The present invention provides a method for improving transformation efficiency of a plant. The method according to the present invention comprises the use of a nucleic acid encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4, or a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85% identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4, and having a function of improving transformation efficiency of a plant.

A process for propagating Theobroma cacao L. is described. The process uses direct or indirect somatic embryogenesis to produce primary embryos from explant material, and then applies direct somatic embryogenesis to the resulting primary embryos to produce secondary embryos. These may be matured, pre-germinated, and germinated to form plantlets. Plants, plants bearing fruit, and plant materials are also provided, as well as methods for processing the fruit of the plants to generate cocoa products.

A hybrid mint plant characterized by an essential oil composition profile, methods of cultivating the hybrid mint plant, and methods of producing an essential oil composition with the essential oil composition profile using the hybrid mint plant are disclosed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The present invention provides a longitudinally split immature filler separated from a rhizome(LSITR), a cluster of multiple in vitro shoots (CMIT), a cluster of stem segments containing shoot primordia (CSSSP) and an in vitro Tiller of Miscanthus x giganteus (Giant miscanthus) and thier uses in propagating Miscanthus x giganteus (Giant miscanthus).

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.

The present invention relates to materials and methods for temporary storage of a cereal plant being regenerated, for the production and regeneration of cereal plants, for increasing yield of a regenerated cereal plant, such as wheat plants. In particular, a step of temporarily immersing plantlets in liquid medium at low temperature is provided.