Plant growth and imaging devices and related methods and computer program products

• US 8,869,447 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Monsanto Technology LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Benfey, Philip N., Twigg, Richard W. III, Clark, Robert L. Jr., Kennedy, Scott Joseph, Fricke, Gregory Kealoha
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, MONICA L
• Application Number:
  US13/680,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20130133259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 47/60, 47/61, 47/62.R, 47/64, 47/59.S, 47/59.R
• US Class Current: 47/60
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 31/02 Special apparatus therefor self-acting watering devices A01G27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/02 Receptacles, e.g. flower-pots or boxes self-acting watering devices A01G27/00; hanging flower baskets, holders or containers for flower-pots A47G7/00; Glasses for cultivating flowers
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/21 Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Abstract

A plant growth array device includes an aerial growth chamber configured to receive aerial shoot portions of a plurality of plants and a root growth chamber configured to receive root portions of the plurality of plants. A dividing member is between the aerial growth chamber and the root chamber and has a plurality of apertures for receiving the plurality of plants therein. The plurality of apertures are configured so that the root portions grow substantially in a common orientation.

Claims

1. A plant growth array device comprising:

a plurality of holding members configured to receive a plurality of plants therein, each of the holding members having an aperture for receiving at least one of the plants; and

a root growth chamber configured to receive root portions of the plurality of plants from the plurality of holding members, the root growth chamber having a transparent and/or translucent side at least partly covering the aperture of each of the plurality of holding members;

wherein the plurality of holding members are each positioned at an angle with respect to the transparent and/or translucent side of the root growth chamber such that the root portions of the plurality of plants grow substantially in a common orientation along the transparent and/or translucent side of the root growth chamber, and wherein the root portions of the plurlaity of plants are viewable from the transparent and/or translucent side of the root chamber.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the transparent and/or translucent side of the root growth chamber comprises a microscope slide and/or coverslip.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the microscope slide and/or coverslip is removable.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holding members and the root growth chamber are configured to maintain a liquid growth environment in the root growth chamber.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a gel growth media in the plurality of holding members.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the liquid growth environment comprises a selected nutrient solution.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one conduit configured to supply a fluid to the root growth chamber.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a controller configured to control a composition and or amount of the fluid.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the aperture of each of the plurality of holding members is semi-gibbous.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the apertures of the plurality of holding members extend at an angle between about 20 and 75 degrees with respect to the transparent and/or translucent side of the root growth chamber.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising an imaging device including a microscope configured to image root portions of the plurality of plants.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors configured to measure an environmental condition.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising an environmental control system configured to control an environmental condition in the root growth chamber.

14. A plant growth array device comprising:

a root growth chamber configured to receive root portions of a plurality of plants;

a dividing member at an upper portion of the root growth chamber and having a plurality of apertures for receiving the plurality of plants therein, the plurality of apertures configured in a two-dimensional array; and

a translucent and/or transparent imaging panel at a lower portion of the root growth chamber and at least partly covering the plurality of apertures of the dividing member such that the root portions of the plurality of plants are viewable from the translucent and/or transparent imaging panel, the translucent and/or transparent imaging panel configured to provide an imaging interface between an imaging device and the root growth chamber;

wherein the plurality of apertures of the dividing member are positioned at an angle with respect to the translucent and/or transparent imaging panel such that the root portions of the plurality of plants grow out of the apertures and substantially in a common orientation defined by a direction of the translucent and/or transparent imaging panel.

15. The plant growth array device of claim 14, wherein the imaging device is a microscope configured to image root portions of the plurality of plants.

16. The plant growth array device of claim 14, further comprising one or more sensors configured to measure an environmental condition.

17. The plant growth array device of claim 16, further comprising an environmental control system configured to control an environmental condition in the root growth chamber.

18. The plant growth array device of claim 17, wherein the environmental control system is configured to control an environmental condition responsive to a measurement from the one or more sensors.