This invention relates to compositions and methods for modifying Homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors that regulate floret fertility, seed number, and/or seed weight in plants. The invention further relates to plants produced using the methods and compositions of the invention.

Recombinant constructs and methods useful for improvement of plants are provided. In particular, recombinant constructs comprising promoters functional in plant cells positioned for expression of polynucleotides encoding polypeptides from microbial sources are provided. The disclosed constructs and methods find use in production of transgenic plants to provide plants, particularly crop plants, having improved properties.

This invention provides transgenic plant cells with recombinant DNA for expression of proteins that are useful for imparting enhanced agronomic trait(s) to transgenic crop plants. This invention also provides transgenic plants and progeny seed comprising the transgenic plant cells where the plants are selected for having an enhanced trait selected from the group of traits consisting of enhanced water use efficiency, enhanced cold tolerance, increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency, enhanced seed protein and enhanced seed oil. Also disclosed are methods for manufacturing transgenic seed and plants with enhanced traits.

A fusion chimeric protein is described herein that can assemble a functional carboxysome core, which is able to fix carbon by taking atmospheric carbon dioxide and converting it into useful carbon-containing compounds such as 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA).

Described herein are expression cassettes, plant cells, plant seeds, plants, and methods useful for improving the glucan content and growth of plants.

Methods and materials for modulating biomass composition in plants are disclosed. For example, nucleic acids encoding biomass composition-modulating polypeptides are disclosed as well as methods for using such nucleic acids to transform plant cells. Also disclosed are plants having altered biomass composition and plant products produced from plants having altered biomass composition.

The present invention relates to OsNF-YA5 gene from Oryza sativa for increasing nitrogen availability of plant and uses thereof. Since the OsNF-YA5 gene of the present invention can increase or improve nitrogen availability of a plant, it can be advantageously used for developing a plant which enables lesser consumption of nitrogen fertilizer while maintaining the same plant yield, i.e., an environment friendly plant with lower production cost.

The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for altering gibberellin (GA) content in corn or other cereal plants. Methods and compositions are also provided for altering the expression of genes related to gibberellin biosynthesis through suppression, mutagenesis and/or editing of specific subtypes of GA20 or GA3 oxidase genes. Modified plant cells and plants having a suppression element or mutation reducing the expression or activity of a GA oxidase gene are further provided comprising reduced gibberellin levels and improved characteristics, such as reduced plant height and increased lodging resistance, but without off-types.

The invention relates to a modified PIN4 gene, the wild type of which is as identified in SEQ ID No. 1, encoding the protein of SEQ ID No. 5, or the wild type of which encodes a protein that has a sequence similarity of at least 80% to SEQ ID No. 5, which modified PIN4 gene encodes a protein that comprises an amino acid change as a result of the modification, and which modified protein is capable of inducing parthenocarpic fruit set when present in a plant. The invention also relates to plants and fruits that carry the gene. Such plants are capable of parthenocarpic fruit set and the fruits do not contain seeds. The invention further relates to use of the gene in breeding and producing plants capable of parthenocarpic fruit set.

Present invention discloses plants and plant cells comprising Streptomyces thermoautotrophicus nitrogenase and capable able of nitrogen fixation. Methods to generate said plants and plant cells are disclosed. This invention is instrumental for producing plants, including agriculturally important crops, with reduced or abolished requirements for nitrogen fertilizer.