Provided are methods and systems for propagating plant material and the plant cells obtained thereby. The method comprises providing a solution comprising a plurality of plant protoplasts comprising an encapsulation medium or encapsulation medium precursor, introducing the solution into a microfluidic device, forming droplets of the solution in the microfluidic device, at least some of which encapsulate a single protoplast, causing the encapsulation medium or encapsulation medium precursor to gelify in the microfluidic device, and collecting the encapsulated protoplasts. The system comprises a microfluidic device comprising a droplet generator, a first injection system comprising a first liquid and configured for injecting the first liquid into the droplet generator, and a second injection system comprising a second liquid and configured for separately injecting a second liquid that is immiscible with the first liquid into the droplet generator. The first liquid is a solution comprising protoplasts and the first liquid comprises an encapsulation medium or encapsulation medium precursor, and the system is configured such that droplets are formed in the droplet generator, each droplet enclosing a single or no protoplast and comprising the encapsulation medium or encapsulation medium precursor. The encapsulation medium or encapsulation medium precursor in the droplets is gelified in the microfluidic to generate gelified droplets enclosing a single or no protoplast.

The present invention refers to a plant or plant part comprising a polynucleotide encoding a wildtype or mutated cellulose synthase (CESA) polypeptide, the expression of said polynucleotide confers to the plant or plant part tolerance to CESA-inhibiting herbicides, such as azines.

The present invention provides medium compositions and methods for the regeneration of the whole plant from explants obtained from plants belonging to the Malvaceae family, particularly the Abelmoschus genus, more preferably Abelmoschus esculentus L, through somatic embryogenesis. The present invention also provides an efficient methodology for genetic transformation of plants belonging to the Malvaceae family through somatic embryogenesis in semisolid culture with the use of the Agrobacterium. The present invention is also related to a method for the development of virus-resistant transgenic plants belonging to the Malvaceae family.

A plant propagation system, process and method are provided for promoting the growth of plant tissue into propagules using a photoautotrophic gel system. The plant propagation system includes a sterile growth vessel that has a vented lid to permit passive diffusion of gases. The process is initiated with one or more sterile rooted explants, which are then cultured in a large container with a vented lid photoautotrophically, which simulates ex-vitro growth conditions. These nodal explants can then be rooted onto photoautotrophic rooting agar gel in vented lid containers and subsequently transferred onto a substrate of choice for mature growth ex-vitro.

A tree eggplant and a cultivation method, a rapid propagation method and an application thereof are provided by the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the Solanum wrightii is specifically selected as the female parent, and the Solanum torvum is used as the male parent, and the tree eggplant variety obtained by hybridization has fast growth, developed trunk, strong growth potential, and is perennial, and is strong in photosynthesis, strong in nutrient and water absorption capacity, high in affinity with the scion, fast in healing at the scion interface of the rootstock and good in healing; and has good resistance to soil-borne diseases such as fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, bacterial wilt and root knot nematode; and the rapid propagation method of the tree eggplant has strong operability and high efficiency, and is easy to popularize in practical application.

A method of producing cannabinoids for use in medical treatments by growing cultured Cannabis sativa plant cells through tissue culture, the method comprising the steps of: selecting Cannabis sativa leaf tissue for culture; and growing a tissue culture from the selected leaf tissue in a liquid based medium whilst controlling the light exposure of the tissue culture to control the cannabinoid content of the tissue culture. Control of the light exposure can enable the phytocannabinoid content of the grown tissue culture to be tailored to the use intended for the tissue culture. For example, the THC content of the tissue culture can be controlled to be maximised or minimised depending on the intended use. Use of tissue culture is beneficial as compared to prior art methods as it allows for genetic consistency and reduces the resources necessary to produce plant cells containing phytocannabinoids.

This invention relates to an agent for inducing a callus comprising a compound represented by Formula (I) or a hydrolysis product of an amide bond thereof: ##STR00001##
wherein Ar.sup.1 represents phenyl substituted with substituent or substituents selected from alkoxy and methylenedioxy; Ar.sup.2 represents phenyl substituted with halogen; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent hydrogen, alkyl, cyano, or carboxyl; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may together form oxo; R.sup.3 to R.sup.10 each represent hydrogen or methyl; and R.sup.3 and R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6, R.sup.7 and R.sup.8, and/or R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 may together form oxo; a method for inducing a callus and a method for plant transformation using such agent for inducing a callus.

A method of producing isothiocyanates includes forming, in a semi-solid or solid callus induction medium, compact callus aggregates from cells obtained from explant material of a Brassica oleracea L. plant. The method includes transferring cells from the callus aggregates, e.g. transferring the callus aggregates, to a suspension culture in a liquid medium in a shake flask, the liquid medium containing a plurality of elicitors. The method further involves transferring, after culturing in the shake flask, cells from the suspension culture to a further suspension culture in a bioreactor containing the elicitors. The method includes extracting and/or purifying of at least one isothiocyanate from cells obtained from the bioreactor. The elicitors have chitosan and salicylic acid to increase accumulation of benzyl isothiocyanate or any other isothiocyanate.

This invention relates to a process for producing a genetically modified seed. In particular, there is provided a process for producing a genetically modified Cannabis seed that germinates into a plant, the process comprising: (a) preparing a cell culture comprising genetically engineered Cannabis cells having at least one gene that expresses a psychoactive cannabinoid deleted; (b) establishing a callus culture for forming a somatic embryo; (c) forming a bio-ink comprising the somatic embryo that is encapsulated by a hydrogel and used as an artificial seed; and (d) three-dimensional (3D) printing the artificial seed comprised in the bio-ink. Also provided the 3D-printed artificial Cannabis seed having a shape other than that of a naturally occurring wild type Cannabis seed.

Disclosed is a method of producing hybrid seeds, in particular hybrid cereal seeds, comprising crossing a stand of shorter female (male sterile) plants (shorter than the fertile plants) with a stand of taller male fertile plants (taller than the sterile plants). The method comprises limiting the proportion of self-fertilized male seed in the final produced seed stock. In particular, the method limits the seed development on male plants after pollination to reduce or eliminate the proportion of self-fertilized male seed in the final produced seed stock. The method limits this proportion of self-fertilized male seed in the final produced seed stock, under a threshold value, preferably under a value to be compliant with a regulatory hybridity level. Limiting the seed stock of male plant comprises passing, at least once, a tool extending above the height of the shorter female plants, but below the level of the height of the taller male fertile plants, between anthesis, preferably end of anthesis, and harvest. The tool is intended to prevent or reduce normal development of these male fertile plants standing above this height. The crossing of female and male fertile plants comprises sowing the seeds as a mix or drilling male sterile seeds and male fertile plant seeds in separate lines. Preferably, said eliminating tool has means to apply an herbicide, preferably systemic, such as glyphosate.