Temperature sensitive seed germination control
First Claim
1. A coated seed, comprising:
- a seed; and
a coating which encloses and separates the seed and a surrounding inside environment from an outside environment, the coating being comprised of a crystallizable polymer coating impermeable to water at a temperature below a phase-transition temperature of the polymer to the extend that germination of the seed is prevented due to lack of water and permeable to water at a temperature above the transition temperature whereby the water permeability of the coating is increased five fold or more above the phase transition temperature as compared with the water permeability below the phase transition temperature.
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Abstract
Coated organisms and particularly coated seeds are provided wherein the coating is comprised of one or more polymeric materials which form a coating having a temperature-dependent permeability with respect to a material such as water permeability. The polymeric materials used in making the coatings are relatively impermeable to the material such as water at cooler temperatures (less than optimum growth or germination temperatures) and relatively permeable at higher temperatures (at or greater than optimum growth or germination temperatures). The variable permeability of the coating prevents imbibition at lower temperatures and allows it at higher temperatures. Accordingly, coated seeds can be planted early in a planting season and undergo imbibition followed by germination under favorable moisture and temperature conditions.
108 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A coated seed, comprising:
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a seed; and a coating which encloses and separates the seed and a surrounding inside environment from an outside environment, the coating being comprised of a crystallizable polymer coating impermeable to water at a temperature below a phase-transition temperature of the polymer to the extend that germination of the seed is prevented due to lack of water and permeable to water at a temperature above the transition temperature whereby the water permeability of the coating is increased five fold or more above the phase transition temperature as compared with the water permeability below the phase transition temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A coated seed, comprising:
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a seed; and a coating which encloses and separates the seed and a surrounding inside environment from an outside environment, the coating being comprised of a sidechain crystallizable polymer having a water permeability which is two times or more greater above a phase transition temperature range of the polymer than is the water permeability of the coating below the phase transition temperature range of the polymer.
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10. A coated seed, comprising:
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a seed; and a coating which encloses and separates the seed and a surrounding inside environment from an outside environment, the coating being comprised of a side-chain crystallizable polymer which coating prevents the seed from imbibing more than 24% by weight of water at a temperature below the seed'"'"'s minimum germination temperature when the seed is exposed to water over a period of 14 days and which coating allows the seed to imbibe 60% or more by weight of water in a 15 hour period when the seed is subjected to a temperature above the minimum germination temperature of the seed. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification