Methods for genetic modification of plants

A method of producing a plant having a desirable agronomic trait comprising:

• crossing a first transgenic plant with a second transgenic plant,
• wherein the first transgenic plant comprises a first nucleic acid molecule comprising an ubiquitously expressing promoter linked to a first transgene encoding at least one gRNA (guide RNA), wherein the gRNA comprises a targeting sequence that hybridizes to a portion of at least one gene, and
• wherein the second transgenic plant comprises a second nucleic acid molecule comprising a reproductive tissue specific promoter operably linked to a second transgene that encodes a Cas enzyme, wherein the reproductive tissue specific promoter is floral meristem promoter selected from the group consisting of:
• a promoter of a Zap1a, Zap1b, ZLF1, ZLF2, or ZMM4 endogenous gene,
• a nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 16, and
• a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 16 or a fragment of SEQ ID NO:16 having the promoter activity of SEQ ID NO:
• 16;
• obtaining one or more progeny plants produced from the crossing;
• and
• selecting a F2 or later progeny plant or a seed thereof having the desirable agronomic trait.