United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

John J Burke

Melvin John Oliver

Zhanguo Xin

Doreen Ware

Gloria B Burow

Yinping Jiao

Jeffrey P Velten

Chad M Hayes

James R Mahan

Donald F Wanjura

Dan R Upchurch

Patrick J O'Mahony

Melvin J Oliver

The present disclosure provides nucleic acids that confer a multi-seeded phenotype when expressed in plants and uses thereof.

Sorghum yield enhancement gene

Genetically altered sorghum plants expressing the multi-seeded #2 phenotype contain one of two genomic alterations in the Sb06g018040 gene which result in reduced activity of the encoded protein, a class II 13-lipoxygenase. This phenotype and genotype are referred to as msd2. These alterations result in increased number of seeds and seed weight, thus increasing the yield of the genetically altered plant. These alterations can be generated in the ortholog genes in maize (TS1), rice, barley, and other monocot plants, generating the MSD2 phenotype. The seeds of one particular MSD2has been deposited with ATCC and assigned Accession Number PTA-121634.

Mutant sorghum bicolor having enhanced seed yield

The water-deficit stress of plants or crops is managed using plant temperatures to maximize product quality. The temperature of the target plant is repeatedly measured over a period of interest, and after each measurement, the plant temperature is compared with a predetermined plant setpoint temperature associated with a desired water-deficit stress level, above which temperature the plant is deemed to be in an undesired metabolic state. If the measured plant temperature is greater than the setpoint temperature, and humidity is not restrictive to plant cooling, then irrigation can be triggered to retain the plant within the desired stressed level, as determined by the temperature of the plant. By this method, irrigation can be withheld to increase plant temperature or applied to reduce plant temperature. The temperature of the plant is thus continuously increased and decreased relative to a desired temperature value that is indicative of a desired water-deficit stress.

Active management of plant canopy temperature as a tool for modifying plant metabolic activity

The growth and development of cotton is enhanced by an application of relatively low concentrations of a cytokinin to cotton seed or to a growing cotton plant at a stage of growth between the cotyledon stage and the six-leaf stage. Application of the cytokinins is effective to elicit one or more effects in the resultant plant including reduced apical dominance, increased rate of development of fruiting branches, decreased time to first bloom, increased number of cotton squares formed, thickening of the hypocotyl, reduced rate of leaf wilting, reduced water usage, and increased root development.

Cytokinin enhancement of cotton

Transgenic cells may be selected using temperature sensitive marker proteins. In this method, a population of host cells are transformed with a foreign DNA construct which includes at least one first nucleic acid coding sequence and a second nucleic acid sequence encoding a temperature sensitive marker protein, wherein each of the first and second nucleic acid coding sequences are operatively linked to gene expression control sequences. Suitable temperature sensitive marker proteins which may be used herein include heat shock proteins, heat shock transcription factors, cold regulated proteins (COR), or cold regulated protein transcription factors. Following transformation, the population of cells are cultured under temperature conditions wherein growth of non-transformed cells is suppressed or prevented while growth of cells transformed with the DNA construct is supported or promoted. Thus, survival and/or significant growth of a cell is an indication that the cell has been successfully transformed with the DNA construct. Those cells are considered presumptively positive transformants, and may be recovered.

Selection procedure for identifying transgenic cells, embryos, and plants without the use of antibiotics

A medium is disclosed that supports pollen germination and pollen tube growth in the presence of Agrobacterium, the medium comprising agarose, sucrose, NO.sub.3, MnSO.sub.4, H.sub.3 BO.sub.3, MgSO.sub.4 and gibberellic acid. A method is disclosed for the genetic transformation of plants and lines by a pollen-based Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The method comprises the steps of obtaining pollen from a first plant, applying a lawn of Agrobacteria to a solid pollen culture medium, the Agrobacterium comprising at least one heterologous gene sequence capable of being transferred to a plant cell, applying the pollen to the solid medium, allowing the pollen to germinate and grow on the medium, whereby the Agrobacterium attaches to the pollen tube or mediates transfer of the heterologous gene sequence to the germinating pollen to obtain transgenic pollen, applying the transgenic pollen to the stigma of a second plant capable of being fertilized by the pollen of the first plant, thereby fertilizing the second plant, obtaining transgenic seed from the second plant and germinating the transgenic seed to obtain a transgenic plant. The method is particularly suited for use with so-called 'dry stigma' pollen.

Pollen-based transformation system using solid media

A process and device for managing irrigation of plants or crops using crop canopy temperate measurements by use of a specific time threshold. In this process, the canopy temperature of the target plant is repeatedly measured with an infrared thermometer. After each measurement, the canopy temperature is compared with a predetermined threshold canopy temperature, above which temperature the plant is thermally stressed. If the measured canopy temperature is less than or equal to the threshold canopy temperature, or if the existing humidity is restrictive to plant cooling, then irrigation is not indicated and the canopy temperature measurement is repeated at its designated time. However, if both the measured canopy temperature is greater than the threshold temperature, and the humidity is not restrictive to plant cooling, then an increment of time is added to a time register. The accumulated time in the time register is then compared to the time threshold, a predetermined constant defined as about the mean of the length of time per day that the canopy temperature for the plant, in a well-watered and non-stressed condition, exceeded the threshold canopy temperature in the target geographical area. As long as the accumulated time is substantially less than the time threshold, irrigation is either unnecessary or ineffective to achieve transpirational cooling, and the process is again repeated with measurement of the canopy temperature. However, once the accumulated time exceeds or is approximately equal to the time threshold, transpirational cooling is indicated and an irrigation signal is generated.

Growing community of inventors

Lubbock, TX, United States of America

John J Burke