Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods of preparing a cell, tissue, organ or plant for cryopreservation, wherein the method includes contacting the cell, tissue, organ or plant with a composition including sucrose and/or sucralose.

A method for predicting a likelihood of infection in a set of similarly sourced plant products is disclosed. A subset of plant products is selected from the set of plant products. For each plant product in the subset, a level of expression of one or more infection biomarkers, and optionally a level of expression of one more housekeeping biomarkers, are determined. A set of biomarker expression statistics for the subset of plant products is determined based on the determined levels of expression of the one or more infection biomarkers and optionally the levels of expression of the one or more housekeeping biomarkers for each plant product in the subset. A likelihood of infection in the set of plant products is then predicted based at least in part on the determined set of biomarker expression statistics for the subset of plant products.

A method for predicting a likelihood of infection in a set of similarly sourced plant products is disclosed. A subset of plant products is selected from the set of plant products. For each plant product in the subset, a level of expression of one or more infection biomarkers, and optionally a level of expression of one more housekeeping biomarkers, are determined. A set of biomarker expression statistics for the subset of plant products is determined based on the determined levels of expression of the one or more infection biomarkers and optionally the levels of expression of the one or more housekeeping biomarkers for each plant product in the subset. A likelihood of infection in the set of plant products is then predicted based at least in part on the determined set of biomarker expression statistics for the subset of plant products.

A system for preserving cut-flowers using an atmospheric pressure plasma generator according to an embodiment of the present application includes a container that preserves cut-flowers, an air filter that extracts at least some of moisture contained in air in the container and discharges the same, an air compressor that generates compressed air from the air from which the at least some of the moisture was removed by the air filter, and a plasma generator that generates active species through plasma discharge using the compressed air generated from the air compressor as a plasma discharge gas.

A system for preserving cut-flowers using an atmospheric pressure plasma generator according to an embodiment of the present application includes a container that preserves cut-flowers, an air filter that extracts at least some of moisture contained in air in the container and discharges the same, an air compressor that generates compressed air from the air from which the at least some of the moisture was removed by the air filter, and a plasma generator that generates active species through plasma discharge using the compressed air generated from the air compressor as a plasma discharge gas.

A method for increasing resistance of a plant to one or more abiotic stress is provided. The method includes applying to the plant a combination including: a macrocyclic tetrapyrrole compound selected from the group consisting of a porphyrin, a reduced porphyrin and a mixture thereof; and an oil selected from the group consisting of a mineral oil, a vegetable oil and a mixture thereof. Another method for increasing resistance of a plant to one or more abiotic stress is provided. The method includes applying a macrocyclic tetrapyrrole compound selected from the group consisting of a porphyrin, a reduced porphyrin and a mixture thereof, to at least one of a seed and a seedling of the plant. Corresponding compositions are also provided.

A method for increasing resistance of a plant to one or more abiotic stress is provided. The method includes applying to the plant a combination including: a macrocyclic tetrapyrrole compound selected from the group consisting of a porphyrin, a reduced porphyrin and a mixture thereof; and an oil selected from the group consisting of a mineral oil, a vegetable oil and a mixture thereof. Another method for increasing resistance of a plant to one or more abiotic stress is provided. The method includes applying a macrocyclic tetrapyrrole compound selected from the group consisting of a porphyrin, a reduced porphyrin and a mixture thereof, to at least one of a seed and a seedling of the plant. Corresponding compositions are also provided.

A method for encouraging budding from a growing point of a plant, for inhibiting apical bud growth, and for increasing the number of lateral shoots is disclosed along with the substances made by and used in the method. The excrement produced by the larvae of rhinoceros beetles during growth is used to cause physiological phenomena of plants, such as encouraging a plant to bud (including laterally) or sucker, or inhibiting the growth of the apical bud of a woody plant. These special effects include those achievable by certain plant hormones.

A method for delaying ripening in an agricultural produce is provided. The method includes the steps of (a) contacting a plant material with a nitrite source; (b) providing at least one hypoxia-inducing source to the plant material to enable the production of nitric oxide in presence of the nitrite source; and (c) exposing an agricultural produce to nitric oxide produced in step (b) for delaying ripening in the agricultural produce. The method is beneficial for increasing the shelf-life of an agricultural produce.

Methods and apparatus for sterilizing plant material include disposing plant material in a sub-atmospheric pressure environment, dispersing a non-toxic, non-polymerizable gas into the sub-atmospheric pressure environment, applying an electric field to change the gas into cold plasma, and maintaining exposure of the plant material to the cold plasma until substantially sterilized plant material is obtained, wherein an amount of at least one active constituent in the plant material is substantially unchanged by the sterilizing. The plant material may be Cannabis