The present invention provides methods and compositions which deliver
Agrobacterium via microinjection directly into the embryo sac. At the
time of injection, the embryo sac can comprise an egg cell, or
alternatively, the embryo sac can be fertilized and comprise either a
zygote or an embryo. Once inside the embryo sac, the Agrobacterium
harboring a T-DNA having a polynucleotide of interest can express of the
polynucleotide of interest in the plant. Further, the Agrobacterium can
transfer the T-DNA having the polynucleotide of interest to the plant
nucleus to produce a transformed plant. The polynucleotide of interest
may be stably integrated into the genome of the egg cell, zygote, embryo,
or endosperm, and any tissue, plant part, and/or plant generated
therefrom.