Patent ID: 8766038

Claim:
A method for stimulating root growth, or for enhancing the formation of lateral or adventitious roots, said method comprising expressing in the plant or plant part an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a plant cytokinin oxidase having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6 ; or having an amino acid sequence which is at least 40% similar to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:6 and comprising the amino acid sequence LTVGGTLSNAGI set forth in SEQ ID NO: 46 or ITVGGTLSNGGI set forth in SEQ ID NO: 47 or LTVGGTLSNGGI set forth in SEQ ID NO:48 or LSVGGTLSNAGI set forth in SEQ ID NO:49, said isolated nucleic acid molecule under the control of a promoter which functions in a plant cell, wherein expression of the isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding the plant cytokinin oxidase is limited to the root or certain tissue or cell type of the root of the plant, and wherein the plant comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding the plant cytokinin oxidase under the control of a promoter which functions in a plant cell exhibits increased root growth, increased formation of lateral roots, or increased formation of adventitious roots, compared to a corresponding wild type plant.