Alfalfa hybrids having at least 75% hybridity

• US 20030172410A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dairyland Seed Co., Inc. (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dairyland Seed Co., Inc. (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Velde, Michael, Gardner, Danielson B., Sun, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 6,774,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/298
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 6/544 Medicago sativa [alfalfa]

Abstract

Disclosed is a hybrid alfalfa seed deposited as ATCC Accession Number XXXXX. Also disclosed is a hybrid alfalfa plant or part thereof derived from the seed deposited as ATCC Accession Number XXXXX. A method of obtaining commercially acceptable production of alfalfa seed having at least 75% hybridity by planting male sterile and male fertile seed at a ratio of about 4:1 is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A Medicago sativa or cultivated alfalfa seed deposited as ATCC Accession Number XXXXX.

2. A Medicago sativa hybrid or cultivated alfalfa plant derived from seed deposited deposited as ATCC Accession Number XXXXX.

3. Pollen from the plant of claim 2.

4. An ovule from the plant of claim 2.

5. A method of producing alfalfa seeds having at least 75% hybridity comprising the steps of:

(a) crossing by controlled pollination cytoplasmic male sterile alfalfa plants with maintainer line alfalfa plants to produce cytoplasmic male sterile hybrid plants;

(b) selectively harvesting seed from the cytoplasmic male sterile hybrid plants of step (a);

(c) crossing male sterile hybrid alfalfa plants by male fertile alfalfa plants by allowing pollination of plants grown from the seed of step (b) and seed from at least one variety of male fertile alfalfa plants, the male sterile seed and male fertile seed planted at a ratio of about 4;

1; and

(d) non-selectively recovering the seeds from the pollinated alfalfa plants of step (c).

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of determining the hybridity of the progeny of the crossing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining the hybridity is accomplished employs a genetic or morphological marker.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining the hybridity is accomplished by amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the average seed yield of step (d) is at least 80% of the average seed yield obtainable by crossing the male fertile plant of step (c).

10. Alfalfa seed having at least 75% hybridity produced according to the method of claim 5.