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 disclosure provides compositions and methods for the editing or mutating of specific subtypes of GA20 oxidase genes and specific zygosity combinations of those edits or mutations. Modified plants, and plant parts and cells thereof, having mutations reducing the expression or activity of GA20 oxidase genes are further provided with improved characteristics, such as reduced plant height and increased lodging resistance, but without off-types. Methods are further provided for making modified plants, and plant parts and cells thereof, having one or more mutations in specific subtypes of GA20 oxidase genes.

Methods for improving the efficiency and productivity of hybrid corn seed production are provided herein. Various methods to improve the transfer of pollen from male corn plants to female corn plants, and thus increase yield, are provided herein. Without being limiting, these methods include varying the height of male and female corn plants in a field, as well as varying the number, arrangement, and ratio of male-to-female rows in a field.

The present invention discloses a method for increasing the sensitivity of a plant to a gibberellin inhibitor. The method for increasing the sensitivity of a plant to a gibberellin inhibitor provided by the present invention comprises the step of introducing an encoding gene of a protein into a recipient plant to obtain a transgenic plant; the transgenic plant has increased sensitivity to the gibberellin inhibitor compared to the recipient plant; the protein is a protein of the following a) or b) or c): a) a protein whose amino acid sequence is set forth in positions 1-821 of SEQ ID NO: 1: b) a protein whose amino acid sequence is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1; c) a fusion protein obtained by attaching tag(s) to the N-terminus or/and C-terminus of a) or b). The experiments prove that the method for increasing the sensitivity of a plant to a gibberellin inhibitor of the present invention can be used to increase the sensitivity of plants to gibberellin inhibitors, and the plant height of plants can be regulated by the plant height-related protein HRP of the present invention.

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 fresh weight, ear area, ear volume, ear diameter, ear length, ear tip void, number of kernels per ear, single kernel weight, and yield. The modified, transgenic, or genome edited/mutated corn plants comprise a transgene encoding one or more glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) polypeptides 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.

Methods for improving the efficiency and productivity of hybrid corn seed production are provided herein. Various methods to improve the transfer of pollen from male corn plants to female corn plants, and thus increase yield, are provided herein. Without being limiting, these methods include varying the height of male and female corn plants in a field, as well as varying the number, arrangement, and ratio of male-to-female rows in a field.

The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for generating dominant alleles using targeted editing techniques. Also provided are modified chromosomes, cells, tissues, and plants comprising modified dominant allele.

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.

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 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.