Provided are constructs and methods for expressing multiple genes in plant cells and/or plant tissues. The constructs provided comprise at least one bi-directional promoter linked to multiple gene expression cassettes, wherein the bi-directional promoter comprises a functional promoter nucleotide sequence from Sugar Cane Bacilliform Virus promoter. In some embodiments, the constructs and methods provided employs a bi-directional promoter based on a minimal core promoter element from a Zea mays Ubiquitin-1 gene, or a functional equivalent thereof, and nucleotide sequence elements from a Sugar Cane Bacilliform Virus promoter. In some embodiments, the constructs and methods provided allow expression of genes between three and twenty.
