Respiration-limited manufactured seed
AssigneeWeyerhaeuser Company
InventorsWilliam C. Carlson, Michael K. McKinnis, Jeffrey E. Hartle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides manufactured seeds comprising totipotent plant tissue and a hydrated gel, preferably surrounded by a protective seed coat. The cotyledons of the germinating totipotent plant tissue can be enclosed in a shoot restraint that is resistant to penetration by the growing cotyledons. The manufactured seeds can be prepared for long-term storage, e.g., by sparging the hydrated gel with a respiration-limiting gas before, during, or after assembly of the manufactured seed. The seed is then preferably stored in an atmosphere containing levels of a respiration-limiting gas sufficient to keep respiration of the totipotent plant tissue at reduced levels.
Claims18
A manufactured seed comprising a unit of totipotent plant tissue and a hydrated gel disposed relative to the plant tissue so as to allow liquid transfer from the gel to the plant tissue, the hydrated gel comprising a concentration of a respiration-limiting gas effective to reduce respiration of the plant tissue to a level less than respiration of totipotent plant tissue in a control manufactured seed.
A method of storing a manufactured seed comprising a unit of totipotent plant tissue and a hydrated gel disposed relative to the plant tissue so as to allow liquid transfer from the gel to the plant tissue, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) exposing the manufactured seed to an atmosphere comprising a first respiration-limiting gas for a time sufficient for the gel have a concentration of the respiration-limiting gas sufficient to substantially reduce respiration of the plant tissue;
- then
- (b) storing the manufactured seed in the presence of a concentration of a second respiration-limiting gas sufficient to substantially reduce respiration of the plant tissue, thereby producing a stored seed.
A method of producing a manufactured seed comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a unit of totipotent plant tissue;
- (b) providing a hydrated gel;
- (c) disposing the plant tissue relative to the hydrated gel so as to allow liquid transfer from the gel to the plant tissue, thereby producing a manufactured seed;
- and
- (d) exposing the hydrated gel to an atmosphere comprising a respiration-limiting gas for a time sufficient for the gel have a concentration of the respiration-limiting gas sufficient to substantially reduce respiration of the plant tissue.
A method of producing a manufactured seed comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a unit of totipotent plant tissue;
- (b) disposing the plant tissue relative to a hydrated gel so as to allow liquid transfer from the gel to the plant tissue, the gel comprising a concentration of a respiration-limiting gas sufficient to substantially reduce respiration of the plant tissue, thereby producing the manufactured seed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.