Disclosed are modified plants and methods for producing modified plants having a modified 5-untranslated region of small auxin upregulated protein flooding tolerance (SAUR_FT) gene. Modified plants disclosed herein have at least one of an increased root system architecture, an increased waterlogging tolerance, an increased drought tolerance, and combinations thereof.

The invention provides methods and compositions for identifying transgenic seed that contain a transgene of interest, but lack a marker gene. Use of an identification sequence that results in a detectable phenotype increases the efficiency of screening for seed and plants in which transgene sequences not linked to a gene of interest have segregated from the sequence encoding a gene of interest.

Disclosed are modified plants and methods for producing modified plants having a modified 5-untranslated region of small auxin upregulated protein flooding tolerance (SAUR_FT) gene. Modified plants disclosed herein have at least one of an increased root system architecture, an increased waterlogging tolerance, an increased drought tolerance, and combinations thereof.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for enhancing plant performance by identifying and manipulating the expression of plant genes involved in UV-B mediated improvements to hardiness and growth. Some aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for identifying plant novel genes responsive to light stimulation. Some aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for identifying transgenic plants improved so as to present desired agronomic traits associated with UV-B light stimulation. Some aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for modulating plant sensitivity to light for enhancing plant performance or a desired agronomic trait. Some aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for generating stable transgenic plants that exhibit a desired agronomic trait.

The invention provides methods and compositions for identifying transgenic seed that contain a transgene of interest, but lack a marker gene. Use of an identification sequence that results in a detectable phenotype increases the efficiency of screening for seed and plants in which transgene sequences not linked to a gene of interest have segregated from the sequence encoding a gene of interest.

The present disclosure provides the identification of genes involved in sucker growth in tobacco. Also provided are promoters that are preferentially active in tobacco axillary buds. Also provided are modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth.

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 poypeptide in the plant, and selecting plants with altered the expression, or activity, of an ARF3 poypeptide. 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.

Disclosed are rootstock plants, and methods of producing the rootstock plants, characterized by improved grafting success, enhanced root growth and other performance parameters.

Disclosed herein are methods of altering tissue succulence in plants. In some examples, a disclosed method includes overexpressing a modified helix-loop-helix transcription factor CEB1 in a plant cell, thereby altering plant succulence. The disclosed methods can be used to improve the drought and salinity tolerance of plants, such as in plants in arid or saline environments, and also enhance the ability of plants to perform. Also disclosed are CEB1 nucleic acids and transgenic plants containing such nucleic acids.

Providing an auxin derivative that can exert its intended effect more efficiently, while reducing any unintended effects. A compound represented by the General Formula (1) having a specific substituent at the 5- and/or 6-position of the auxin indole ring.