The present invention provides a plant comprising a nucleotide sequence of a (mutant) CYCLOPS gene, wherein said nucleotide sequence comprises at a first position corresponding to position 148-150 of the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID No:1 and/or at a second position corresponding to position 460-462 of the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID No:1 a codon encoding an amino acid mimicking the effects of phosphorylation. Aso, plants are provided which comprise a CYCLOPS protein having at a first position corresponding to position 50 of the amino acid sequence of the CYCLOPS protein shown in SEQ ID No:2 and/or at a second position corresponding to position 154 of the amino acid sequence of the CYCLOPS protein shown in SEQ ID No:2 an amino acid mimicking the effects of phosphorylation. The plant of the present invention are capable of developing root nodules, preferably spontaneously developing nodules, preferably in the absence of rhizobia and/or rhizobial signal molecules.
