Method for producing new varieties of plants

Abstract

A method for increasing the proportion of mutants in a generation in a first plant species having a recognized and established phenotype involves the simultaneous somatic exposure of germinal plants of the species to contact with whole cells and associated material of a second species of plants, and to electrophoretic conditions. The plants of the first species are preferably in a germinal state, such as seeds or seedlings, while the whole cells and associated materials of the second species can be a seedling root tip, a seedling, a tissue macerate (suspended in either water or agar) root nodules, fruit tissue or root tissue. When the cells of the first and second species have different membrane potentials, the step of electrophoretic exposure can be carried out by simply placing the cells in contact with one another. Preferably, however, an electropotential difference such as a constant DC voltage is disposed across the somatic cells of the first species of the plant and the whole cells and associated materials of the second species of plant, for example, by attaching one of a cathode and anode to the first species of plant, and the other of anode or cathode to the second species of plant.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.