Non-destructive assay for soybean seeds using near infrared analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11668651-B2
Application number	US-202217655190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2022
Priority date	Mar 3, 2017
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for spectral imaging of soybean samples to accurately and non-destructively measure the amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide in the soybean samples. Populations containing modified and unmodified soybean seeds and having varying amounts of sucrosyl-oligosaccharides, oil or protein can be sorted and separated and further used in soybean processing or breeding.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing soybean seeds genetically modified to contain increased oil and increased protein compared with unmodified soybean seeds in a plurality of seeds comprising the modified soybean seeds and the unmodified soybean seeds, the method comprising
(a) directing near infrared light from a light source onto a sample comprising a soybean seed from the plurality of soybean seeds to form modified light from the soybean seed;
(b) receiving the modified light in an imaging device;
(c) measuring the amount of a sucrosyl-oligosaccharide in the soybean seed based on the received modified light;
(d) repeating steps (a) to (c) for at least 100 samples from the plurality of soybean seeds, wherein an amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide below a threshold value indicates high oil and high protein in the seed; and wherein (i) at least 90% of the plurality of soybean seeds below the threshold value are the modified soybean seeds or (ii) at least 90% of the plurality of seeds above the threshold value are the unmodified soybean seeds.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises an individual soybean seed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sucrosyl-oligosaccharide is a mixture of stachyose and raffinose.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sucrosyl-oligosaccharide is stachyose.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the seeds above the threshold value differ by a least 1 wt. % stachyose from the seeds below the threshold value.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the threshold value is about 1 percentage point.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of seeds comprises at least 1 kg of seeds and less than 1,000 kg of seeds.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising transporting the plurality of seeds to a first location when the amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide is below the threshold value and transporting the plurality of seeds to a different second location when the amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide is above the threshold value.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the threshold value is at least 0.1 percentage points and less than 1.5 percentage points.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising transporting the plurality of seeds to a first location when the amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide is below the threshold value and transporting the plurality of seeds to a different second location when the amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide is above the threshold value.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of a sucrosyl-oligosaccharide measured in step (c) is an average amount for the plurality of seeds.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of seeds comprise a genetic modification to increase expression of a diglyceride acyltransferase or to express a modified diglyceride acyltransferase and wherein the seeds below the threshold value in step (d) comprise the genetic modification.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seed is viable after step (c).

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the imaging device in step (b) is calibrated using a plurality of soybean seeds having variable stachyose contents falling in a range that includes values of less than 0.3 wt. % stachyose and more than 4.5 wt. % stachyose.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified light comprises transmitted light.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified light comprises reflected light.

17. A method for measuring the amount of a sucrosyl-oligosaccharide in soybean meal or soybean flakes, the method comprising:
(a) directing near infrared light from a light source onto a soybean meal or flake sample to form modified light from the soybean meal or flake sample;
(b) receiving the modified light in an imaging device;
(c) measuring the amount of a sucrosyl-oligosaccharide in the soybean meal or flake sample based on the received modified light, the amount of the sucrosyl-oligosaccharide being measured to an accuracy that is within 1 wt. % of the amount measured using a standard reference analytical method; and
(d) processing the soybean meal or soybean flakes to produce a soy protein concentrate when the amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide measured is below a threshold value between 1 wt. % and 0.1 wt. % and processing the soybean meal or soybean flakes without producing a soy protein concentrate when the amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide measured is at or above the threshold value.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the sucrosyl-oligosaccharide is stachyose.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the amount of a sucrosyl-oligosaccharide measured in step (c) is an average amount for the soybean meal or soybean flakes.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the soybean flakes are defatted soybean flakes.

21. A method for measuring the amount of a sucrosyl-oligosaccharide in soybean meal or soybean flakes, the method comprising:
(a) directing near infrared light from a light source onto a soybean meal or flake sample to form modified light from the soybean meal or flake sample;
(b) receiving the modified light in an imaging device;
(c) measuring the amount of a sucrosyl-oligosaccharide in the soybean meal or flake sample based on the received modified light, the amount of the sucrosyl-oligosaccharide being measured to an accuracy that is within 1 wt. % of the amount measured using a standard reference analytical method; and
(d) transporting the soybean meal or soybean flakes to a first location when the amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide measured is below a threshold value between 1 wt. % and 0.1 wt. % and transporting the soybean meal or soybean flakes to a different second location when the amount of sucrosyl-oligosaccharide measured is at or above the threshold value.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the soybean flakes are defatted soybean flakes.

Assignees

• Pioneer Hi Bred Int

Inventors

• Allen Ross M
• Everard John D
• Ren Min

Classifications

• G01N21/359 Primary

  using near infrared light · CPC title

• C12N15/8245

  involving modified carbohydrate or sugar alcohol metabolism, e.g. starch biosynthesis · CPC title

• C12N15/8247

  involving modified lipid metabolism, e.g. seed oil composition · CPC title

• G01N21/3563

  for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor · CPC title

• G01N2021/3595

  using FTIR · CPC title