Methods for enhancing the production and consumer traits of plants

Abstract

The invention provides methods for producing plants, plant materials and seeds that have multiple desirable attributes for consumers of these products, as well as for commercial plant growers, and to improved plants, plant materials and seeds that are produced by these methods. These inventive methods provide hybrid plants, plant materials and seeds having the mutant shrunken-2i (sh2-i) allele incorporated into their genomes, preferably sequentially along with one or more other mutant alleles, such as the sugary-1 (su1), sugary enhancer-1 (se1) and/or shrunken-2 (sh2) alleles, and that have multiple beneficial traits, including an extended sugar retention ability at the post prime eating stage and a significantly enhanced vigor and fitness to the plant, plant material and/or seed during seed germination, seedling emergence from soil, and plant development.

1 - 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . A plant comprising a genome including a shrunken-2i allele in a genetic background of one or more additional mutant alleles providing the plant with one or more desirable traits, wherein the plant is conferred with an enhanced vigor in comparison with a conventional mutant shrunken-2 or shrunken-2i plant and one or more other beneficial traits, such as an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant. 
     
     
         47 . A plant of  claim 46 , wherein the other mutant alleles are mutant endosperm alleles. 
     
     
         48 . A plant of  claim 47 , wherein the mutant endosperm alleles are sugary-1, sugary enhancer-1 or shrunken-2 mutant alleles, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         49 . A plant of  claim 48 , wherein the genetic background is Su1Su1 sh2sh2. 
     
     
         50 . A plant of  claim 50 , wherein the genome includes an endosperm allelic combination of Su1Su1 sh2-i sh2-i. 
     
     
         51 . A plant of  claim 50 , wherein the plant is a crop plant. 
     
     
         52 . A plant of  claim 51 , wherein the crop plant is a grain crop. 
     
     
         53 . A plant of  claim 52 , wherein the grain crop is classified as  Zea mays.    
     
     
         54 . A plant of  claim 53 , wherein the grain crop is classified as  Zea mays ., var.  rugosa.    
     
     
         55 . A plant of  claim 53 , wherein the plant has an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant. 
     
     
         56 . A plant of  claim 53 , wherein the plant is Sweet Corn Hybrid ACX SS 1082Y sh2-i. 
     
     
         57 . A plant of  claim 53 , wherein the plant is Sweet Corn Hybrid ACR SS 4500Y. 
     
     
         58 . A plant of  claim 53 , wherein the plant is Sweet Corn Hybrid ACR SS 4501 Y. 
     
     
         59 . A plant having an enhanced vigor in comparison with a conventional mutant shrunken-2 or shrunken-2i plant and one or more other desirable traits, such as an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant, which is produced by the method of claim  1 . 
     
     
         60 . A plant having an enhanced vigor in comparison with a conventional mutant shrunken-2 or shrunken-2i plant and one or more other desirable traits, such as an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant, which is produced by the method of claim  11 . 
     
     
         61 . A plant seed comprising a genome including a shrunken-2i allele in a genetic background of one or more additional mutant alleles providing the plant seed with one or more desirable traits, wherein the plant seed is conferred with an enhanced vigor in comparison with a conventional mutant shrunken-2 or shrunken-2i plant seeds and one or more other beneficial traits, such as an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant seed. 
     
     
         62 . A plant seed of  claim 61 , wherein the other mutant alleles are mutant endosperm alleles. 
     
     
         63 . A plant seed of  claim 62 , wherein the mutant endosperm alleles are sugary-1, sugary enhancer-1 or shrunken-2 mutant alleles, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         64 . A plant seed of  claim 48 , wherein the genetic background is Su1Su1 sh2sh2. 
     
     
         65 . A plant seed of  claim 64 , wherein the genome includes an endosperm allelic combination of Su1Su1 sh2-i sh2-i. 
     
     
         66 . A plant seed of  claim 65 , wherein the plant seed is produced by a crop plant. 
     
     
         67 . A plant seed of  claim 66 , wherein the crop plant is a grain crop. 
     
     
         68 . A plant seed of  claim 67 , wherein the grain crop is classified as  Zea mays.    
     
     
         69 . A plant seed of  claim 68 , wherein the grain crop is classified as  Zea mays ., var.  rugosa.    
     
     
         70 . A plant seed of  claim 68 , wherein the plant seed has an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant seed. 
     
     
         71 . A plant seed of  claim 68 , wherein the plant seed is produced by Sweet Corn Hybrid ACX SS 1082Y sh2-i. 
     
     
         72 . A plant seed of  claim 68 , wherein the plant seed is produced by Sweet Corn Hybrid ACR SS 4500Y. 
     
     
         73 . A plant seed of  claim 68 , wherein the plant seed is produced by Sweet Corn Hybrid ACR SS 4501Y. 
     
     
         74 . A plant seed having an enhanced vigor in comparison with a conventional mutant shrunken-2 or shrunken-2i plant seed and one or more other desirable traits, such as an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant seed, which is produced by the method of claim  1 . 
     
     
         75 . A plant seed having an enhanced vigor in comparison with a conventional mutant shrunken-2 or shrunken-2i plant seed and one or more other desirable traits, such as an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant seed, which is produced by the method of claim  11 . 
     
     
         76 . A plant material comprising a genome including a shrunken-2i allele included in a genetic background of one or more additional mutant alleles providing the plant material with one or more desirable traits, wherein the plant material is conferred with an enhanced vigor in comparison with a conventional mutant shrunken-2 or shrunken-2i plant material and one or more other beneficial traits, such as an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant material. 
     
     
         77 . A plant material having an enhanced vigor in comparison with a conventional mutant shrunken-2 or shrunken-2i plant material and one or more other desirable traits, such as an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant material, which is produced by the method of claim  1 . 
     
     
         78 . A plant material having both an enhanced vigor in comparison with a conventional mutant shrunken-2 or shrunken-2i plant material and one or more other desirable traits, such as an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant material, which is produced by the method of claim  11 . 
     
     
         79 . A plant material of  claim 77 , wherein the other mutant alleles are mutant endosperm alleles. 
     
     
         80 . A plant material of  claim 79 , wherein the mutant endosperm alleles are sugary-1, sugary enhancer-1 or shrunken-2 mutant alleles, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         81 . A plant material of  claim 80 , wherein the genetic background is Su1Su1 sh2sh2. 
     
     
         82 . A plant material of  claim 81 , wherein the genome includes an endosperm allelic combination of Su1Su1 sh2-i sh2-i. 
     
     
         83 . A plant material of  claim 82 , wherein the plant material is produced by a crop plant. 
     
     
         84 . A plant material of  claim 83 , wherein the crop plant is a grain crop. 
     
     
         85 . A plant material of  claim 84 , wherein the grain crop is classified as  Zea mays.    
     
     
         86 . A plant material of  claim 85 , wherein the grain crop is classified as  Zea mays ., var.  rugosa.    
     
     
         87 . A plant material of  claim 86 , wherein the plant material has an enhanced ability to retain sugar over a period of time following a prime eating stage thereof in comparison with a conventional mutant sugary-1 or shrunken-2i plant material. 
     
     
         88 . A plant material of  claim 85 , wherein the plant material is produced by Sweet Corn Hybrid ACX SS 1082Y sh2-i. 
     
     
         89 . A plant material of  claim 85 , wherein the plant material is produced by Sweet Corn Hybrid ACR SS 4500Y. 
     
     
         90 . A plant material of  claim 85 , wherein the plant material is produced by Sweet Corn Hybrid ACR SS 4501Y. 
     
     
         91 - 133 . (canceled)