USOO8362329B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,362,329 B2 Rooney et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 29, 2013 (54) INTERGENERIC HYBRIDPLANTS AND Gallo-Meagher et al., “Herbicide resistant transgenic Sugarcane plants containing the bar gene.” CropSci., 36:1367-1374, 1996. METHODS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF Gupta et al., “Morphology of Saccharum-Sorghum hybrid deriva tives.” Amer: J. Bot. 65(9):936-942, 1978. (75) Inventors: William L. Rooney, College Station, TX Hodnett et al., “Pollen-pistill interactions result in reproductive iso (US); George L. Hodnett, College lation between Sorghum bicolor and divergent Sorghum species.” Station, TX (US); Leslie C. Kuhlman, CropSci., 45:1403-1409, 2005. Howeet al., “Rapid and reproducible Agrobacterium-mediated trans Lawrence, KS (US); David M. Stelly, formation of Sorghum.” Plant Cell Rep., 25:784-791, 2006. College Station, TX (US); Harold James Kuhlman et al., “Genetic recombination of Sorghum bicolor X S. Price, College Station, TX (US); macrospermum interspecific hybrids.” Genome, 51:749-756, 2008. Patricia K. Price, legal representative, Kuhlman, "Sorghum Introgression Breeding Utilizing S. College Station, TX (US) macrospermum.” Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas A&M University, Aug. 2007. Laurie et al., “Genetic variation in Sorghum for the inhibition of (73) Assignee: The Texas A&M University System, maize pollen tube growth.” Annals of Botany, 64:675-681, 1989. College Station, TX (US) Lo et al., “Breeding of Saccharum-miscanthus hybrids for fibre resource.” Proceedings XX Congress, pp. 892-898, International (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this Society of Sugar Cane Technologists, Thompson (Ed.). The Organiz patent is extended or adjusted under 35 ing Committee of the XX ISSCT Congress, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Oct. U.S.C. 154(b) by 705 days. 12-21, 1989. Moriya, "Contributions to the cytology of genus Saccharum.” In: (21) Appl. No.: 12/508,907 Cytology vol. 11, Fujii (Ed.) pp. 117-135, Tokyo, 1940-1941. Nair et al., "Characterization of intergeneric hybrids of Saccharum (22) Filed: Jul. 24, 2009 using molecular markers. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 53:163-169, 2006. (65) Prior Publication Data Nair, “Production and cyto-morphological analysis of intergeneric hybrids of Sorghum XSaccharum.” Euphytica, 108:187-191, 1999. US 201O/OOSO5O1 A1 Mar. 4, 2010 Paterson et al., “Ancient polyploidization predating divergence of the cereals, and its consequences for comparative genomics.” PNAS, Related U.S. Application Data 101 (26):9903-9908, 2004. Price et al., "Genotype dependent interspecific hybridization of Sor (60) Provisional application No. 61/103,085, filed on Oct. ghum bicolor.” CropSci., 46:2617-2622, 2006. 6, 2008, provisional application No. 61/083,436, filed Rooney et al., “Designing sorghum as a dedicated bioenergy feed on Jul. 24, 2008. stock.” Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, 1(2): 147-157, 2007. Terajima et al., “The simultaneous production of Sugar and biomass (51) Int. Cl. ethanol using high-biomass Sugarcane derived from inter-specific AOIH 5/00 (2006.01) and inter-generic cross in Japan.” Proceedings of Biomass Asia CI2N 15/82 (2006.01) Workshop 2, Bangkok, Thailand, Dec. 13-15, 2005 (Abstract). Venkatramanet al., “Sugarcane-sorghum hybrids. PI. General outline (52) U.S. Cl. ........ 800/320:800/260:800/278; 800/275; and early characters.” Ind. J. Agric. Sci., 2L:19-27, 1932. 435/415 James, “New types of maize X tripsacum and maize X sorghum (58) Field of Classification Search ........................ None hybrids—their use in maize improvement.” Proceedings of the tenth See application file for complete search history. meeting of the Maize and Sorghum Section of Eucarpia, European Assoc. For Res. On Plant Breedings, Varna, Sep. 17-19, 1979. (56) References Cited * cited by examiner FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS CN 1802441 A T 2006 Primary Examiner — Li Zheng CN 101.037,639 A 9, 2007 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — SNR Denton US LLP WO WO 2004/090171 10, 2004 OTHER PUBLICATIONS (57) ABSTRACT Methods for the production of an intergeneric hybrid plants Laurie and Bennett 1989, Annals of Botany 64:675-681.* Bourne, "A comparative study of certain morphological characters of and plants produced thereby. In certain aspects, intergeneric Surgarcane X sorgo hybrids.” J. Agric. Res., 50:539-552, 1935. hybrid plants are produced by crossing a sorghum parent Bower et al., “High-efficiency, microprojectile-mediated plant comprising a mutant sorghum iap allele with a second cotransformation of Sugarcane, using visible or selectable markers.” moncot plant. Methods for the use of such plants and products Molecular Breeding, 2:239-249, 1996. obtained therefrom are also provided. De Wet et al., “Cytogenetics of introgression from Saccharum into sorghum.” CropSci., 16:568-572, 1976. 12 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2013 Sheet 1 of 6 US 8,362,329 B2 FG. A-B U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2013 Sheet 2 of 6 US 8,362,329 B2 FG 2 U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2013 Sheet 3 of 6 US 8,362,329 B2 AA x MM (clone or clones asy 838 as: i: s fair: tAAMMF, iigis Yegefix:y: *::::::: AAMIMF, exegesis Diverse 2 . COF2Sisternatariation across plans for a set of parentally polynorphic moleciliar raarkers front diverse genome locations. 3. tetermittie fertility, vegetative propagator and biofuel attributes for song trait of the is, depending on results above: tfall F.'s seem similar: analyze a representative set of F plants if Ff parts vary, tier analyzenitary F parts individually, i.e., as cares FIG. 3 U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2013 Sheet 4 of 6 US 8,362,329 B2 AA xMA (clone or cones 9. E. F.G. 4 U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2013 Sheet 5 of 6 US 8,362,329 B2 FIG. SAC U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2013 Sheet 6 of 6 US 8,362,329 B2 25 - Lif-9S wax L-11 S-1 ML-11 S-2 2 1 4 7 1. 13 16 19 2 Interrode Number FIG. 6 US 8,362,329 B2 1. 2 INTERGENERC HYBRIO PLANTS AND Miscanthusfloridulus, Miscanthus sinensis, Zea mays, Zea METHODS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF nicaraguensis, Zea perennis or Zea diploperennis plant. In particular aspects, the Sorghum and/or second parent plant This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Appli comprises one or more transgenes. cation No. 61/103,085, filed on Oct. 6, 2008, and to U.S. Thus, in one embodiment, the invention provides interge Provisional Application No. 61/083,436, filed on Jul. 24. neric hybrid plants produced from a sorghum parent plant. In 2008. The foregoing applications are incorporated herein by certain aspects, the sorghum parent plant is a Sorghum bicolor reference in their entirety. plant or a hybrid between Sorghum bicolor and a wild sor This invention was made with government Support under ghum variety, wherein the plantis homozygous for a recessive CSREES National Research Initiative grant number 2004 10 Sorghum iap allele. In further embodiments, the parent sor 35300-14686 awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture ghum plant comprises a male sterility trait, such as a cyto (USDA). The United States government has certain rights in plasmic or genetic malesterility allele (e.g., sorghum ms3). In the invention. a specific embodiment, the parent sorghum plant may be BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 15 defined as an agronomically elite sorghum plant. Those of skill in the art understand that agronomically elite refers to a 1. Field of the Invention culmination of distinguishable traits contributing to a benefi The present invention relates generally to the field of plant cial phenotype which allows a producer to harvest a product genetics. More particularly, it concerns intergeneric hybrid of commercial significance. Such traits may include yield, plants and methods for production and use thereof. vigor, disease resistance, environmental stress tolerance, and 2. Description of Related Art pest resistance. In further specific embodiments, the sorghum By 2025, world energy consumption is expected to plant may be an agronomically elite sorghum plant adapted increase 57% over 2002 levels. While many different alter for biofuel production. In still further embodiments, the par native energy sources will be used to meet this demand, it is ent sorghum plant may be a plant of sorghum line Tx3361. clear that the production of energy from biomass will be 25 In another aspect, the invention provides a part of an inter necessary to meet the goals described in the Energy Indepen generic hybrid plant disclosed herein. A part of an interge dence and Security Act of 2007, which requires fuel produc neric hybrid plant includes, but is not limited to, a protoplast, ers to use at least 36 billion gallons of alternative fuels annu cell, gamete, meristem, root, pistil, anther, flower, seed, ally by 2022. Production of alternate fuels from starch alone embryo, stalk or petiole. In certain aspects, an intergeneric will not meet these goals. This will require a significant 30 plant seed is provided. In some cases, the intergeneric plant investment in research and an industrial commitment to reach seed may be defined as comprising a functional endosperm. these production goals. The development of this new biofuel Infurther aspects, a plant seed may comprise an artificial seed industry must be based on the production of dedicated bioen coat comprising a pesticide, a fungicide (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. ergy feedstocks to insure a consistent and stable biomass No. 3,849,934), a nutrient, or a water or temperature-sensitive Supply, thereby justifying the large capital investment needed 35 polymer. In certain aspects, a seed coating comprise an agent to build biomass conversion plants. While crop residues from to improve seed mechanical handling properties, seed germi currently grown feed and food crops can and will be used, nation, seedling establishment or growth. Processes that may they will likely only serve to supplement biomass production be used for coating of seeds are disclosed, for example, in from dedicated energy crops on an as needed basis.