Patent ID: 7541514
Filing Date: 2009-06-02
Classification: A01H

Abstract:
1. A method of producing an apomictic plant from sexual plants, the method comprising the steps of: (a) quantifying divergence in female developmental schedules of plants from an angiospermous plant species, genus, or family, including collecting data comprising the meiotic or embryo sac development stage, pistil length and width, inner and outer integument lengths, and meiocyte or embryo sac length and width; (b) identifying and selecting a first and second sexual plant from an angiospermous plant species, genus, or family based on differences in the timing of female developmental schedules quantified in step (a), wherein the initiation time of embryo sac formation in the first plant occurs at about the same time as or before megasporogenesis in the second plant relative to the developmental maturity of the nongametophytic ovule and ovary tissues, wherein the nongametophytic ovule and ovary tissues comprise at least one member of the group consisting of nucellus, integument, pericarp, hypanthium, and pistil wall, such that a hybrid of the first and second sexual plant would result in asynchronous female development; (c) hybridizing the first plant and second plant; (d) recovering seed therefrom; (e) sowing the seed, and (f) selecting a hybrid plant that is apomictic.