Patent Application
20140223812
Various embodiments of the present invention relate generally to methods and apparatuses for dispensing pollen. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus configured to dispense pollen by dispensing pollen from a pollen storage container with a dispensing device.
For a variety of reasons, plant species may be intentionally bred. For example, in some applications plant species are intentionally bred to form hybrid plant species. In some applications, hybrid plants are bred to exhibit various desirable traits. Such traits may include, for example, resistance to heat and drought, resistance to disease and insect damage, improved yield characteristics, and improved agronomic quality. In general, plants may be capable of self-pollination, cross-pollination, or both. Self-pollination describes pollination using pollen from one flower that is transferred to the same or another flower of the same plant. Cross-pollination describes pollination using pollen delivered from a flower of a different plant from a different family or line.
Plants that have been self-pollinated and selected for many generations become homozygous at almost all gene loci and produce a uniform population of true breeding progeny. A cross between two different homozygous lines produces a uniform population of hybrid plants that may be heterozygous for many gene loci. A cross of two plants each heterozygous at a number of gene loci will produce a population of heterogeneous plants that differ genetically and will not be uniform.
Maize (Zea mays L.), often referred to as corn in the United States, can be bred by both self-pollination and cross-pollination techniques. Maize has separate male and female flowers on the same plant. The male flowers are located on the tassel and the female flowers are located on the ear. Natural pollination occurs in maize when wind blows grains of pollen from the tassels to the silks that protrude from the tops of the ears.
The development of a hybrid maize variety in a maize seed production program may involve three steps: (1) the selection of plants from various germplasm pools for initial breeding crosses; (2) self-pollination of the selected plants from the breeding crosses for several generations to produce a series of inbred lines, which, individually breed true and are highly uniform; and (3) crossing a selected inbred line with an unrelated inbred line to produce the hybrid progeny. After a sufficient amount of inbreeding successive filial generations will merely serve to increase seed of the developed inbred. Preferably, an inbred line should comprise homozygous alleles at about 95% or more of its loci.
During the maize inbreeding process, vigor of the line may decrease. Vigor may be restored when two different inbred lines are crossed to produce the hybrid progeny. An important consequence of the homozygosity and homogeneity of the inbred lines is that the hybrid between a defined pair of inbreds may be reproduced indefinitely as long as the homogeneity of the inbred parents is maintained. Once the inbreds that create a superior hybrid have been identified, a continual supply of the hybrid seed can be produced using these inbred parents and the hybrid corn plants can then be generated from this hybrid seed supply.
Accordingly, development and production of maize seed may require controlled pollination at one or more steps, as described above.
In one embodiment a method for dispensing grains of pollen is provided. The method may include obtaining a pollen storage container containing a plurality of grains of pollen to a dispensing device. Further, the method may include dispensing at least a portion of the plurality of grains of pollen from the pollen storage container with the dispensing device to pollinate a plant. At least one of the plant and the grains of pollen may be known.
In another embodiment a method for dispensing grains of pollen may include collecting a plurality of grains of pollen, inserting the plurality of grains of pollen into a pollen storage container, and connecting the pollen storage container containing the plurality of grains of pollen to a dispensing device. Further, the method may include dispensing at least a portion of the plurality of grains of pollen from the pollen storage container with the dispensing device to pollinate a plant. At least one of the plant and the grains of pollen may be known.
Further, the step of dispensing at least a portion of the plurality of grains of pollen may comprise dispensing at least a portion of the plurality of grains of pollen without applying an electrical charge to the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen. In another embodiment the method may include applying an electrical charge to the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen. The method may also include providing for grounding a user of the dispensing device.
Additionally, the method may comprise controlling dispensing of the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen by selectively varying a flow rate at which the dispensing device dispenses the plurality of grains of pollen. Also, the method may include varying the flow rate by adjusting a fan speed of the dispensing device. The method may further comprise powering the dispensing device with a battery.
Also, the method may include mixing the grains of pollen with an additive prior to dispensing the grains of pollen. The additive may be configured to enhance visibility of the plurality of grains of pollen dispensed from the dispensing device. The additive may additionally or alternatively be configured to control a moisture level of the plurality of grains of pollen. Further, the step of pollinating the plant with the portion of the plurality of known grains of pollen may comprise pollinating a corn plant. The method may further include preventing pollination by an alternate pollen source by covering a plurality of silks of the corn plant prior to pollinating the corn plant with the dispensing device.
The method may additionally comprise controlling an environmental condition within the pollen storage container. The environmental condition may comprise temperature in some embodiments. In a further embodiment the environment condition may comprise humidity. Also, the method may include dispensing at least a portion of a second plurality of grains of pollen from a second pollen storage container with the dispensing device. Further, the method may comprise cleaning the dispensing device prior to dispensing the portion of the second plurality of grains of pollen. Cleaning the dispensing device may comprise cleaning an outlet of a fan of the dispensing device.
In an additional embodiment a method for dispensing grains of pollen is provided. The method may comprise collecting a plurality of grains of pollen, inserting the plurality of grains of pollen into a pollen storage container, connecting the pollen storage container containing the plurality of grains of pollen to a dispensing device, and dispensing at least a portion of the plurality of grains of pollen from the pollen storage container with the dispensing device without applying an electrical charge to the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen.
In another embodiment an apparatus configured for dispensing grains of pollen is provided. The apparatus may comprise a pollen storage container configured to receive a plurality of grains of pollen, a flow source configured to dispense at least a portion of the plurality of know grains of pollen from the pollen storage container, and a control mechanism configured to selectively activate the flow source. The apparatus may not be configured to apply an electrical charge to the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen in some embodiments. Further, the apparatus may include an environmental control mechanism configured to control an environmental condition within the pollen storage container.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Controlled pollination of plants, for example during cross-pollination, may involve manually collecting and dispensing pollen. Manually collecting and dispensing pollen may be very labor intensive. For example, a worker may manually collect pollen by knocking it off of the tassels of the ear corn into a tassel bag. Further, the worker may then manually sprinkle the pollen onto the anthers of female corn which have been covered with a shoot bag so as to prevent pollination with pollen other than the collected grains of pollen. Thus, collection of pollen and controlled pollination using the collected pollen may involve many manual steps that may be conducted over the course of one or more days. Further, application of pollen using tassel bags may not efficiently make use of the collected pollen since the tassel bag may not allow for targeted application of the pollen in an easily controlled manner. Thus, workers may tend to apply more of the pollen than would otherwise be necessary. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention provide improved apparatuses and methods for dispensing pollen.
In this regard,
The pollen storage container 12 may further comprise an inlet 18 and an outlet 20. The inlet 20 of the pollen storage container 12 may be provided in the lid 16 in some embodiments. Further, the inlet 18 may be configured to receive an air flow (or other fluid flow) from a flow source. As described above, the apparatus 10 may comprise a fan which blows air. Thus, an outlet of the fan may be in fluid communication with the inlet 18 of the pollen storage container 12. Thereby, the flow of air may agitate or otherwise impart motion to the grains of pollen in the compartment 14 so as to dispense at least a portion of the grains of pollen through the outlet 20 of the pollen storage container 12.
The grains of pollen may be dispensed from the apparatus 10 directly from the outlet 20 of the pollen storage container 12 in some embodiments. Thus, the potential for cross-contamination within the apparatus 10 may be reduced. For example, the apparatus 10 may successively or simultaneously connect to multiple pollen storage containers 12 to dispense different types of pollen, or a single pollen storage container may be cleaned and reused with multiple types of pollen. By storing and dispensing the grains of pollen with the pollen storage container 12, the grains of pollen may substantially avoid contact with the remainder of the apparatus 10. The outlet of the fan or other flow source which is in fluid communication with the inlet 18 of the pollen storage container 12 may present one of the few potential areas where cross-contamination may occur. Thus, the outlet of the fan or other flow source may be cleaned when the pollen storage container 12 is removed between successive uses of different types of pollen.
The pollen storage containers 12 may be employed to store the grains of pollen prior to dispensing the grains of pollen using the apparatus 10. In this regard, inlet 22 and outlet 24 plugs may be employed to seal the inlet 18 and the outlet 20 such that the grains of pollen are sealed within the compartment 14. In some embodiments the inlet plug 22 and the outlet 24 plug may comprise silicone, although other materials may be employed in other embodiments as may be understood by one having skill in the art.
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be configured to apply an electrical charge to the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen that are dispensed. In the depicted embodiment, an electrode 28 may be positioned near the outlet 20 of the pollen storage container 12. The electrode 28 may be configured to impart a charge on the grains of pollen as they are dispensed through the outlet 20 of the pollen storage container 12. The electrical charge imparted by the electrode 28 may be, for example, configured to attract the grains of pollen to silks of the corn to which the grains of pollen are applied. Accordingly, applying an electrical charge to the pollen may facilitate pollination. However, not all embodiments of the apparatus 10 may apply an electrical charge to the grains of pollen, and pollination may occur without application of an electrical charge.
In embodiments of the apparatus 10 employing the electrode 28 to apply an electrical charge to the grains of pollen, the apparatus may further comprise contacts 30 (or other device) configured to ground a user of the apparatus. For example, the contacts 30 may be configured to ground the user and/or the apparatus 10 through a ground line coupled to a ground prong of an electrical outlet in embodiments employing an electrical cord. Thereby, the ground may prevent a charge from building on the user or the apparatus 10 as the electrode 28 imparts a charge to the grains of pollen.
The above-described apparatus 10 may comprise a powder coating gun sold as Model No. 01-06100 by WAI Powder Coating System, of Royersford, Pa., or an adaptation thereof. For example, the electrode 28 may be removed in embodiments of the apparatus 10 configured to dispense the grains of pollen without applying an electrical charge to the grains of pollen. Further, the apparatus 10 may be adapted to be powered by a battery as opposed to powered by an electrical cord.
Additionally, the apparatus 10 may further comprise an environmental control mechanism configured to control an environmental condition within the pollen storage container 12. For example, the environmental condition may comprise temperature, humidity, light exposure, and/or other environmental conditions. Thereby, the apparatus 10 may comprise a heating element, condenser, or other environmental control mechanism configured to heat or cool the grains of pollen in the pollen storage container 12. In one embodiment the environmental control mechanism may comprise a jacket configured to partially or fully surround the pollen storage container 12. The jacket may be heated or cooled so as to control the temperature within the pollen storage container 12 to achieve a desired temperature of the grains of pollen therein and thereby maintain viability of the grains of pollen. In one embodiment the jacket may comprise a gel or other substance of relatively high thermal capacity. Thereby, for example, the jacket may be heated or cooled, and then attached to the pollen storage container 12 to heat or cool the grains of pollen therein without necessarily requiring a power source to control the temperature of the grains of pollen during the usage of the apparatus 10. Further a fan, the condenser, or a separate dehumidifier may be employed to regulate humidity within the compartment 14 of the pollen storage container.
With regard to light exposure, a coating may be applied to the pollen storage container 12 to reduce visible, ultraviolet, and/or infrared light transmission through the pollen storage container to the grains of pollen. Alternatively, the material from which the pollen storage container is formed may be selected to limit light transmission. Accordingly, one or more conditions within the compartment 14 of the pollen storage container 12 may be regulated. Thereby, for example, the viability of the grains of pollen may be maintained for an extended period of time. Alternatively or additionally, the environmental conditions may be controlled in a manner that facilitates dispensing of the grains of pollen and/or improves adhesion of the grains of pollen to the plant to which the grains of pollen are applied.
However, various other embodiments of apparatuses may be employed to dispense pollen by dispensing grains of pollen from a pollen storage container beyond the embodiment illustrated in
Thus, various embodiments of apparatuses may be employed to dispense the grains of pollen. Methods for dispensing grains of pollen will now be described. While the description may generally describe operations conducted by embodiments of the apparatus 10 illustrated in
The method may also comprise connecting the pollen storage container containing the plurality of grains of pollen to a dispensing device at operation 106. For example, the above-described pollen storage container 12 of
The method may also comprise dispensing at least a portion of the plurality of grains of pollen from the pollen storage container with the dispensing device without applying an electrical charge to the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen at operation 108. In this regard, in embodiments employing the apparatus 10 of
As illustrated, the method may comprise collecting a plurality of grains of pollen at operation 202. Further, the method may comprise inserting the plurality of grains of pollen into a pollen storage container at operation 204. Additionally, the method may include connecting the pollen storage container containing the plurality of grains of pollen to a dispensing device at operation 206. Also, the method may comprise dispensing at least a portion of the plurality of grains of pollen from the pollen storage container with the dispensing device to pollinate a plant at operation 208. As described above, at least one of the plant and the grains of pollen may be known in some embodiments.
In some embodiments the method may additionally or alternatively comprise other operations including those operations illustrated in dashed lines in
Additionally, the method may comprise controlling an environmental condition within the pollen storage container at operation 212. As described above, in some embodiments the environmental condition may comprise temperature, humidity, and/or light exposure in some embodiments, although various other environmental conditions may be controlled in other embodiments. The method may also include powering the dispensing device with a battery, as illustrated at operation 214. However, in other embodiments the dispensing device may be powered through use of a power cord, which may, for example, receive and convert alternating current to direct current.
Further, the step of dispensing at least a portion of the plurality of grains of pollen from the pollen storage container at operation 208 may comprise dispensing at least a portion of the plurality of grains of pollen without applying an electrical charge to the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen at operation 216. Although the method in
The method may additionally comprise controlling dispensing of the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen by selectively varying a flow rate at which the dispensing device dispenses the plurality of grains of pollen at operation 222. In some embodiments varying the flow rate at operation 222 may comprise adjusting a fan speed of the dispensing device at operation 224. For example, in embodiments employing the apparatus 10, the trigger 26 may be configured to vary the fan speed depending on how far the trigger is depressed.
Additionally, pollinating the plant with the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen may comprise pollinating a corn plant at operation 226, as mentioned above in an example embodiment. However, as may be understood by one having skill in the art, the methods and apparatuses disclosed herein may be employed to pollinate various other varieties of plants. In embodiments of the method involving pollinating a corn plant at operation 226, the method may further comprise preventing pollination by an alternate pollen source by covering a plurality of silks of the corn plant prior to pollinating the corn plant with the dispensing device, as illustrated at operation 228. Thereby, it may be more likely that pollination occurs with the grains of pollen dispensed from the pollen storage container rather than with other grains of pollen from alternate pollen sources.
In some embodiments the method may further comprise dispensing at least a portion of a second plurality of grains of pollen from a second pollen storage container with the dispensing device at operation 230. The second pollen storage container may be a separate pollen storage container in some embodiments, whereas in other embodiments the second pollen storage container may refer to reuse of the first pollen storage container after the first plurality of grains of pollen have been removed and the second plurality of grains of pollen have been inserted. Thus, a single pollen storage container may be reused in some embodiments, whereas in other embodiments new pollen storage containers may be employed. The pollen storage container may be cleaned when reused to prevent cross-contamination in some embodiments.
The method may also comprise cleaning the dispensing device at operation 232 prior to dispensing the portion of the second plurality of grains of pollen at operation 230. Cleaning the dispensing device at operation 232 may involve cleaning an outlet of a fan of the dispensing device at operation 234. However, various other parts and components of the dispensing device may be cleaned in other embodiments. For example, in embodiments employing the apparatus 10 to apply an electrical charge to the grains of pollen, the electrode 28 may also be cleaned. In this regard, it is noted that embodiments of the apparatus 10 which do not employ the electrode 28 to apply an electric charge to the grains of pollen may present fewer potential possibilities for cross-contamination.
By employing the methods and/or the apparatus 10 disclosed herein, the grains of pollen may be applied in a relatively more efficient manner than may be accomplished by manually applying the pollen with a tassel bag. In particular, the apparatus 10 (or other dispensing device in accordance with the disclosure herein) may selectively dispense the pollen onto the plant in a controlled manner. Further, the pollen may be dispensed directly at the desired portion of the plant so as to more effectively use the grains of pollen, and potentially lead to greater pollination rates. By selectively directing pollen in this manner, less pollen may be required to pollinate the same number of plants as compared to application of the pollen using tassel bags. Additionally, selectively directing pollen in this manner may cause the pollen to pollinate only the target plant, since the direction in which the pollen are directed and the quantity thereof may be carefully controlled using a dispensing device such as the apparatus 10 from
In some embodiments pollinating the plant with the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen may comprise pollinating a known plant with known grains of pollen to create a predetermined gamete cross. Thus, knowledge of the characteristics of the pollen and the plant to which the pollen is applied may be employed to create a known cross in some embodiments. However, in other embodiments pollinating the plant with the portion of the plurality of grains of pollen may comprise pollinating an unknown plant and/or pollinating a plant with plurality of unknown grains of pollen to create a gamete cross. In this regard, in some embodiments the characteristics of the cross may not be completely known at the time of pollination.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US12/29743 | 3/20/2012 | WO | 00 | 1/2/2014 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61466807 | Mar 2011 | US |
