Polyploid castor plants, compositions derived therefrom and uses of same

Abstract

A polyploid castor plant being at least as fertile as a diploid castor plant isogenic to the polyploid castor plant when grown under similar conditions.

1 . A polyploid castor plant being at least as fertile as a diploid castor plant isogenic to said polyploid castor plant when grown under similar conditions. 
     
     
         2 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein said fertility is determined by at least one of:
 number of seeds per plant;   gamete fertility assay; and   acetocarmine pollen staining.   
     
     
         3 . The plant of  claim 1 , exhibiting genomic stability for at least 5 passages. 
     
     
         4 . The plant of  claim 1 , having seed yield at least as similar to that of said diploid castor plant. 
     
     
         5 . The plant of  claim 1 , having oil yield at least as similar to that of said diploid castor plant. 
     
     
         6 . The plant of  claim 1 , having a larger surface area of a leaf than that of said diploid castor plant. 
     
     
         7 . The plant of  claim 1 , having a larger stomata surface than that of said diploid castor plant. 
     
     
         8 . The plant of  claim 1 , being a tetraploid. 
     
     
         9 . The plant of  claim 1 , capable of cross-breeding with a diploid plant. 
     
     
         10 . The plant of  claim 1 , being an autopolyploid. 
     
     
         11 . The plant of  claim 1  being an inbred. 
     
     
         12 . A castor plant as deposited under the Budapest treaty in NCIMB Ltd. and having Accession No. NCIMB 41593  Ricinus communis  B2-20-4N. 
     
     
         13 . A plant part of the castor plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . Castor oil produced from the plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . Castor meal produced from the plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . The plant part of  claim 13  being a seed. 
     
     
         17 . An isolated regenerable cell of the castor plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . The cell of  claim 16 , exhibiting genomic stability for at least 5 passages in culture. 
     
     
         19 . The cell of  claim 17  being from a meristem, pollen, a leaf, a root, a root tip, an anther, a pistil, a flower, a seed or a stem. 
     
     
         20 . A tissue culture comprising the regenerable cell of  claim 17 . 
     
     
         21 . A method of producing castor seeds, comprising self-breeding or cross-breeding the plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         22 . A method of producing castor oil, the method comprising:
 (a) harvesting seeds of the castor plant of  claim 1 ; and   (b) processing said seeds so as to produce the castor oil.   
     
     
         23 . A method of generating a polyploid castor seed, the method comprising:
 (a) applying a magnetic field to castor seeds; and   (b) contacting said castor seeds with a G2/M cell cycle inhibitor thereby generating the polyploid castor seed.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said G2/M cell cycle inhibitor comprises a microtubule polymerization inhibitor. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said microtubule polymerization inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of colchicine, nocodazole, oryzaline, trifluraline and vinblastine sulphate.