Pioneer Hi-bred International, Inc.

Hugh Lu

James L Hunter

Steven J Corak

Steven Michael Becker

Gary L Jaehnel

James W Stevenson

Edwin J Anderson

In various embodiments, the present invention comprises associating a marker with at least some of the seeds containing a genetic element of interest of the bulk sample, exciting the seeds using an photonic emitting device, evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence or absence of the marker, and sorting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest based on the presence or absence of the marker. In various other embodiments, the method may comprise associating a red fluorescent protein marker with at least some of the seeds containing a genetic element of interest of the bulk sample, evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence of the red fluorescent protein marker using an evaluating device, and sorting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest based on the presence of the red fluorescent protein marker.

Method and computer program product for distinguishing and sorting seeds containing a genetic element of interest

A method for distinguishing and sorting seeds containing a genetic element of interest from a bulk sample. In various embodiments, the present invention comprises associating a marker with at least some of the seeds containing a genetic element of interest of the bulk sample, exciting the seeds using an photonic emitting device, evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence or absence of the marker, and sorting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest based on the presence or absence of the marker. In various other embodiments, the method may comprise associating a red fluorescent protein marker with at least some of the seeds containing a genetic element of interest of the bulk sample, evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence of the red fluorescent protein marker using an evaluating device, and sorting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest based on the presence of the red fluorescent protein marker. In some embodiments, the red fluorescent protein marker is discernable when excited by a certain energy and the evaluating step comprises exciting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest with the certain energy and detecting an emission resulting at least in part from the exciting step.

The present invention relates to an apparatus, method, software algorithm and system for evaluating plants for conditions or characteristics. In one aspect, the method can include imaging at least a portion of the plant and evaluating the image for discriminating condition(s) or characteristic(s) of interest. In one example, soybean roots are imaged and the image is evaluated to discriminate between soybean cyst nematode (SCN) cysts and the plant roots to count the number of SCN cysts for the plant. In another embodiment, a plant is illuminated by a ultra-violet radiation selected to cause photo-induced fluorescence of a target, e.g. SCN cysts. The fluorescence emitted is collected and analyzed to discriminate between the target and the remainder of the plant.

Growing community of inventors

Johnston, IA, United States of America

Hugh Lu