Abstract: A polynucleotide is provided, comprising at least a first region encoding a first protein capable of conferring on a plant, or tissue comprising it, resistance or tolerance to a first herbicide, and a second region encoding a second protein likewise capable of conferring resistance to a second herbicide, with the provisos (i) that the polynucleotide does not encode a fusion protein comprising only a 5-enol-pyruvyl-3-phosphoshikimate synthetase (EPSPS) and a glutathione S transferase (GST); (ii) that the polynucleotide does not comprise only regions encoding superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S transferase (GST); and (iii) that the polynucleotide does not comprise only regions encoding GST and phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (PAT).

Abstract: Methods of preparing hybrid seed are described. One such method comprises interplanting a male parent plant which is male fertile and homozygous recessive female sterile and a female parent plant which is homozygous recessive male sterile and female fertile, allowing cross-pollination and obtaining the seed produced therefrom. The genomic material of each parent plant may also have integrated therein a gene construct comprising a promoter sequence-responsive to the presence or absence of an exogenous chemical inducer, optionally operably linked to one or more enhancer or intron sequences, operably linked to a gene which fully restores the fertility of each parent plant, the gene being expressed by the application to the plant of an external chemical inducer thereby allowing each parent to self-pollinate.

Abstract: The present invention provides inter alia, a polynucleotide comprising at least a first region encoding a first protein capable of conferring on a plant, or tissue comprising it, resistance or tolerance to a first herbicide, and a second region encoding a second protein likewise capable of conferring resistance to a second herbicide, with the provisos (i) that the polynucleotide does not encode a fusion protein comprising only a 5-enol-pyruvyl-3-phosphoshikimate synthetase (EPSPS) and a glutathione S transferase (GST); (ii) that the polynucleotide does not comprise only regions encoding superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S transferase (GST), and (iii) that the polynucleotide does not comprise only regions encoding GST and phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (PAT).

Abstract: The biosynthesis of lignin in plants is regulated by insertion into the plant genome by altering the plant's ability to synthesise the enzyme O-methyl transferase, an enzyme involved in the lignin biosynthetic pathway. Production of O-methyl-transferase may be enhanced by insertion into the plant genome by transformation of one or more additional copies of the O-methyl-transferase gene or production may be inhibited by insertion of a gene encoding anti-sense mRNA directed against the mRNA encoded by the endogenous O-methyl-transferase gene.