Provided are methods for increasing the yield of a monocot plant through treatment of the plant with a plant growth regulator. In certain embodiments, maize plants produce multiple ears and an increased number of kernels. In certain embodiments, reduced height of the plant allows for more efficient self-pollination.

It was found that plants with loss of functional Msi2 protein due to a nucleotide polymorphism resulting in the introduction of a premature stop codon in the Msi2 protein, are able to induce haploid offspring after a cross to or with a wild type plant comprising a functional Msi2 protein. The invention relates to generation of haploid and doubled haploid plants.

It was found that plants with loss of functional Msi2 protein due to a nucleotide polymorphism resulting in the introduction of a premature stop codon in the Msi2 protein, are able to induce haploid offspring after a cross to or with a wild type plant comprising a functional Msi2 protein. The invention relates to generation of haploid and doubled haploid plants.

The present invention generally provides methods to generate plants with high frequency of spontaneous haploid genome doubling for use in doubled haploid production. The invention relates to the BUBR1 nucleic acid and protein sequences identified, which are associated with spontaneous haploid genome doubling.

The present invention generally provides methods to generate plants with high frequency of spontaneous haploid genome doubling for use in doubled haploid production. The invention relates to the BUBR1 nucleic acid and protein sequences identified, which are associated with spontaneous haploid genome doubling.

Disclosed are methods of creating a haploid inducing plant by editing a CENH3 gene of a plant such that the CENH3 gene encodes a CENH3 polypeptide with a two or more contiguous amino acid deletion relative to wild-type CENH3, wherein said haploid inducing plant, when crossed with a second plant, results in haploid progeny. Also provided is a method of creating a haploid inducing plant by editing a CENH3 gene of a plant such that the CENH3 gene encodes a CENH3 polypeptide with a two or more contiguous amino acid insertion relative to wild-type CENH3, wherein said haploid inducing plant, when crossed with a second plant, results in haploid progeny.

The present invention relates to the targeted regulation of gene expression and more specifically to synthetic transcription factors (STFs) comprising at least one highly target specific engineered recognition domain and further comprising at least one activation or silencing domain to modulate the expression of a gene of interest, preferably to modulate the transcription of a morphogenic gene of a eukaryote. Further disclosed are methods using the STFs to enhance transformation frequencies, to optimize successful genome editing approaches, to provide haploid or double haploid organisms, and/or to provide compositions suitable for general transformation, but also for breeding purposes.

Provided are methods for increasing the yield of a monocot plant through treatment of the plant with a plant growth regulator. In certain embodiments, maize plants produce multiple ears and an increased number of kernels. In certain embodiments, reduced height of the plant allows for more efficient self-pollination.

Provided are methods for increasing the yield of a monocot plant through treatment of the plant with a plant growth regulator. In certain embodiments, maize plants produce multiple ears and an increased number of kernels. In certain embodiments, reduced height of the plant allows for more efficient self-pollination.

The invention provides methods for producing seeds in watermelon. In one embodiment methods are provided comprising grafting of a seed parent onto a stress tolerant rootstock, pollinating the seed parent with pollen from a pollen donor, and cultivating the seed parent until seed is formed. In specific embodiments, triploid seeds produced by a method of the invention are rendered conspicuously distinguishable from tetraploid seeds, and thus readily selected manually or by an automated machine. Methods for increasing seed yield and/or quality are also provided.