METHODS FOR THE IN PLANTA TRANSFORMATION OF PLANTS AND MANUFACTURING PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS BASED AND OBTAINABLE THEREFORM

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A method for the in planta transformation of a plant or plant material with a genetic construct of interest comprising the following steps:

providing a plant comprising at least one meristematic cell of a meristematic tissue of an immature inflorescence that is able to differentiate into a gamete of a pollen or of an ovule;

(ii) exposing the at least one meristematic cell of the meristematic tissue of the immature inflorescence;

(iii) providing a genetic construct of interest; and

(iv) transforming the at least one meristematic cell of the meristematic tissue of the immature inflorescence by introducing the genetic construct of interest under suitable conditions to allow the functional integration of the genetic construct of interest into the at least one meristematic cell of the meristematic tissue of the immature inflorescence.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the transformation is performed in vitro culture free.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the functional integration of the genetic construct of interest into the at least one meristematic cell of the meristematic tissue of the immature inflorescence of step (iv) is performed as

(a) a stable integration so that the integrated genetic construct of interest, or a part thereof, is heritable to a progeny as transgene, optionally wherein a transformed gamete of the pollen or of the ovule is generated from the at least one transformed meristematic cell and the transformed gamete of the pollen or of the ovule is fused to a zygote from which the progeny comprising the genetic construct of interest is developed; or

(b) a transient introduction allowing a targeted genetic manipulation of the at least one meristematic cell of the meristematic tissue of the immature inflorescence through the genetic construct of interest or products thereof, wherein the targeted genetic manipulation but not the genetic construct of interest, or a part thereof, is heritable to a progeny, optionally wherein a genetic manipulated gamete of the pollen or of the ovule is generated from the at least one transformed meristematic cell and the genetic manipulated gamete of the pollen or of the ovule is fused to a zygote from which the progeny comprising the targeted genetic manipulation is developed.

19 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises

(v) comprising determining the functional integration of the genetic construct of interest.

20 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the introduction of the genetic construct of interest according to step (iv) is conducted using a means selected from the group consisting of a device suitable for particle bombardment, transformation, microinjection, electroporation, whisker technology, transfection, or a combination of one or more of particle bombardment, transformation, microinjection, electroporation, whisker technology and transfection.

21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the device suitable for particle bombardment is a gene gun, transformation is performed with Agrobacterium spp. or a viral vector, or the whisker technology is silicon carbide whisker technology.

22 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein step (ii) comprises the production of an artificially introduced window in the region, optionally wherein the meristematic tissue of the immature inflorescence is located in the shoot axis.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , the meristematic tissue of the immature inflorescence is located in the shoot axis and in the axil, halm, culm or stem of the plant.

24 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the plant or the plant material is or is part of a monocotyledonous plant, or is or is part of a dicotyledonous plant.

25 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the plant or the plant material is or is part of a plant from a species selected from the group consisting of Hordeum vulgare, Hordeum bulbusom, Sorghum bicolor, Saccharum officinarium, Zea mays, Setaria italica, Oryza minuta, Oryza sativa, Oryza australiensis, Oryza alta, Triticum aestivum, Triticale, Secale cereale, Malus domestica, Brachypodium distachyon, Hordeum marinum, Aegilops tauschii, Daucus glochidiatus, Beta vulgaris, Daucus pusillus, Daucus muricatus, Daucus carota, Eucalyptus grandis, Nicotiana sylvestris, Nicotiana tomentosiformis, Nicotiana tabacum, Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum tuberosum, Coffea canephora, Vitis vinifera, Erythrante guttata, Genlisea aurea, Cucumis sativus, Morus notabilis, Arabidopsis arenosa, Arabidopsis lyrata, Arabidopsis thaliana, Crucihimalaya himalaica, Crucihimalaya wallichii, Cardamine flexuosa, Lepidium virginicum, Capsella bursa pastoris, Olmarabidopsis pumila, Arabis hirsute, Brassica napus, Brassica oeleracia, Brassica rapa, Raphanus sativus, Brassica juncea, Brassica nigra, Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa, Citrus sinensis, Jatropha curcas, Populus trichocarpa, Medicago truncatula, Cicer yamashitae, Cicer bijugum, Cicer arietinum, Cicer reticulatum, Cicer judaicum, Cajanus cajanifolius, Cajanus scarabaeoides, Phaseolus vulgaris, Glycine max, Gossypium sp., Astragalus sinicus, Lotus japonicas, Torenia fournieri, Allium cepa, Allium fistulosum, Allium sativum, Helianthus annuus, Helianthus tuberosus and Allium tuberosum.

26 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the plant or the plant material is or is part of a plant from any variety or subspecies belonging to a species selected from the group consisting of Hordeum vulgare, Hordeum bulbusom, Sorghum bicolor, Saccharum officinarium, Zea mays, Setaria italica, Oryza minuta, Oryza sativa, Oryza australiensis, Oryza alta, Triticum aestivum, Triticale, Secale cereale, Malus domestica, Brachypodium distachyon, Hordeum marinum, Aegilops tauschii, Daucus glochidiatus, Beta vulgaris, Daucus pusillus, Daucus muricatus, Daucus carota, Eucalyptus grandis, Nicotiana sylvestris, Nicotiana tomentosiformis, Nicotiana tabacum, Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum tuberosum, Coffea canephora, Vitis vinifera, Erythrante guttata, Genlisea aurea, Cucumis sativus, Morus notabilis, Arabidopsis arenosa, Arabidopsis lyrata, Arabidopsis thaliana, Crucihimalaya himalaica, Crucihimalaya wallichii, Cardamine flexuosa, Lepidium virginicum, Capsella bursa pastoris, Olmarabidopsis pumila, Arabis hirsute, Brassica napus, Brassica oeleracia, Brassica rapa, Raphanus sativus, Brassica juncea, Brassica nigra, Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa, Citrus sinensis, Jatropha curcas, Populus trichocarpa, Medicago truncatula, Cicer yamashitae, Cicer bijugum, Cicer arietinum, Cicer reticulatum, Cicer judaicum, Cajanus cajanifolius, Cajanus scarabaeoides, Phaseolus vulgaris, Glycine max, Gossypium sp., Astragalus sinicus, Lotus japonicas, Torenia fournieri, Allium cepa, Allium fistulosum, Allium sativum, Helianthus annuus, Helianthus tuberosus and Allium tuberosum.

27 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the immature inflorescence is a male inflorescence (tassel) of a Zea mays plant, or wherein the immature inflorescence is the inflorescence of a Triticum aestivum plant.

28 . The method according to claim 27 , wherein the introduction of the genetic construct of interest as defined in step (iv) is performed at a developmental stage, either during the stamen initiation process or before spikelets are formed on the male inflorescence.

29 . A method for manufacturing a transgenic plant comprising the following steps:

(I) providing an in planta transformed plant or plant material transformed by a method according to claim 16 ;

(II) cultivating the plant or plant material under suitable conditions until the developmental stage of maturity of the inflorescence is achieved,

(III) allowing the transformed gamete of the pollen or of the ovule generated from the transformed at least one meristematic cell to fuse to a zygote comprising the genetic construct of interest as transgene; and

(IV) developing the transgenic plant from the zygote.

30 . A method for manufacturing a genetically manipulated plant comprising the following steps:

(I) providing an in planta transformed plant or plant material transformed by a method according to claim 16 ;

(II) cultivating the plant or plant material under suitable conditions until the developmental stage of maturity of the inflorescence is achieved;

(III) allowing the genetically manipulated gamete of the pollen or of the ovule generated from the transformed at least one meristematic cell to fuse to a zygote comprising the targeted genetic manipulation; and

(IV) developing the genetically manipulated plant from the zygote.

31 . A plant manufactured by the method of claim 27 or plant cells, a plant material, or derivatives, or a progeny thereof

32 . A plant comprising an artificially introduced window in a region where a meristematic tissue of an immature inflorescence is located, optionally wherein the plant is a Zea mays plant, optionally wherein the meristematic tissue of the immature inflorescence is located in the shoot axis of the plant, such as in the axil, halm, culm or stem of the plant, and optionally wherein the plant is a plant in planta transformed by a method according to claim 16 .

33 . A method for the manufacture of a transgenic or genetically manipulated plant, plant cell or plant material comprising utilizing a plant according to claim 31 .

34 . A method for the manufacture of a transgenic or genetically manipulated plant, plant cell or plant material comprising utilizing a plant in planta transformed by a method according to claim 16 .