intact pre-formed plant, advantageously without excising the shoot, allows for plant regeneration and makes the procedure genotype-independent while greatly accelerating plant generation by reducing time in tissue culture. Further, the potential for somaclonal variation caused by tissue de-differentiation in culture is greatly reduced. In one embodiment, the invention provides a genotype-independent, direct shoot-based transformation method using Agrobacterium to facilitate recovery of transformed, transgenic plants and to allow transformation of elite germplasm. This technique can be used, for example, with P. taeda L. as described herein. In one embodiment, the transformed shoots can be subjected to antibiotic selection during seedling development.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel method for transforming and rapidly regenerating plant tissue. The method employs target tissues which are the shoot apices thereby expanding the species range for transformation and reducing the risk of somaclonal variation.