Molecular markers useful for identifying, selecting, and/or providing soybean plants displaying tolerance, improved tolerance, or susceptibility to iron deficiency, methods of their use, and compositions having one or more marker loci are provided. Methods comprise detecting at least one marker locus, detecting a haplotype, and/or detecting a marker profile. Methods may further comprise crossing a selected soybean plant with a second soybean plant. Isolated polynucleotides, primers, probes, kits, systems, as well as soybean plants, seeds, and parts thereof are also provided.

Molecular markers useful for identifying, selecting, and/or providing soybean plants displaying tolerance, improved tolerance, or susceptibility to iron deficiency, methods of their use, and compositions having one or more marker loci are provided. Methods comprise detecting at least one marker locus, detecting a haplotype, and/or detecting a marker profile. Methods may further comprise crossing a selected soybean plant with a second soybean plant. Isolated polynucleotides, primers, probes, kits, systems, as well as soybean plants, seeds, and parts thereof are also provided.

Provided is one gene CpRap2 isolated from Carica papaya identified as CpRap2.4b and that includes SEQ. ID NO: 2, as well as the genetic transformation methods for the overexpression of said gene and the obtaining of tolerant non-transgenic plants through grafts. Genetic transformation of plants that overexpress genes CpRap2 and their grafts showed they could survive extreme temperatures up to 12 days for heat and more than 30 days for cold.

Provided are methods of increasing tolerance of a plant to abiotic stress, and/or increasing biomass, growth rate, vigor and/or yield of a plant. The methods are effected by expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% homologous to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:201, 207, 212, 202-206, 208-211, 213-391, 1655, 961-1529, and 1660-1663. Also provided are polynucleotides, nucleic acid constructs, polypeptides and transgenic plants expressing same which can be used to increase tolerance of a plant to abiotic stress, and/or increase biomass, growth rate, vigor and/or yield of a plant.

Provided are methods of increasing tolerance of a plant to abiotic stress, and/or increasing biomass, growth rate, vigor and/or yield of a plant. The methods are effected by expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% homologous to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:201, 207, 212, 202-206, 208-211, 213-391, 1655, 961-1529, and 1660-1663. Also provided are polynucleotides, nucleic acid constructs, polypeptides and transgenic plants expressing same which can be used to increase tolerance of a plant to abiotic stress, and/or increase biomass, growth rate, vigor and/or yield of a plant.

The disclosure relates to improving plant breeding methods by controlling for microbial diversity present in the plant breeding process.

Provided are methods of increasing tolerance of a plant to abiotic stress, and/or increasing biomass, growth rate, vigor and/or yield of a plant. The methods are effected by expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% homologous to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:201, 207, 212, 202-206, 208-211, 213-391, 1655, 961-1529, and 1660-1663. Also provided are polynucleotides, nucleic acid constructs, polypeptides and transgenic plants expressing same which can be used to increase tolerance of a plant to abiotic stress, and/or increase biomass, growth rate, vigor and/or yield of a plant.

One embodiment relates to markers that are associated with resistance to Iron Deficiency Chlorosis in soybean and which can be used for producing soybean lines with improved resistance to Iron Deficiency Chlorosis. Another embodiment relates to methods and compositions for identifying, selecting and/or producing a soybean plant or germplasm having resistance to Iron Deficiency Chlorosis using genetic markers and the markers themselves. Further embodiments, include selecting and/or producing a soybean plant or germplasm having resistance to Iron Deficiency Chlorosis by any of the methods disclosed herein, are also provided.