Fuente: WIPO "biotechnology" Methods for increasing the biomass of a plant and levels of a cell protectant in a plant, such as sucrose or proline, or plant cell are provided. The methods comprise altering expression levels of a polynucleotide comprising a sequence encoding a C-repeat/DRE binding factor (CBF)-related polypeptide in a plant and identifying plants so altered.. These methods may be used to enhance yield, or cold, freezing, drought, and high salt tolerance of a plant or plant cell.