The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for improving various plant growth characteristics by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding 6-PGDH (6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase or 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase) polypeptide. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a 6-PGDH polypeptide, which plants have improved growth characteristics relative to corresponding wild type plants or other control plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in the methods of the invention.Furthermore, the present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for enhancing yield-related traits by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding an Enolase. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding an Enolase, which plants have enhanced yield-related traits relative to corresponding wild type plants or other control plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in the methods of the invention.