The present disclosure provides modified, transgenic, or genome edited/mutated corn plants that are semi-dwarf and have one or more improved ear traits relative to a control plant, such as increase in ear area, increased single kernel weight, increased ear fresh weight, increased number of florets, and mitigated flowering delay. The modified, transgenic, or genome edited/mutated corn plants comprise a transgene encoding one or more CONSTANS (CO) or CONSTANS-like (COL) polypeptide and have a reduced expression of one or more GA20 or GA3 oxidase genes. Also provided are methods for producing the modified, transgenic, or genome edited/mutated corn plants.

The invention provides a methods and materials for producing and selecting plants with at least one dwarfing-associated phenotype. The methods and materials relate to altering the expression, or activity, of an ARF3 polypeptide in the plant, and selecting plants with altered the expression, or activity, of an ARF3 polypeptide. The invention also provides plants produced or selected by the methods. The methods also involve crossing plants of the invention with other plants to produce further plants with at least one dwarfing-associated phenotype.

A method for promoting expression of a foreign gene in a plant includes: constructing a recombinant vector including a full-length soybean gene promoter pEIF1 or an intron-including soybean gene promoter pEIF1-I, and introducing the recombinant vector into the plant; the full-length promoter pEIF1 being represented by SEQ ID NO: 5, and the intron-including promoter pEIF1-I being represented by SEQ ID NO: 6.

Plant cells and related systems, methods, and compositions for improving the capacity of the plant cells to regenerate embryogenic plant tissues, plant organs, and whole plants are provided. Such plant cells and related systems, methods, and compositions provide for increased expression of the endogenous morphoregulators BABYBOOM (ODP2) and/or WUSCHEL2 (WUS2).

The present disclosure relates to a rice PAL1 gene, an encoding protein and use thereof. The rice PAL1 gene has the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO. 1, and the rice PAL1 protein has the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO. 4. Mutation of the gene leads to reduction of rice plant height and panicle length, while decreasing the number of primary branches, secondary branches and grains per panicle. It is found that the PAL1 gene can restore a mutant panicle type to a normal phenotype. The present disclosure provides a PAL1 gene functioning as a regulator of the rice panicle length and an encoding protein thereof. A rice panicle type is an important trait influencing rice yield. Therefore, it will be desired to directionally design a plant type and improve the rice yield by regulating panicle traits of rice with the PAL1 gene.

Compositions and methods for reducing the level of nornicotine and N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in tobacco plants and plant parts thereof are provided. The compositions comprise isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides for a root-specific nicotine demethylases, CYP82E10, and variants thereof, that are involved in the metabolic conversion of nicotine to nornicotine in these plants. Compositions of the invention also include tobacco plants, or plant parts thereof, comprising a mutation in a gene encoding a CYP82E10 nicotine demethylase, wherein the mutation results in reduced expression or function of the CYP82E10 nicotine demethylase. Seed of these tobacco plants, or progeny thereof, and tobacco products prepared from the tobacco plants of the invention, or from plant parts or progeny thereof, are also provided. Methods for reducing the level of nornicotine, or reducing the rate of conversion of nicotine to nornicotine, in a tobacco plant, or plant part thereof are also provided. The methods comprise introducing into the genome of a tobacco plant a mutation within at least one allele of each of at least three nicotine demethylase genes, wherein the mutation reduces expression of the nicotine demethylase gene, and wherein a first of these nicotine demethylase genes encodes a root-specific nicotine demethylase involved in the metabolic conversion of nicotine to nornicotine in a tobacco plant or a plant part thereof. The methods find use in the production of tobacco products that have reduced levels of nornicotine and its carcinogenic metabolite, NNN, and thus reduced carcinogenic potential for individuals consuming these tobacco products or exposed to secondary smoke derived from these products.

This disclosure concerns compositions and methods for promoting transcription of a nucleotide sequence in a plant or plant cell, employing a promoter from a GmCAB2 gene. Some embodiments relate to a promoter or a 5′ UTR from a GmCAB2 gene that functions in plants to promote transcription of operably linked nucleotide sequences. Other embodiments relate to a 3′ UTR or a terminator from a GmCAB2 gene that functions in plants to promote transcription of operably linked nucleotide sequences.

Plant cells and related systems, methods, and compositions for improving the capacity of the plant cells to regenerate embryogenic plant tissues, plant organs, and whole plants are provided. Such plant cells and related systems, methods, and compositions provide for increased expression of the endogenous morphoregulators BABYBOOM (ODP2) and/or WUSCHEL2 (WUS2).

The present invention provides compositions and methods for generating transgenic plants with increased plant growth and improved multiple yield-related traits, which comprise vascular xylem tissue-targeting overexpression of transcription factors (TFs) involved in vascular xylem cell development.

A method of decreasing conversion of nicotine to nornicotine is provided herein. The methods includes administering at least one basic region/leucine zipper (bZIP) type transcription factor inhibitor to an organism in need thereof. Also provided herein is a method of decreasing conversion of nicotine to nornicotine including mutating a bZIP type transcription factor binding site on a promoter of a nicotine N-demethylase (NND). Further provided herein is a method of decreasing conversion of nicotine to nornicotine including mutating a plant genome to knockout at least one bZIP type transcription factor.