Developed seed and methods for making the same

• US 20020026659A1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ball Seed
• Original Assignee: Ball Seed
• Inventors: Blowers, Alan D., Conrad, Robert D., Funk, Kimberly A., Khambatta, Zubin, Charles, Audrey
• Application Number:
  US09/750,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20020026659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/298
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 1/00 Apparatus, or methods of use thereof, for testing or treating seed, roots, or the like, prior to sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 3/02 by controlling duration, wavelength, intensity, or periodicity of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 3/04 by treatment with chemicals
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 4/005 Methods for micropropagation; Vegetative plant propagation using cell or tissue culture techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 4/006 Encapsulated embryos for plant reproduction, e.g. artificial seeds

Abstract

The present invention relates to developed seed that is singulated and free-flowing, and comprises a modified root structure whose root development is interrupted and altered, but that root development is capable of resuming when the developed seed is sown in a suitable environment. The developed seed can exhibit an emerged hypocotyl or lack an emerged hypocotyl. The developed seed is prepared as desiccation-intolerant seed and can be converted to be desiccation-tolerant. The present invention also relates to methods of making the developed seed.

Claims

1. A developed seed that is singulated and free-flowing and can be operationally sown in the same manner as raw, primed or pregerminated seed, said developed seed comprising a modified root structure and having its root development interrupted and altered, said developed seed exhibiting an emerged hypocotyl or lacking an emerged hypocotyl, wherein said root development is capable of resuming when the developed seed is sown in a suitable environment, and further wherein said developed seed is capable of developing into a usable plant(s) when sown in a suitable environment.

2. The developed seed of claim 1 wherein said developed seed exhibits higher levels of chaperonin 60 when compared to raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

3. The developed seed of claim 1 that exhibits an emerged hypocotyl.

4. The developed seed of claim 1 wherein the developed seed further exhibits enhanced rooting when compared to raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

5. The developed seed of claim 1 wherein the developed seed further exhibits earlier photosynthetic activity when compared to raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

6. The developed seed of claim 1 wherein the developed seed is from plants selected from the group consisting of Alliums, Antirrhinums, Asteraceae, Begonias, Brassicaceae, Capsicums, Betas, Lycopersicons, Cucurbitaceae, Cyclamens, Dianthuses, Gazanias, Gerberas, Impatiens, Lisianthus, Lobelias, Matthiolas, Nicotianas, Pelargoniums, Petunias, Phloxes, Poaceae, Primulas, Raphanuses, Salvias, Solanaceae, Tagetes, Turfgrass, Verbenas, Catharanthus, Violas, Apiums, Daucuses, Chicoriums and Zinnias.

7. The developed seed of claim 1 further comprising a seed coating.

8. A plant grown from the developed seed of claim 1.

9. The plant of claim 8 having a shorter internode length than a plant grown from raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

10. The developed seed of claim 1 that is desiccation-intolerant.

11. A developed seed that is singulated and free-flowing and can be operationally sown in the same manner as raw, primed or pregerminated seed, said developed seed comprising a modified root structure and having its root development interrupted and altered, said developed seed exhibiting an emerged hypocotyl or lacking an emerged hypocotyl, wherein said root development is capable of resuming when the developed seed is sown in a suitable environment, and further wherein said developed seed exhibits higher levels of chaperonin 60 when compared to raw, primed or pregerminated seed and further wherein said developed seed is capable of developing into a usable plant(s) when sown in a suitable environment.

12. The developed seed of claim 11 comprising an emerged hypocotyl.

13. The developed seed of claim 11 wherein the developed seed further exhibits enhanced rooting when compared to raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

14. The developed seed of claim 11 wherein the developed seed further exhibits earlier photosynthetic activity when compared to raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

15. The developed seed of claim 11 further comprising a seed coating.

16. The developed seed of claim 11 wherein the developed seed is from plants selected from the group consisting of Alliums, Antirrhinums, Asteraceae, Begonias, Brassicaceae, Capsicums, Betas, Lycopersicons, Cucurbitaceae, Cyclamens, Dianthuses, Gazanias, Gerberas, Impatiens, Lisianthus, Lobelias, Matthiolas, Nicotianas, Pelargoniums, Petunias, Phloxes, Poaceae, Primulas, Raphanuses, Salvias, Solanaceae, Tagetes, Turfgrass, Verbenas, Catharanthus, Catharanthus, Violas, Apiums, Daucuses, Chicoriums and Zinnias.

17. A plant grown from the developed seed of claim 11.

18. The plant of claim 17 having a shorter internode length than a plant grown from raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

19. The developed seed of claim 11 that is desiccation-intolerant.

20. A developed seed having higher levels of chaperonin 60 when compared to raw, primed or pregerminated seed and which is capable of developing into a usable plant(s) when sown in a suitable environment.

21. The developed seed of claim 20 wherein said developed seed comprises a modified root structure and has its root development interrupted and altered, said developed seed exhibiting an emerged hypocotyl or lacking an emerged hypocotyl, wherein said root development is capable or resuming when the developed seed is sown in a suitable environment.

22. The developed seed of claim 21 comprising an emerged hypocotyl.

23. The developed seed of claim 20 wherein the developed seed further exhibits enhanced rooting when compared to raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

24. The developed seed of claim 20 wherein the developed seed further exhibits earlier photosynthetic activity when compared to raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

25. The developed seed of claim 20 further comprising a seed coating.

26. The developed seed of claim 20 wherein the developed seed is from plants selected from the group consisting of Alliums, Antirrhinums, Asteraceae, Begonias, Brassicaceae, Capsicums, Betas, Lycopersicons, Cucurbitaceae, Cyclamens, Dianthuses, Gazanias, Gerberas, Impatiens, Lisianthus, Lobelias, Matthiolas, Nicotianas, Pelargoniums, Petunias, Phloxes, Poaceae, Primulas, Raphanuses, Salvias, Solanaceae, Tagetes, Turfgrass, Verbenas, Catharanthus, Violas, Apiums, Daucuses, Chicoriums and Zinnias.

27. The developed seed of claim 20 that is desiccation-intolerant.

28. A plant grown from the developed seed of claim 20.

29. The plant of claim 28 having a shorter internode length than a plant grown from raw, primed or pregerminated seed.

30. A process of making developmentally advanced developed seed having its root development interrupted and altered, wherein said root development is capable of resuming when the developed seed is sown in a suitable environment, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) placing a batch of seed or somatic embryos in a germination environment comprising at least one auxin; and

(b) maintaining the seed or somatic embryos in the germination environment a time period sufficient to form a precotyledon form to the developed seed.

31. The process of claims 30 wherein the germination environment contains nutrients.

32. The process of claim 30 wherein the germination environment contains at least one organic acid.

33. The process of claim 30 further comprising the steps of:

(c) separating a developed seed fraction from seed or somatic embryos that had not formed developed seed; and

(d) collecting a purified developed seed fraction.

34. The process of claim 33 further comprising the step of:

(e) maintaining said seed or somatic embryos that had not formed developed seed in said germination environment until a precotyledon form of the developed seed is obtained.

35. The process of claim 33 further comprising the step of removing the residual external moisture from the surface of the developed seed.

36. The process of claim 33 further comprising the step of cooling the developed seed over a period of from about 6 to about 20 hours to a temperature of from about 1°

C. to about 15°

C.

37. The process of claim 36 wherein the developed seed is stored at a temperature of from about 1°

C. to about 15°

C.

38. The process of claim 30 wherein the developed seed is from plants selected from the group consisting of Alliums, Antirrhinums, Begonias, Brassicaceae, Capsicums, Betas, Lycopersicons, Cucurbitaceae, Cyclamens, Dianthuses, Gazanias, Gerberas, Impatiens, Lisianthus, Lobelias, Matthiolas, Nicotianas, Pelargoniums, Petunias, Phloxes, Poaceae, Primulas, Raphanuses, Salvias, Solanaceae, Tagetes, Turfgrass, Verbenas, Catharanthus, Violas, Apiums, Daucuses, Chicoriums and Zinnias.

39. The process of claim 33 including the further step of forming desiccation-tolerant developed seed that contains about 4 to about 30 percent moisture.

40. The process of claim 39 wherein the seed exhibits seminal growth.

41. The process of claim 40 wherein the developed seed has a moisture content of about 4 to about 12 percent.

42. A developed seed produced by the process of claim 30.

43. A plant grown from the developed seed of claim 42.