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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tetraploid castor plant being at least as fertile as a diploid castor plant isogenic to said polyploid castor plant when grown under similar conditions, wherein the tetraploid castor plant is capable of cross-breeding with a diploid plant to result in a fertile triploid castor plant, wherein said fertile tetraploid or triploid is defined as having at least 90% fertile pollen that are stained by acetocarmine; and alternatively or additionally at least 90% of seeds that germinate on sucrose. 
     
     
         2 . The plant of  claim 1 , exhibiting genomic stability for at least 5 passages. 
     
     
         3 . The plant of  claim 1 , having seed yield at least as similar to that of said diploid castor plant. 
     
     
         4 . The plant of  claim 1 , having oil yield at least as similar to that of said diploid castor plant. 
     
     
         5 . The plant of  claim 1 , having a larger surface area of a leaf than that of said diploid castor plant. 
     
     
         6 . The plant of  claim 1 , having a larger stomata surface than that of said diploid castor plant. 
     
     
         7 . The plant of  claim 1 , being an autopolyploid. 
     
     
         8 . The plant of  claim 1  being an inbred. 
     
     
         9 . A plant part comprising plant cells of the castor plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . Castor meal comprising plant cells of the castor plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The plant part of  claim 9  being a seed. 
     
     
         12 . An isolated regenerable cell of the castor plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The cell of  claim 12 , exhibiting genomic stability for at least 5 passages in culture. 
     
     
         14 . The cell of  claim 12  being from a meristem, pollen, a leaf, a root, a root tip, an anther, a pistil, a flower, a seed or a stem. 
     
     
         15 . A tissue culture comprising the regenerable cell of  claim 12 . 
     
     
         16 . A method of producing castor seeds, comprising self-breeding or cross-breeding the plant of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . 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.   
     
     
         18 . A fertile triploid castor plant resultant of cross-breeding the plant of  claim 1  with a diploid castor plant. 
     
     
         19 . The castor plant of  claim 1  deposited under the Budapest treaty in NCIMB Ltd. and having Accession No. NCIMB 41593  Ricinus communis  B2-20-4N.