Abstract: This disclosure describes transgenic plants engineered for enhanced amounts of fatty acids and triacylglycerols (TAGs) in vegetative tissues. This document describes novel approaches to develop biomass crops, such as Sorghum, for production of vegetative sources of vegetable oils in leaves and stems as alternative renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) feedstocks. A new approach is described for engineering high vegetative oil production that involves expression of variant medium-chain fatty acid acyl-acyl carrier protein (AGP) thioesterases to drive vegetable oil production. This approach has been shown to be effective with two different acyl-ACP thioesterases, and the high oil production is maintained over multiple genetic generations in greenhouse and field cultivation systems.

Abstract: The impact of plastid size change in both monocot and dicot plants has been examined. In both, when plastid size is increased there is an increase in biomass relative to the parental lines. Thus, provided herein are methods for increasing the biomass of a plant, comprising decreasing the expression of at least one plastid division protein in a plant. Optionally, the level of chlorophyll in the plant is also reduced.

Abstract: The impact of plastid size change in both monocot and dicot plants has been examined. In both, when plastid size is increased there is an increase in biomass relative to the parental lines. Thus, provided herein are methods for increasing the biomass of a plant, comprising decreasing the expression of at least one plastid division protein in a plant. Optionally, the level of chlorophyll in the plant is also reduced.

Abstract: The invention provides a modified variant of dicamba monooxygenase (DMO). The invention relates to the unexpected finding that cells expressing this DMO exhibit high levels of tolerance to the herbicide dicamba. Compositions comprising DMO-encoding nucleic acids and methods of use are provided.

Abstract: A Gram-negative bacterium useful for genetically engineering plants is provided. The Gram-negative bacterium contains, as part of genome, an inducible regulatory sequence operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a levansucrase. Alternatively, the Gram-negative bacterium comprises a recombinant nucleic acid construct containing an inducible regulatory sequence operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a levansucrase. Also provided are recombinant nucleic acid constructs comprising an inducible regulatory sequence operatively coupled to a nucleotide sequence encoding a levansucrase and a method for transforming plants using the Gram-negative bacterium of the present invention.