Automated high-throughput seed sampler and methods of sampling, testing and bulking seeds

US8443545B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Monsanto Technology LLC · US

Inventors

• Kevin L. Deppermann · Chesterfield, US
• Lee Yannakakis · Chesterfield, US
• Andrew M. Singleton · Manchester, US
• Angela Ranae Koestel · Chesterfield, US
• David W. Finley · Kirkwood, US
• Brian J. Forinash · Chesterfield, US
• Allen N. Ondes · Chesterfield, US
• Sam Eathington · Ames, US
• Heather M. Forbes · Ankeny, US
• Bruce Schnicker · Wildwood, US
• Jason Bull · Chesterfield, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 24, 2012
• Grant date: May 21, 2013
• Expiry date: Jul 24, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2015/1497
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An automated system for sampling seeds includes a seed loading station for separating individual seeds from a plurality of seeds held in a seed hopper, an imaging station configured to receive the separated seeds from the seed loading station and collect image data of the received seeds, and a seed sampling subsystem configured to remove tissue samples from the seeds after the image data of the seeds is collected. And, an automated method for sampling seeds includes separating individual seeds from a plurality of seeds, imaging the separated seeds, and removing tissue samples from the imaged seeds.