Patent ID: 7868224

Claim:
A method for improving performance of a plant grown in high population density conditions, comprising (1) transforming a plant cell with a construct comprising an ELF3 polynucleotide; and (2) regenerating a plant from said transformed cell wherein the ELF3 polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of: (a) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2; (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3; (c) a nucleotide sequence which is at least 95% identical to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:2; and (d) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide with an amino acid sequence which is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:3, wherein expression of the nucleotide sequence in a plant results in greater leaf length and/or greater leaf number at flowering when grown under high population density compared to a plant not transformed with said nucleotide sequence and grown under the same conditions.