Disclosed is a method of identifying plant genes comprising the following steps: Generating an artificial chromosome comprising euchromatic DNA from a first species of plant; Introducing the chromosome into a cell from a second species of plant; Detecting phenotypic changes in the plant cell comprising the artificial chromosome and/or a plant generated from the plant cell comprising the artificial chromosome; Wherein the artificial chromosome comprising euchromatic DNA from a first plant species is produced by a method comprising: Introducing into a plant cell of the first species of plant an artificial chromosome capable of undergoing homologous recombination with the DNA of the first species of plant; Selecting for a recombination event between the artificial chromosome and the DNA of the first species of plant; Selecting an artificial chromosome comprising euchromatic DNA from the first species of plant. The recombination may be site-specific recombination, and the artificial chromosome is preferably a pla
