NOVELTY - Accumulating starch in a plant without decreasing plant growth or yield comprises inhibiting expression of a protein or a gene coding for a protein that aids in starch degradation, where expression of the protein or the gene coding for the protein that aids in starch degradation is inhibited by expression of a heterologous polynucleotide so as to accumulate starch in a plant without a significant decrease in yield or plant growth.    USE - The methods are used for accumulating starch in a plant without decreasing plant growth or yield; and for preparing a plant that accumulates starch without decreasing plant growth or yield. The transgenic plant or plant material is used in preparing animal feed silage, and bio-fuel (all claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method provides transgenic plants with increased starch accumulation without the corresponding loss in growth and/or yield.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are:    (1) a method for preparing a plant that accumulates starch without decreasing plant growth or yield by introducing into the plant a heterologous polynucleotide that encodes an RNA sequence which upon expression in a plant leads to a reduction in expression of a protein or a gene coding for a protein that aids in starch degradation, where the polynucleotide is integrated into the genome of a plant cell and an intact plant is generated from the plant cell and reduction in expression of the protein or the gene coding for the protein that aids in starch degradation occurs without a significant decrease in yield or plant growth;    (2) a transgenic plant or plant material that comprises a heterologous polynucleotide that encodes an RNA sequence which upon expression in a plant leads to a reduction in expression of a protein or a gene coding for a protein that aids in starch degradation, where reduction in expression of the protein or the gene coding for the protein that aids in starch degradation occurs without a significant decrease in yield or plant growth;    (3) a method to prepare animal feed silage by producing animal feed silage from the transgenic plant or plant material of (2); and    (4) a method to prepare bio-fuel by producing biofuel from the transgenic plant or plant material of (2).