Methods for manipulating yield of plants and identifying yield genes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11856903-B2
Application number	US-201414562489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Sep 8, 2008
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

Methods for manipulating yield and generation time of plants, especially short day plants such as soybean are provided. The methods comprise manipulating external signals such as long day conditions, short day conditions, growth medium, and nutrient supply.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for increasing yield of a soybean plant, the method comprising:
(i) planting a seed of the soybean plant and growing the plant under long day growing conditions wherein the long day growing conditions comprise at least about 14 hours of light per day;
(ii) after said long day conditions, growing the plant under short day growing conditions for about 3 to about 21 days, wherein the period of short day growing conditions is initiated at a plant growth stage prior to V4 and wherein the short day growing conditions comprise about 9 to about 11 hours of light per day;
(iii) after said short day growing conditions, growing the plant under long day growing conditions, wherein the long day growing conditions comprise a light intensity of between 1000 and 2000 μmoles m −2 s −1 ; and
(iv) allowing seed to form, wherein more of said seed forms relative to a control plant grown for the same amount of time but without all of said steps (i)-(iii);
wherein said steps (i)-(iii) induce flowering.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the long day growing conditions comprise a temperature between about 84° F. and about 90° F. and a night temperature between about 62° F. and about 70° F.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short day growing conditions comprise a day temperature between about 78° F. and about 82° F. and a night temperature between about 66° F. and about 70° F.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising growing the soybean plant under conditions that restrict vegetative growth and enhance flowering.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises growing the soybean plant in a soil volume between about 2.0 mL and about 4.0 mL of soil volume for every seed to be produced.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the soybean plant nutrients sufficient to support seed development.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the nutrients are selected from the group consisting of calcium nitrate, phosphate, micronutrients, and magnesium sulfate and the amount of nutrients supplied provide a soil electro-conductivity (EC) of about 1.0 to about 1.6 mmhos and a soil pH of about 5.1 to about 6.0.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short day growing conditions comprise a light intensity between about 700 and about 900 μmoles m −2 s −1 .

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short day growing conditions comprise growing the plant under short day growing conditions for 7 to 14 days.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein more flowers and pods set per internode are formed on the soybean plant relative to methods not comprising steps (i)-(iii).

Assignees

• Monsanto Technology Llc

Inventors

• Ovadya Daniel J
• Karunanandaa Bala
• Gabbert Karen
• Zeng Qin

Classifications

• A01H3/02 Primary

  by controlling duration, wavelength, intensity, or periodicity of illumination · CPC title

• A01H5/10

  Seeds · CPC title

• A01H6/542

  Glycine max [soybean] · CPC title

• A01G22/50

  Cotton · CPC title

• A01G22/40

  Fabaceae, e.g. beans or peas · CPC title