A TMV resistant tobacco plant containing a short N introgressed segment and a method for breeding the same. A homozygous tobacco plant containing an N introgressed segment is hybridized with a tobacco plant of genotype nn to obtain an F1 progeny tobacco plant of genotype Nn. The F1 progeny tobacco plant is hybridized with the tobacco plant of genotype nn, to obtain population materials for screening to obtain the short N introgressed segment. TMV is inoculated at a seedling stage, and Nn genotype plants showing necrotic lesion are obtained by screening the population materials. The Nn genotype plants are genotyped using a molecular marker TN5.51 primer pair and an N gene-specific molecular marker N1N2 at the right end of the N introgressed segment. A plant found to be negative when tested by the TN5.51 primer pair and to be positive when tested by the N1N2 molecular marker is a plant comprising the short N introgressed segment. The size of non-target genomic components deleted from plants containing the short N introgressed segment is estimated using TN5.34 and TN5.20 and TN4.99 primer pairs. The obtained short N introgressed segment is applicable to germplasma innovation and breeding of TMV resistant tobacco. The invention is helps to reduce linkage drag with the N gene.

Compositions and methods useful in identifying and selecting maize plants with increased ear weight and yield are provided herein. The methods use molecular genetic markers to identify and/or select maize plants with increased ear weight and increased yield or to identify and counter-select maize plants with decreased ear weight and decreased yield.

Soybean plants, germplasm and seed comprising at least one native locus conferring improved Carlavirus tolerance, molecular markers useful for identifying and, optionally, selecting soybean plants displaying tolerance, improved tolerance, or susceptibility to Carlavirus, and methods of their use are provided. Also provided are isolated polynucleotides, probes, kits, systems, and the like, useful for carrying out the methods described herein.

The present invention relates to the field of plant breeding and disease resistance. More specifically, the invention includes a method for breeding corn plants containing quantitative trait loci that are associated with diplodia ear rot (DER), a fungal disease associated with Stenocarpella spp. The invention further includes germplasm and the use of germplasm containing quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring resistance for introgression into elite germplasm in a breeding program for resistance to DER.

Disclosed are methods of obtaining clonal seeds, methods of plant cloning, methods of screening for maternal plants that produce clonal seeds asexually and methods of increasing yield of clonal seeds. Also disclosed are constructs comprising a nucleic acid that may silence the activity of a RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway gene. Further disclosed are maternal plants comprising a construct wherein the construct comprises an exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the construct renders the maternal plant defective for RNA-dependent DNA methylation.

A new stevia variety is characterized by remarkably high levels of Rebaudioside C (RC), and developed by the use of non-GMO selective breeding technologies and wherein such variety is uniquely identified by RAPD gene analysis, and comprises from about 3-8% by weight RC in the leaf (leaf content) and from about 10-13% total steviol glycosides content (TSG) in in leaf (leaf content), both of which are exceptionally high.

The present invention relates to plants, such as maize, Sorghum or sugar cane, having improved digestibility, in particular improved stover digestibility. The present invention relates to a QTL allele associated with improved digestibility and specific marker alleles associated with the QTL allele. The present invention further relates to such plants, wherein the F35H gene is mutated or wherein F35H expression is altered. The invention also relates to methods for identifying plants having improved digestibility and methods for obtaining such plants.

The invention relates to methods and compositions for identifying soybean plants that are tolerant, have improved tolerance or are susceptible to Fusarium solani infection (the causative agent of sudden death syndrome or SDS). The methods use molecular genetic markers to identify, select and/or construct disease-tolerant plants or identify and counter-select disease-susceptible plants. Soybean plants that display tolerance or improved tolerance to Fusarium solani infection that are generated by the methods of the invention are also a feature of the invention.

The present invention relates to cultivated cucumber plants comprising a yield QTL on chromosome 2 and/or chromosome 6 of their genome.

The present invention relates to cultivated cucumber plants comprising a yield QTL on chromosome 2 of their genome.