Breeding plants

Abstract

A process for breeding plants which comprises growing plants of a species in an array of containers charged with growing medium of uniform characteristics in an environment of controlled climatic conditions with controlled supply of nutrients and feed water and changing the positions of the containers within the environment as required to ensure at least substantially uniform exposure of all plants in the containers to conditions in the environment. A process for the breeding of open pollinating plants in a greenhouse environment is also provided. A process for breeding plants which comprises identifying trait leads.

1 . A method for phenotyping plants under controlled climatic conditions, the method comprising:
 (a) growing plants on a growth medium of uniform characteristics and with a controlled supply of nutrients and feed water;   (b) displacing the plants during their growing cycle;   (c) evaluating the plants during their growing cycle; and   (d) selecting for one or more plants having a phenotype of interest.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plants are grown in a greenhouse. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying at least one phenotypic characteristic of a plant at intervals during their growing cycle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the evaluating and/or selecting uses algorithms and/or statistical analysis. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displacing of plants is done based on historical positional data, combined with fertilizer and watering data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising utilizing the selected plant or plants for further breeding or for commercial use or for further evaluating in a field environment or for backcrossing with different varieties of inbred lines of the same crop species or for generating test hybrids or for production of seed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant is rice or corn. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant is corn variety Gaspé or any inbred line derived from Gaspé. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displacement of the plants is done on a conveyer belt. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the phenotypic characteristic is yield, stress tolerance, or yield and stress tolerance. 
     
     
         11 . A method for the analysis of yield, stress tolerance, or yield and stress tolerance, the method comprising:
 (a) growing plants;   (b) displacing the plants during their growing cycle; and   (c) evaluating the plants during their growing cycle for yield, stress tolerance, or yield and stress tolerance parameters.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plants are transgenic plants. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plants are transgenic plants.