Weyerhaeuser Company Limited

Curtis A Bryan

William C Carlson

Michael K McKinnis

Jeffrey E Hartle

Paul G Gaddis

Edwin Hirahara

Patrick Gaillard

Katherine M Salatas

A combination end seal and cotyledon restraint () for an artificial seed () is provided. The combination end seal and cotyledon restraint includes a cap portion () sized to substantially seal one end of an artificial seed and a cotyledon restraint () unitarily formed with the cap portion.

Combination end seal and restraint

The invention is a method of ordering plant embryos so that a specified end of the embryo is always oriented in a predetermined direction. The embryos are preferably first fairly rapidly desiccated to about 15% moisture content. They are then suspended in a benign liquid flotation medium having a density in the range of about 1.059-1.104 g/cm.sup.3. The density must be adjusted empirically so that a predominant number of viable embryos will float and nonviable embryos will sink. In at least the case of conifer somatic embryos, they will float with the end bearing the latent cotyledons upward. After sufficient separation time in the flotation medium the oriented embryos are swept by a flowing liquid stream into a conduit. They enter cotyledon end first and are then carried to a delivery point without losing that orientation. Here they are separated from the transporting medium. The embryos, still positioned cotyledon end first, may then be picked up by robotic or other means for further processing, such as insertion into an artificial seed.

Method of directionally orienting plant embryos

Growing community of inventors

Olympia, WA, United States of America

Curtis A Bryan