Chromosome doubling method
AssigneeThe Curators of the University of Missouri
InventorAkio Kato
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Abstract
The invention provides methods for chromosome doubling in plants. The technique overcomes the low yields of doubled progeny associated with the use of prior techniques for doubling chromosomes in plants such as grasses. The technique can be used in large scale applications and has been demonstrated to be highly effective in maize. Following treatment in accordance with the invention, plants remain amenable to self fertilization, thereby allowing the efficient isolation of doubled progeny plants.
Claims44
A method of obtaining a plant with a doubled chromosome number comprising:
- a) obtaining a starting maize plant;
- b) treating said plant with a selected pressure of from about 500 kPa to about 700 kPa nitrous oxide gas for from about 24 hours to about 144 hours during the 3 to 8 leaf stage of development of said plant during which formation of the floral primordium takes place, wherein the selected pressure yields doubled sectors within said floral primordium and the plant remains amenable to self pollination;
- c) self pollinating the plant;
- and
- d) selecting a progeny plant with doubled chromosome number derived from the self pollinating.
A method of plant breeding comprising the steps of
- a) crossing at least a first and a second parent maize plant to produce a heterozygous plant comprising a selected genetic background;
- b) producing a haploid progeny plant derived from said hybrid plant;
- c) treating the haploid progeny plant with a selected pressure of from about 500 kPa to about 700 kPa nitrous oxide gas for a preselected period of time from about 24 hours to about 144 hours during the 3 to 8 leaf stage of development of said progeny plant during which formation of the floral primordium takes place, wherein the selected pressure yields doubled sectors within said floral primordium and the progeny plant remains amenable to self pollination;
- d) self pollinating the progeny plant;
- and
- e) selecting a doubled haploid progeny plant derived from the self pollinating, wherein the progeny plant has a desired genetic background.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.