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US 20030029078A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. N0.: US 2003/0029078 A1 Pedersen et al. (43) Pub. Date: Feb. 13, 2003 (54) METHODS AND CUTTINGS FOR MASS (30) Foreign Application Priority Data PROPAGATION OF PLANT PARASITES Jul. 9, 2001 (DK) .............................. .. PA 2001 01078 (76) Inventors: Jorgen Smidstrup Damgaard Pedersen, Stenstrup (DK); Bo I. Publication Classi?cation J orgensen, Holbaek (DK) (51) Int. Cl? ............................. .. A01C 1/00; A01G 1/00 (52) Us. 01. ......................................................... .. 47/1.1 R Correspondence Address: (57) ABSTRACT JACOBSON HOLMAN PROFESSIONAL LIMITED LIABILITY The invention relates to the ?eld of plant propagation and COMPANY more speci?cally to the mass propagation of plants With 400 SEVENTH STREET, N.W. plant parasites, preferably of plants With green plant para WASHINGTON, DC 20004 (US) sites, so called herni-parasites. Accordingly there is provided a method for preparation of a plant comprising in successive order establishing at least one plant parasite on at least one (21) Appl. No.: 10/190,602 branch of a host plant, cutting at least one branch With at least one established plant parasite, and rooting the at least (22) Filed: Jul. 9, 2002 one cut branch. Patent Application Publication Feb. 13, 2003 Sheet 1 0f 5 US 2003/0029078 A1 Fig. 1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 13, 2003 Sheet 2 0f 5 US 2003/0029078 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 13, 2003 Sheet 3 0f 5 US 2003/0029078 A1 Fig. 3 Patent Application Publication Feb. 13, 2003 Sheet 4 0f 5 US 2003/0029078 A1 Patent Application Publication Feb. 13, 2003 Sheet 5 0f 5 US 2003/0029078 A1 US 2003/0029078 A1 Feb. 13, 2003 METHODS AND CUTTINGS FOR MASS established plant parasite. Traditionally, production is done PROPAGATION OF PLANT PARASITES in a tWo step process. In the ?rst step the mother plant is propagated by any knoWn means such as germination of TECHNICAL FIELD seeds, by cuttings, by grafting or through in vitro culture and subsequently groWn to a certain siZe. In the second step, the [0001] The invention relates to the ?eld of plant propaga plant parasite is established on the host plant, and after tion and more speci?cally to the mass propagation of plants successful establishment the plant is cultured until the plant With plant parasites, preferably of plants With green plant parasite has reached an acceptable siZe. The period from parasites, so called hemi-parasites. soWing the seed on the host plant until the plant is ready for [0002] This application claims the priority of Danish sale may Well take tWo to three years or more. For a plant patent application no. PA 2001 01078 ?led on Jul. 9, 2001, that is to be sold in a temperate climate Zone, this production Which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. All is normally carried out in greenhouses, since most pot plants patent and non-patent references cited in that application, or are of tropic or sub-tropic origin. Due to the requirement for in the present application, are also hereby incorporated by greenhouse facilities and the length of the production period, reference in their entirety. the priZe of such a product is prohibitively high for the average consumer. BACKGROUND [0007] GroWing the plants With the plant parasite outdoors under tropical or sub-tropical conditions may loWer the costs [0003] Plants With plant parasites are groWn for a variety for climate control, but shipping costs make this possibility of purposes. Some plant parasites such as mistletoes contain less attractive. Besides, most countries or regions have active ingredients that are used as pharmaceutical prepara restrictions against the import of rooted plants With soil, due tions for treating a number of diseases including cancer and to the risk of spreading plant pathogens. AIDS. [0008] Consequently, the price of such plants is very high [0004] Mistletoe may also be used for producing medica and there is a need in the ?eld to provide cost effective ments for the treatment of diseases of the small intestine methods for producing plants With established plant para (disorders caused by medicaments or infections), of bone sites to be used as pot plants, ornamental plants and for marroW (aplasia and insuf?ciency, for instance as a result of production of plant parasite biomass for pharmaceutical agranulositosis caused by medicaments or radiation), of the thymus (dysfunction, aplasia or hypoplasia), the spleen purposes. (dysfunction), lymph nodes (aplasia or hypoplasia resulting SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION from disorders caused by medicaments or radiation), for adjuvant treatment -also combined With chemopharmaceu [0009] In a ?rst aspect the invention relates to a method for ticals- of analgesia, of liver, pancreas and kidney disorders preparation of a plant comprising in successive order estab as Well as malign tumors, specially of breast, cervical, colon lishing at least one plant parasite on at least one branch of or prostate carcinoma. Viscum dry extracts can also be used a host plant, cutting at least one branch With at least one to stimulate cellular immunity, to treat leucocytopenia, established plant parasite, and rooting the at least one cut granulocytopenia, lymphocytopenia, erythrocytopenia as branch. Well as immunoglobulin de?ciencies as a result of cancer, disorders characteriZed by a de?ciency of the immune [0010] Preferably, the invention relates to host plants for system, specially AIDS, in addition to bacterial and viral Which commercially feasible methods for propagation via induced symptoms such as in?ammatory disorders of the cuttings are available or can be developed. small intestine, the pancreas and the kidneys, hepatitis A, B [0011] In a number of investigated cases it turns out that and C, skin lesions (ulcus cruis), herpes simpleX I and II as the cuttings are capable of rooting With substantially the Well as herpes Zoster, and also to treat hyperlipoproteinemia same rooting percentages as cuttings Without plant parasites With high levels of cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycer despite the presence of the parasites. This is unexpected due ides and loW levels of HDL cholesterol (W0 98/ 13053). to the presence of the plant parasite. [0005] Plants With parasites, especially hemi-parasites, are [0012] Furthermore, several advantages are obtained by also groWn for ornamental purposes and are used as pot the inventive method. plants, bonZais or ornamental garden plants. Due to high production costs this market has been very limited up till [0013] Many plant parasites may be established on the noW. HoWever, World Wide there is an increased demand for same motherplant. Thereby less space is taken up by the unusual plants, not just for plant collectors but also for method compared to prior art methods. Furthermore, large ordinary consumers of pot plants. Mistletoes are tradition and strong mother plants can be used as hosts for the ally associated With Christmas in a number of countries, and parasites. Large plants can more easily tolerate the presence it is believed that price is the primary obstacle against pot of the parasites and can better support the groWth of the plants With mistletoes becoming a major sales success parasites. After cutting the ?rst series of cuttings from the during the Christmas season. Asigni?cant market for mistle motherplant, a neW series of plant parasites can be soWn on toes is the sale as cut-green or cut-greens. Branches for this the branches of the same motherplant to produce a neW purpose are normally cut in nature in areas of massive round of cuttings With plant parasites. mistletoe infections. [0014] Another great advantage is that the host plant With [0006] The commercial production of pot plants and orna the parasites can be groWn outdoors in a climate Zone mental garden plants is very limited due to high costs suitable for the host plant, preferably in its natural distribu associated With the steps required to produce a plant With an tion area. Cuttings carrying the established plant parasite can US 2003/0029078 A1 Feb. 13, 2003 then be shipped to the climate Zone Where the plants are to different parasitic plants) are termed haustoria. Most knoWn be sold ultimately. Cuttings can normally be imported With parasitic plants thus de?ned belong to the dicotyledons. out any quarantine restrictions. In the climate Zone, Where the plants are to be sold the cuttings can be rooted and groWn [0024] Among parasitic plants commonly a distinction is until ready for sale. Thereby the time necessary in green made betWeen holoparasites (lacking chlorophyll and pho house can be considerably shortened. tosynthesis, absorbing organic matter from the hosts) and hemiparasites (green, photosynthesising, absorbing mainly [0015] According to another aspect, the invention relates inorganic nutrients from the hosts). The borders are, hoW to a method for preparation of a plant comprising in suc ever, not entirely clear, and several representatives of holo cessive order establishing at least one plant parasite on a ?rst parasitic groups have been demonstrated to contain at least host plant, cutting at least one piece of the ?rst host plant With the at least one established plant parasite, and grafting traces of chlorophyll. the at least one cut piece on a second host plant using [0025] According to an especially preferred embodiment tip-budding. of the invention, the plant parasite is a hemi-parasite. [0016] One advantage of this aspect of the invention is that Examples of hemiparasites useful according to the present the production time can be reduced. Preferably the plant invention include, but are not limited to those belonging to parasites are established on relatively large and healthy host the genera listed in Example 2. plants, on Which the parasites can groW to a considerable siZe. As soon as the graft union is successful the plant is [0026] Holo-parasites: a list of genera With primarily ready for sale.