Abstract: The invention provides methods for producing a plant with altered tillering time, the methods comprising transformation of a plant with a genetic construct including a polynucleotide encoding of a polypeptide with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a variant or fragment thereof. The method also provides isolated polypeptides, polynucleotides, constructs and vectors useful for producing a plant with altered tillering time. The method also provides plant cell and plants transformed to contain and express the polypeptides, polynucleotides and constructs. The invention also provides plants produced by methods of the invention.