This invention relates generally to transformed plant cells and plants comprising an inactivated or down-regulated gene resulting in increased tolerance and/or resistance to environmental stress as compared to non-transformed wild type cells and methods of producing such plant cells or plants. This invention further relates generally to transformed plant cells with increased tolerance and/or resistance to an environmental stress as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant cell, methods of producing, screening for and breeding such plant cells or plants and method of detecting stress in plants cells or plants.