Patent ID: 8273952

Claim:
A method for improving a plant growth characteristic relative to a corresponding control plant comprising: (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; and (b) selecting for a plant having an improved growth characteristic relative to a corresponding control plant.