Methods and materials for increasing abiotic stress tolerance in plants are disclosed. For example, nucleic acids encoding abiotic stress tolerance-increasing polypeptides are disclosed as well as methods for using such nucleic acids to transform plant cells. Also disclosed are plants having increased tolerance to abiotic stress and methods of increasing plant yield under abiotic stress conditions.

Nano-sized delivery vehicles utilize carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for the generic, targeted and passive transport of biomolecules into plant cells. Plant cells are transfected by adsorbing a charged biomolecular cargo on carbon nanotubes by electrostatic grafting or by dialysis-based pi-pi stacking grafting or by probe-tip sonication of complementary nucleic acid strands; and introducing into the cell the cargo-adsorbed nanotubes.

The present invention relates to excision of explant material comprising meristematic tissue from seeds, and storage of such material prior to subsequent use in plant tissue culture and genetic transformation. Methods for tissue preparation, storage, and transformation are disclosed, as is transformable meristem tissue produced by such methods, and apparati for tissue preparation.

A method of increasing yield of a domesticated Prunus dulcis plant is provided. Also provided is a method of increasing stem photosynthetic capability (SPC) and a method of identifying a donor plant for use in a breeding program of Prunus dulcis. Provided are domesticated Prunus dulcis with enhanced agricultural traits.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for targeted insertion of polynucleotide molecules into ideal target sites in the genome of a maize plant. The present invention relates to maize recombinant molecules comprising heterologous sequences and also to methods of integrating a DNA of interest into a target maize genomic locus in a maize genome. The present invention also relates to regenerated maize plants or plant parts comprising the recombinant molecules and/or a DNA of interest.

The present invention relates to excision of explant material comprising meristematic tissue from cotton seeds. Methods for tissue preparation, storage, transformation, and selection or identification of transformed plants are disclosed, as are transformable meristem tissues and plants produced by such methods, and apparati for tissue preparation.

The invention relates to methods for improving abiotic stress tolerance (and/or yield) in plants, including enhanced drought tolerance. It discloses nucleic acid constructs comprising the isolated polynucleotides, transgenic plants expressing the same, and methods of using the same for increasing abiotic stress tolerance (and/or yield).

Transgenic INIR20 soybean plants comprising modifications of the MON87701 soybean locus which provide for facile excision of the modified MON87701 transgenic locus or portions thereof, methods of making such plants, and use of such plants to facilitate breeding are disclosed.

The present invention relates to the use of Argonaute systems in plants for genome engineering, and compositions used in such methods.

Transgenic INIR19 soybean plants comprising modifications of the DAS81419 soybean locus which provide for facile excision of the modified DAS81419 transgenic locus or portions thereof, methods of making such plants, and use of such plants to facilitate breeding are disclosed.