Methods and compositions for the increase of yield in plants

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for increasing yield in plants by introducing a gene encoding phosphinothricin acetyltransferase. The invention further involves a method of transferring said increased yield phenotype to other lines of plants by crossing. A maize transformant is identified in which the phosphinothricin acetyltransferase gene integration event is correlated with increased yield.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of providing a transformed plant line having an increased yield relative to a starting plant line, comprising introducing into a starting plant line a gene encoding phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) to produce PAT transformed plants, and selecting therefrom a PAT transformed plant having an increased yield relative to the starting plant line.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the PAT gene is introduced into the starting plant line by crossing said starting line with a donor plant line that comprises the PAT gene.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said plant is  Zea mays.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising preparing seed from a plant of the selected transformed line, wherein said seed contains the PAT gene.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising preparing progeny from a plant of the selected transformed line, wherein said progeny contains the PAT gene.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising preparing seed from the prepared progeny, wherein said seed contains the PAT gene.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein one of said progeny is bred with a non-transgenic maize plant to prepare a bred plant, wherein said bred plant contains the PAT gene.  
     
     
         8 . The method of either of  claim 7 , further comprising preparing seed from the bred plant, wherein said seed contains the PAT gene.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein one of said progeny is bred with another transgenic maize plant to prepare a bred plant, wherein said bred plant contains the PAT gene.  
     
     
         10 . The method of either of  claim 9 , further comprising preparing seed from the bred plant, wherein said seed contains the PAT gene.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant contains a bar gene.  
     
     
         12 . A transformed maize plant prepared by the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         13 . The transformed maize plant of  claim 12 , designated B16.  
     
     
         14 . Progeny of the plant of  claim 13 .  
     
     
         15 . Seed of the plant of  claim 13 .  
     
     
         16 . Seed of the plant of  claim 14 .  
     
     
         17 . A method of preparing a PAT gene integration event DNA segment comprising the steps of: 
 (a) identifying a plant containing a transgenic PAT gene;    (b) preparing a genomic library from said identified plant; and    (c) screening said library to identify a genomic clone comprising the PAT gene and adjacent plant genomic DNA.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of: 
 (a) identifying a plant DNA sequence flanking an integrated PAT gene;    (b) preparing a genomic DNA library from an untransformed plant; and    (c) screening said library to identify a DNA clone comprising the plant DNA sequence into which the PAT gene was integrated.    
     
     
         19 . A DNA segment prepared in accordance with  claim 17.