Provided are methods and mRNA expression chips for identifying genes that are defined by certain nitrogen and water content relationships in soil. The genes can be up or down regulated under low nitrogen or arid conditions to increase the yield or biomass of crops.

Rhizobial infection is the key process for initiating symbiotic nitrogen-fixing root nodules in legumes, which requires specific recognition of signal molecules produced by the bacteria and their hosts. Here, it is established that rhizobial tRNA-derived small RNA fragments (tRFs) are crucial signal molecules modulating host nodulation, which uncovers a bacterial small RNA-mediated mechanism for prokaryote-eukaryote interaction. Transgenic plants are also provided that express a construct encoding rhizobial-derived tRNA, which is subsequently cleaved to produce artificial tRFs. Constructs and methods of producing the same are also provided, as well as modifications for repressing a mechanism for the negative regulation of nodulation present within plants.

Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides, and recombinant DNA constructs are useful for conferring improved nitrogen stress tolerance or NUE and yield. Compositions (such as plants or seeds) comprise these recombinant DNA constructs; and methods utilize these recombinant DNA constructs. The recombinant DNA constructs comprise a polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter that is functional in a plant, wherein said polynucleotides encode nitrogen stress tolerance polypeptides.

Provided are suppression DNA constructs and CRISPR/Cas9 DNA constructs are useful for conferring improved drought tolerance, yield, and/or nitrogen stress tolerance. Compositions (such as plants or seeds) comprising these constructs; and methods utilize these constructs.

Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides, and recombinant DNA constructs are useful for conferring improved drought tolerance and yield. Compositions (such as plants or seeds) comprise these recombinant DNA constructs; and methods utilize these recombinant DNA constructs. The recombinant DNA constructs comprise a polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter that is functional in a plant, wherein said polynucleotides encode drought tolerance polypeptides.

Corn plants exhibiting broad-spectrum resistance to Exserohilum turcicum are provided, together with methods of producing, identifying, or selecting plants or germplasm with a Exserohilum turcicum resistance phenotype. Such plants include sweet corn plants as well as agronomically elite dent corn plants comprising introgressed genomic regions conferring disease resistance. Compositions, including novel polymorphic markers and methods for producing, breeding, identifying, and selecting plants or germplasm with a disease resistance phenotype are further provided.

Methods and compositions of improving plant yield by introducing into a plant the K-domain of a MADS box gene are disclosed. The expression of the K-domain provides plants with altered flower development, plant size and leaf development.

This invention relates to compositions and methods for improving/enhancing yield traits by modifying cytokinin oxidase (CKX) levels in a plant. The invention further relates to plants produced using the methods and compositions of the invention.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to genetically altered plants having a heterologous EPR3 or EPR3-like polypeptide or a modified EPR3 or EPR3-like polypeptide and/or having a heterologous EPR3a or EPR3a-like polypeptide or a modified EPR3a or EPR3a-like polypeptide, wherein the EPR3 or EPR3-like polypeptide and/or the EPR3a or EPR3a-like polypeptide provide increased selectivity for a beneficial commensal microbe as compared to a wild-type plant under the same conditions. Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods of making such plants as well as cultivating these genetically altered plants. Additional aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods of identifying a beneficial commensal microbe capable of interacting with a plant root microbiota.

Provided are isolated polynucleotides at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NOs: 1-479, 813-5173, 8511, 8513, 8515, 8517, 8519, 8521, 8523, 9096-9141 and 9142; and isolated polypeptides at least 80% homologous to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 624, 480-623, 625-812, 5174-7015, 7017-7021, 7024, 7026-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, 9143-9177, such as the polypeptides set forth in SEQ ID NO:480-812, 5174-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, and 9143-9177, nucleic acid constructs comprising same, transgenic cells and plants expressing same and methods of using same for increasing yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant.