PATENT ABSTRACTS ,292

5084086

HERBICIDE UTILITY ON RESISTANT CROPS

David R Forney, Stephen K Gee, James D Long, Matthew F Schlecht assigned to E I Du Pont de Nemours and Company

This invention relates to sulfonylurea herbicides which control the growth of undesired vegeta- tion and are safe to cotton or soybean plants that contain at least one gene that confers resistance to inhibitors of acetolactate synthase, agri- culturally suitable compositions thereof and a method of their use.

5085588

BACTERIAL PROMOTERS INDUCIBLE BY PLANT

EXTRACTS

Sharon Long, John T Mulligan, Thomas Egel- hoff

Novel constructs are provided containing DNA fragments comprising a Rhizobium nodulation gene divergent transcriptional initiation regulatory region. The region is responsive to plant exudate in the presence of a nod D gene product. When associated with plants, the region can control the expression of structural genes, such as agents active in protecting plants or in- ducing their growth. This invention was funded at least in-part by a grant from the National In- stitutes of Health. The U.S. government may have certain rights in this invention.

5085995

METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAFFRON STIGMA-LIKE TISSUE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING

USEFUL COMPONENTS FROM SAFFRON STIGMA-LIKE TISSUE

Masako Otsuka, Hiroshi Saimoto, Yumiko Murata, Masao Kawashima, Souka, Japan as- signed to Somar Corporation

A method for producing a stigma-like tissue of a saffron flower comprising (1) culturing a corolla tube of a saffron in the presence of a plant hor- mone or (2) culturing a female organ and/or a corolla tube of a saffron flower in the presence of

a plant hormone and alanine, and a method for producing useful components of a saffron flower, e.g., saffron pigment. from the thus pro-

duced stigma-like tissue. The tissue cultures pro- duce larger quantitites of the stigma-like tissue and useful components, compared to that ob- tained by conventional tissue cultures.

5088231

AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR MICROPROPAGATION AND

CULTURING ORGANIC MATERIAL

Malcolm G Kertz assigned to Agristar Inc

An automated system for growing plant material includes an first length of membrane material having a plurality of open growing chambers and a second length of membrane material having a plurality of growing chambers filled with the plant material. A media prepara- tion unit mixes measured amounts of individual stock solutions for dispensing media into the open growing chambers by a till unit. A fill check scanner unit determines that a sufficient amount ofmedia has been dispensed within each growing chamber. A sterilization unit sterilizes the media filled open growing chambers which then pass to a cooling and storage unit for cooling and storing the media-filled open growing chambers until ready for planting with plant material. The second length of plant-filled growing chambers are housed in a plant culture room where the plant material is permitted to grow. A growth detection scanner determines the extent of growth of the plant material. Upon the plant material reaching a predetermined growth, the plant-filled growing chambers pass to a surface sterilization unit for surface sterilizing the plant- filled growing chambers. A cutting opens the growing chambers and the plant material is removed. The removed plant material is passed through a cutting unit where the plant material is cut into pieces. Each piece of plant material is then planted into a media-filled open growing chamber from the cooling and storing unit. A heat sealer closes the open end of the newly plant-filled growing chambers. The newly plant- filled growing chambers are then transported back to the culture room. A tractor feed ap- paratus transports the lengths of growing chambers throughout the automated system and a control system synchronizes and controls the operation of each of the units and tractor feed apparatus.