Polynucleotides, polypeptides encoded thereby, and methods of using same for increasing abiotic stress tolerance, biomass and/or yield in plants expressing same

A method of increasing abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant, comprising:

• (a) expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence as set forth by SEQ ID NO:
• 92, or a homologous polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 99% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 92, and
• (b) selecting the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide for an increased abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, and/or nitrogen use efficiency as compared to a control plant devoid of said exogenous polynucleotide of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions,
• wherein said abiotic stress is nitrogen deficiency,
• thereby increasing the abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of the plant as compared to said control plant devoid of said exogenous polynucleotide of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions.