Artificial seeds

Details Artificial seeds Artificial seeds

1992-10-13

1995-01-17

Fox, David T.

Plant husbandry

Coated or impregnated seed, method or apparatus

47 58, A01C 106, A01C 2100, A01C 100, A01B 7900

Patent

active

053822692

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to artificial seeds comprising a meristematic tissue and a solid support.
It is known that artificial seeds have become of increasing interest over recent years, these seeds allowing users to have seeds at hand which comprise homogeneous general features and specific genetic features which are well defined, precise, sophisticated, specific and identified, with a view to obtaining well-determined plant varieties.
It is known that artificial seeds can be made which are embedded in various types of support. In particular, it is well known to produce artificial seeds where a meristematic tissue is embedded in a gel, especially a hydrogel. However, this type of artificial seed has a variety of shortcomings connected to the gels themselves: particular to the action of fungi or bacteria; under specific humidity and temperature conditions, which makes their long-term storage more complicated. which can lead to destruction or, at least, denaturation of the meristematic tissues; it can also have an effect on the preservation of these meristematic tissues, since their keepability can be reduced by the effect of heat.
When gels are formed with the aid of certain substances such as alginates, the ionized molecules which exist in the medium bring about bridge formation between the polymer chains; in consequence, the structure is rendered rigid and the nutrient medium is deplenished.
In general, the gels are gas-impermeable, which adversely affects oxygen supply to the meristematic tissues when they need it. To remedy this problem, it has been proposed to implant the meristematic tissue onto the gel, or onto the edge of the gel, so that part of it is in the air, but this is not advantageous since the meristematic tissue is insufficiently protected and, if the artificial seed is turned over and shaken, the tissue can leave the gel, which destroys the unit.
Nutrients and/or protective agents, in particular pesticides, for assisting the development of the artificial seed must be added when the artificial seed is being prepared and not only when growth gets under way, because of the impermeability of the gels. But this addition may not conform to what is really necessary at the point in time when growth of the seed begins.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an aim of the invention to provide an improved artificial seed.
It is another aim of the invention to provide artificial seeds which do not have the shortcomings of the known artificial seeds.
It has now been found that these aims can be achieved fully or partly by means of the seeds according to the invention.
The invention therefore relates to an artificial seed or, in other, words, a capsule comprising: as to give rise to an autonomous and complete plant (or vegetable organism), surrounding said meristematic tissue on all sides, this support being and in the dry state, a ratio by volume of air of at least 10 %, preferably at least 50%, unit composed of support and meristematic tissue, material.
The artificial seed can thus be regarded as a system which imparts to meristematic tissue the qualities of being available and handled with ease .


DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Meristematic tissue is understood as meaning any plant tissue, or group of plant cells, which is capable of developing into a complete plant or part of a complete plant when subjected to suitable conditions. This term embraces any type of plant tissue, especially: somatic tissue, somatic embryos, zygotic tissue, germs, adventitions, buds, shoots, shoot primordia, protocorm-like bodies, green spots, the germ line, and young seedlings.
Naturally, the vegetable organisms to which the invention relates are of a wide range and include food crops such as rice, wheat, barley, maize, soya beans; vegetable crops such as celery, parsley, lettuce, cauliflower, carrot, aubergine, tomato, onion, garlic, ginger, strawberries, melons, asparagus; food crops and/or industrial crops such as oilseed rape, sugar cane, sugar beet, tobacco; medici

REFERENCES:
patent: 4583320 (1986-04-01), Redenbaugh
patent: 4628633 (1986-12-01), Nilsson
patent: 4769945 (1988-09-01), Motoyama et al.
Debergh et al, "Micropropagation", Kluwer Academic Publisher, pp. 285-310.
Redenbaugh et al, "Somatic Seeds: Encapsulation of Asexual Plant Embryos", Biotechnology, vol. 4, No. 9 (1986) pp. 797-801.

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