Plants having improved growth characteristics and method for making the same

A process for improving a plant growth characteristic relative to a corresponding control plant, which comprises:

• (a) introducing into a plant at least one nucleic acid sequence which encodes a cyclin dependent kinase (CDK), wherein the at least one nucleic acid sequence comprises a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
• i) the isolated nucleic acid molecule of SEQ ID NO:
• 45;
• ii) an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 46;
• iii) an isolated nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide which has at least 80% identity with the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide encoded by the nucleic acid molecule of (i) or (ii) and which comprises the DLL(Q/N/S/R)(K/Q/R)(L/M)(L/F)(I/T/I/C)(F/Y/L)DP (T/E/D/R/S)(K/Q)RI motif of SEQ ID NO:
• 67;
• and
• iv) an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a homologue of the amino acid molecule of SEQ ID NO:
• 46, which homologue is of plant origin and comprises the DLL(Q/N/S/R)(K/Q/R)(L/M)(L/F)(I/T/I/C)(F/Y/L)DP(T/E/D/R/S)(K/Q)RI motif of SEQ ID NO:
• 67;
• (b) selecting for a plant having an improved growth characteristic relative to a corresponding control plant;
• and
• (c) cultivating the plant under conditions enabling plant growth and development.

An expression cassette comprising:

• (i) an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of:
• a) the isolated nucleic acid molecule of SEQ ID NO:
• 45;
• b) an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 46;
• c) an isolated nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide which has at least 80% identity with the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide encoded by the nucleic acid molecule of (i) or (ii) and which comprises the DLL(Q/N/S/R)(K/Q/R)(L/M)(L/F)(I/T/I/C)(F/Y/L)DP (T/E/D/R/S)(K/Q)RI motif of SEQ ID NO:
• 67;
• and
• d) an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a homologue of the amino acid molecule of SEQ ID NO:
• 46, which homologue is of plant origin and comprises the-DLL(Q/N/S/R)(K/Q/R)(L/M)(L/F)(I/T/I/C)(F/Y/L)DP (T/E/D/R/S)(K/Q)RI motif of SEQ ID NO:
• 67;
• and
• ii) a plant regulatory signal,
• wherein expression of the expression cassette in a plant increases yield.