Patent ID: 8227666

Claim:
A method for increasing growth and/or yield of a plant under stressed and/or non-stressed conditions, said method comprises: (a) transforming a plant with an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which encodes a maize DRE binding factor 1 (DBF1) protein, wherein said protein comprises SEQ ID NO: 14, and wherein said nucleotide sequence hybridizes to the complementary sequence of the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 under high stringency conditions which comprise hybridization at a temperature of 60° C. followed by washes in 2×saline-sodium citrate buffer, 0.1×sodium dodecyl sulfate solution, 1×saline-sodium citrate buffer, and 0.1×sodium dodecyl sulfate solution; and (b) expressing said protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence in the transformed plant, wherein expression of said protein increases growth and/or yield of the transformed plant under stressed and/or non-stressed conditions as compared to a control plant of the same species lacking said isolated nucleic acid molecule and grown under identical environmental conditions [comprising introducing an isolated polynucleotide, or a vector comprising the isolated polynucleotide, into a plant cell or plant tissue, and expressing the introduced polynucleotide, wherein the polynucleotide encodes a protein comprising PLXXVDAKLQXIC, wherein × is any amino acid (SEQ ID NO: 14) which increases growth and/or yield of the plant under stressed and/or non-stressed conditions relative to the plant where the isolated polynucleotide has not been introduced].