Monsanto Technology LLC

Lee Yannakakis

Kevin Lee Deppermann

Sam R Eathington

Jason Kendrick Bull

Bruce J Schnicker

Heather M Forbes

Brian J Forinash

Allen N Ondes

Andrew M Singleton

David W Finley

Angela Ranae Koestel

Angela R Cargill

Brian J Forninash

An automated method for operating an automated seed sampling system having a seed loading station, a seed transport subsystem, and a seed sampling station generally includes sensing whether individual seeds are successfully isolated from a bulk of seeds at the seed loading station, and sensing whether the isolated seeds are properly positioned by the seed transport subsystem adjacent the seed sampling station in preparation for removing tissue from the isolated seeds. In some aspects, the method further includes analyzing the tissue removed from the seeds for presence or absence of at least one characteristic, and selecting seeds based on presence or absence of the at least one characteristic.

Automated high-throughput seed sampler and methods of sampling, testing and bulking seeds

An automated method for analyzing seeds generally includes collecting image data from individual seeds using a seed sampling system, determining at least one characteristic of each of the individual seeds based on the collected image data, and removing tissue from each of the individual seeds using the seed sampling system. The method also includes, prior to removing the tissue sample from each of the individual seeds, adjusting at least one operational parameter of the seed sampling system based on the at least one characteristic of the seed from which the tissue is to be removed to thereby allow for generally consistent removal of tissue from each of the individual seeds. In some aspects, the method further includes analyzing the tissue removed from the seeds for presence or absence of at least one characteristic, and selecting seeds based on presence or absence of the at least one characteristic.

An automated system for sampling seeds includes a seed loading station for separating individual seeds from a plurality of seeds held in a seed hopper, an imaging station configured to receive the separated seeds from the seed loading station and collect image data of the received seeds, and a seed sampling subsystem configured to remove tissue samples from the seeds after the image data of the seeds is collected. And, an automated method for sampling seeds includes separating individual seeds from a plurality of seeds, imaging the separated seeds, and removing tissue samples from the imaged seeds.

A seed sampling system includes a seed transport configured to hold multiple individual seeds together as a group and transport the multiple individual seeds together as the group, and to allow the multiple individual seeds to be oriented, substantially simultaneously, while the multiple individual seeds are being held in the seed transport. The seed sampling system also includes a seed sampling subsystem configured to remove tissue from the oriented multiple individual seeds. And, a method for removing tissue from the multiple individual seeds includes loading the multiple individual seeds in the seed transport, orienting the multiple individual seeds in the seed transport substantially simultaneously, and removing tissue from the oriented multiple individual seeds.

In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides an automated seed sampling and sorting system. The system includes an imaging station for collecting image data of a set of seeds and a seed orientation station for independently positioning each seed in the set in a desired orientation based on the collected image data. The system further includes a seed sample and sort station for extracting a sample from each seed in the set, sorting each sample to a sample tray and sorting each sampled seed to a seed tray.

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Chesterfield, MO, United States of America

Lee Yannakakis