METHOD FOR SORTING RESISTANT SEED FROM A MIXTURE WITH SUSCEPTIBLE SEED

• US 20110143936A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Hi-Bred International (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Hi-Bred International (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mangold, Gregory K., Hunter, James L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,459,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 504/100
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3427 by changing or intensifying the optical properties prior to scanning, e.g. by inducing fluorescence under UV or x-radiation, subjecting the material to a chemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/85 Investigating moving fluids or granular solids

Abstract

The invention generally relates to a novel method of sorting seed by providing a first seed population with a fluorescent indicator and a second seed population visually identical to the first seed population under standard operating conditions. The seed populations are combined to provide a combined seed population. A lamp having an output corresponding to the activation wavelength of the fluorescent indicator and a color sorting system are paired to count or separate the seed populations, as desired.

Claims

1. A method of sorting seed comprising the steps of:

providing a first group of seeds having a first seed application comprising an additive;

providing a second group of seeds having a second seed application;

providing a combination seed group consisting of the first and second groups of seeds;

passing part of the combination seed group through a process to create or recognize distinctiveness between the first and second groups based on the additive; and

sorting one of the first or second groups from the combination seed group based on acquired distinctiveness based on the additive.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the acquired distinctiveness is selected from the group consisting of:

A. fluorescence

B. phosphorescence

C. chemiluminescence

D. U.V. absorption

E. U.V. reflectance

F. infrared reflection

G. infrared absorption

H. inducible or permanent magnetic properties

I. color following pretreatment.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first and second seed groups are visually indistinct.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the additive comprises a fluorescent dye having an activation and emission wavelength.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the process to create distinctiveness is exposing the part of the combination seed group to a light emitting the activation wavelength.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first and second seed groups are visually indistinct before passing the seed group through a process to create distinctiveness.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first and second seed groups are sorted based on optical distinctiveness.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first and second seed applications comprise a fungicide.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first and second seed treatments comprise a pesticide.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing a third seed group having a second additive in the combination seed group;

passing the part of the combined seed group through a second process to create or recognize distinctiveness between the third group and the first and second groups; and

sorting the third group from the combination seed group.

11. A method of determining viability of mixed seed comprising the steps of:

providing a first seed group;

providing a second seed group;

applying a fluorescent dye to the first seed group;

combining the first and second seed groups to create a combination seed group;

sampling the combination seed group;

passing the combination sample past a lamp having a wavelength corresponding to the activation wavelength of the fluorescent dye to create fluorescing and non-fluorescing seeds;

optically recognizing the fluorescing seeds as corresponding to the first group and the non-fluorescing seeds as corresponding to the second group;

separating the first from the second group; and

separately determining the viability of the first and second seed groups.

12. A method of sorting seeds comprising the steps of:

providing a first seed group having a preferred genetic characteristic;

providing a second seed group lacking the preferred genetic characteristic;

marking one of the first or second seed groups with an additive having an activatable color characteristic;

combining the first and second groups of seeds to create a combined seed group;

sampling the combined seed group;

activating the additive in the marked seed group within the combined seed group sample; and

segregating the seeds of the first group from the seeds of the second group in the sample by optical recognition of the activated color characteristic;

wherein the first and second seed groups are visually indistinct.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the additive comprises a fluorescent marker and the activatable color characteristic corresponds to the emission wavelength of the fluorescent marker.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the additive is activated by exposing the combined seed group sample to light corresponding to the activation wavelength of the fluorescent marker.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of placing the combined seed group sample on a background corresponding to the color of the non-fluorescent seeds when exposed to the light.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second seed groups are each treated with a seed coating and only one of the first or second seed groups is treated with the fluorescent dye.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the seed coating comprises a fungicide.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the seed coating comprises a pesticide.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the fluorescent marker comprises a genetic marker.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first and second groups are substantially genetically identical except for the preferred genetic characteristic.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the genetic marker is linked to the preferred genetic characteristic.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the fluorescent marker comprises a chemical dye.

23. The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second groups are combined in a manner approximating a preferred ratio.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of determining the amount of seeds from the first and second groups of the sample.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of providing feedback to maintain the proper ratio of first and second groups in the combined group.

26. The method of claim 12 wherein the seed comprises maize.

27. A method of sorting seed comprising the steps of:

providing a first group of seeds having a first seed treatment comprising an additive;

providing a second group of seeds having a second seed treatment, the second group being visually indistinct from the first group;

combining the first and second groups of seeds to create a combination seed group; and

sorting the first group from the combination seed group based on an optical characteristic created by the additive.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the additive comprises a fluorescent dye having an activation and an emission wavelength.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the optical characteristic is detected for the sorting step by passing the part of the combination seed group past a light corresponding to the activation wavelength of the fluorescent dye.

30. A seed population comprising:

a first seed group having an additive having an activatable color;

a second seed group;

wherein the first and second groups are visually indistinct.

31. The seed population of claim 30 wherein the first and second seed groups are optically distinct when exposed to a process activating the activatable color of the additive.

32. The seed population of claim 31 wherein the first and second seed groups are combined in a known ratio.

33. The seed population of claim 32 wherein the additive comprises a fluorescent additive having an activation and an emission wavelength.

34. The seed population of claim 33 wherein the process activating the activatable color comprises exposing the seed group to a light source corresponding to the activation wavelength of the fluorescent additive.

35. The seed population of claim 34 wherein the fluorescent additive is a protein created by a genetic marker in the first group.

36. The seed population of claim 34 wherein the fluorescent additive is a fluorescent dye.

37. The seed population of claim 34 wherein the first and second seed groups are genetically identical and the first seed group comprises a first pesticidal seed treatment and the second seed group comprises a second pesticidal seed treatment.

38. The seed group of claim 34 wherein one of the first and second seed groups comprises a genetically engineered trait.