Abstract: Disclosed are methods of obtaining clonal seeds, methods of plant cloning, methods of screening for maternal plants that produce clonal seeds asexually and methods of increasing yield of clonal seeds. Also disclosed are constructs comprising a nucleic acid that may silence the activity of a RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway gene. Further disclosed are maternal plants comprising a construct wherein the construct comprises an exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the construct renders the maternal plant defective for RNA-dependent DNA methylation.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of obtaining clonal seeds, methods of plant cloning, methods of screening for maternal plants that produce clonal seeds asexually and methods of increasing yield of clonal seeds. Also disclosed are constructs comprising a nucleic acid that may silence the activity of a RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway gene. Further disclosed are maternal plants comprising a construct wherein the construct comprises an exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the construct renders the maternal plant defective for RNA-dependent DNA methylation.

Abstract: Methods and compositions used to prevent or decrease reduction, or reduction and recombination, during meiosis in female sporocyte, female gametophytes, or female gametes are described herein. The compositions and methods may include silencing elements and/or use gene-editing technology to decrease or inhibit Nrf4 expression levels or activity. Further provided are compositions and methods for the production of a plant that has ovules comprising non-reduced, or non-reduced and non-recombined, gametes, and/or seeds that contain clonal maternal embryos.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of obtaining clonal seeds, methods of plant cloning, methods of screening for maternal plants that produce clonal seeds asexually and methods of increasing yield of clonal seeds. Also disclosed are constructs comprising a nucleic acid that may silence the activity of a RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway gene. Further disclosed are maternal plants comprising a construct wherein the construct comprises an exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the construct renders the maternal plant defective for RNA-dependent DNA methylation.

Abstract: This invention provides means for altering the harvest index of crop plants by modulating the expression of transgenic genes using dimerization domain and component stacks, thereby modulating plant architecture. The transgene/dimerization domain stacks are provided in a single transformation vector unit and are used to modulate plant growth, yield, and harvest index in plants.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided to increase the activity/level of an RKD polypeptide or an active variant or fragment thereof in an unreduced ovule plant cell that is outside of the embryo sac. In specific embodiments, such modulation of activity/level of the RKD polypeptide promotes an egg cell-like state in an unreduced ovule plant cell that is outside of the embryo sac. Such methods and compositions can employ an expression construct comprising a RKD polypeptide or active variant or fragment thereof operably linked to an ovule tissue-preferred promoter, in particular an ovule tissue-preferred promoter that is active in at least one non-gametophyte tissue in a plant ovule and is active in an unreduced cell that is outside of the embryo sac.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant are provided. Compositions include nucleotide sequences for several Arabidopsis thaliana ovule somatic tissue-preferred promoters AT-CYP86C1, AT-PPM, AT-EXT, AT-GILT1 and AT-TT2. Also provided is a method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using a promoter sequence disclosed herein.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant are provided. Compositions include nucleotide sequences encompasses a strong pollen preferred promoter which drives strong, specific expression of gene products in pollen. Also provided is a method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using a promoter sequence disclosed herein.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for producing a plant population lacking sexually derived embryos are provided. Compositions include suppression cassettes encoding polynucleotides and promoters resulting in parthenogenesis. Further provided are parthenogenesis genetic elements used to prevent sexual reproduction in self-reproducing plants. Methods include: utilizing maternal embryo defective recessive mutations which are maintained as a sterile inbred maintenance system, allowing generation of populations that are homozygous for recessive mutant alleles, but transgenically complemented. Methods include utilizing a toxin genes expressed via egg-cell specific promoters, creating a dominant, embryo-less phenotypes, non-transmittable through female gametes. Resultant hemizygous plants are transformed with egg-cell promoters driving the antidote, a pollen ablation PTU and a seed color marker for identification of transgenic seed.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant are provided. Compositions include nucleotide sequences for several Arabidopsis thaliana ovule somatic tissue-preferred promoters AT-CYP86C1, AT-PPM, AT-EXT, AT-GILT1 and AT-TT2. Also provided is a method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using a promoter sequence disclosed herein.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant are provided. Compositions include promoter sequences with direct expression in an egg cell or embryonic cell-preferred manner. Such compositions find use in, for example, a method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant; detection of specific cell types in the ovule and targeted ablation of specific cell types.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided to increase the activity/level of an RKD polypeptide or an active variant or fragment thereof in an unreduced ovule plant cell that is outside of the embryo sac. In specific embodiments, such modulation of activity/level of the RKD polypeptide promotes an egg cell-like state in an unreduced ovule plant cell that is outside of the embryo sac. Such methods and compositions can employ an expression construct comprising a RKD polypeptide or active variant or fragment thereof operably linked to an ovule tissue-preferred promoter, in particular an ovule tissue-preferred promoter that is active in at least one non-gametophyte tissue in a plant ovule and is active in an unreduced cell that is outside of the embryo sac.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant are provided. Compositions include nucleotide sequences encompasses a strong pollen preferred promoter which drives strong, specific expression of gene products in pollen. Also provided is a method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using a promoter sequence disclosed herein.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant are provided. Compositions include nucleotide sequences for an Arabidopsis thaliana (AT SVL3) promoter. Also provided is a method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using a promoter sequence disclosed herein.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for the production of self-reproducing hybrid plants are provided. Compositions include suppression cassettes encoding polynucleotides and promoters that result in the MiMe diploid gamete phenotype compositions and suppression cassettes and expression cassettes useful for genome elimination of a parental diploid gamete in a fertilized zygote. The methods involve crossing a first plant comprising a first suppression cassette responsible for producing the MiMe diploid gamete phenotype and a first expression cassette expressing an active CENH3 mutant with a second plant comprising a second suppression cassette that reduces the level of wild-type CENH3 and a second expression cassette comprising a polynucleotide expressing CENH3 specifically in the ovule. Self fertilization of the resultant progeny plant results in the elimination of the female diploid genome in the zygote and normal development of the endosperm.

Abstract: The invention provides isolated polynucleotide molecules encoding mutant and wild-type alleles of the maize D9 gene. The invention further provides methods for modifying the growth of plants by decreasing or increasing plant height, altering stem and/or root growth, and involving the use of these isolated polynucleotide molecules, isolated polypeptides and transformed plants, seeds and cells.

Abstract: This invention provides means for altering the harvest index of crop plants by modulating the expression of transgenic genes using dimerization domain and component stacks, thereby modulating plant architecture. The transgene/dimerization domain stacks are provided in a single transformation vector unit and are used to modulate plant growth, yield, and harvest index in plants.

Abstract: The invention provides isolated polynucleotide molecules encoding mutant and wild-type alleles of the maize D9 gene. The invention further provides methods for modifying the growth of plants by decreasing or increasing plant height, altering stem and/or root growth, and involving the use of these isolated polynucleotide molecules, isolated polypeptides, and transformed plants, seeds, and cells.

Abstract: The invention provides isolated polynucleotide molecules encoding mutant and wild-type alleles of the maize D9 gene. The invention further provides methods for modifying the growth of plants by decreasing or increasing plant height, altering stem and/or root growth, and involving the use of these isolated polynucleotide molecules, isolated polypeptides, and transformed plants, seeds, and cells.

Abstract: The invention provides isolated polynucleotide molecules encoding mutant and wild-type alleles of the maize D9 gene. The invention further provides methods for modifying the growth of plants involving the use of these isolated polynucleotide molecules, isolated polypeptides, and transformed plants, seeds, and cells.