| abstract |
A method of maintaining sterility in plants is disclosed. The method comprises genetic transformation of parental plant lines with a sterility gene that is genetically linked to a resistance gene which confers resistance to a selective agent, increasing the transgenic parental line and coating the seed of the increased transgenic parental line with a composition comprising the selective agent to which the resistance gene confers resistance. The resistance gene can be under the control of an inducible gene, or, alternatively, under the control of constitutive or tissue specific, including seed-specific, promoters. |