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US-12624333-B2 - Stable inoculant compositions and methods for producing same

US12624333B2US 12624333 B2US12624333 B2US 12624333B2US-12624333-B2

Abstract

The present disclosure provides stable inoculant compositions and methods for enhancing the survival and/or stability of microorganisms in an inoculant composition. In some embodiments, the microorganisms in an inoculant compositions are stabilized by the presence of one or more sugar alcohols, humic acids and/or fulvic acids and one or more maltodextrins, monosaccharides, disaccharides, oxidation control components and/or UV protectants.

Inventors

  • Kenneth Edmund Kellar
  • Megan Fruchte
  • Mike Jerry Schweiner
  • Jarrod Leland
  • Anna Wysinski
  • Emily Looze
  • Kimberley Clarke
  • William Pasutti

Assignees

  • NOVOZYMES BIOAG A/S

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20171218

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An aqueous liquid inoculant composition comprising one or more sugar alcohols, one or more disaccharides, one or more maltodextrins having an average dextrose equivalent value of about 15 to about 20, and one or more Gram-negative, non-spore-forming microorganisms, wherein said sugar alcohol(s), disaccharide(s), and maltodextrin(s) are present in a sugar alcohol:(disaccharide and maltodextrin) ratio of about 15:85 to about 25:75.
  2. 2 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said one or more sugar alcohols comprises sorbitol.
  3. 3 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said one or more sugar alcohols comprises xylitol.
  4. 4 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said one or more disaccharides comprise maltose.
  5. 5 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said sugar alcohol(s), disaccharide(s), and maltodextrin(s) are present in a sugar wherein said sugar alcohol(s), disaccharide(s), and maltodextrin(s) are alcohol:(disaccharide and maltodextrin) ratio of about 20:80.
  6. 6 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said maltodextrin(s) and said sugar alcohol(s) are present in a maltodextrin:sugar alcohol ratio of about 25:75.
  7. 7 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , comprising about 1×10 1 to about 1×10 12 colony-forming units of said Gram-negative, non-spore-forming microorganisms per gram and/or milliliter of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition.
  8. 8 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , comprising at least 1×10 4 colony-forming units of said Gram-negative, non-spore-forming microorganisms per gram and/or milliliter of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition.
  9. 9 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more carboxymethyl celluloses and/or polyvinyl alcohols.
  10. 10 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said one or more sugar alcohols, said one or more disaccharides, and said one or more maltodextrins comprise about 25 to about 50% of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition (w/w, based upon the total weight of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition).
  11. 11 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , further comprising one more lipo-chitooligosaccharides.
  12. 12 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said one or more sugar alcohols, said one or more disaccharides and said one or more maltodextrins collectively comprise about 5 to about 25% of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition (w/w, based upon the total weight of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition).
  13. 13 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said one or more sugar alcohols, said one or more disaccharides, and said one or more maltodextrins collectively comprise about 1 to about 10% of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition (w/w, based upon the total weight of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition).
  14. 14 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more humic acids.
  15. 15 . The aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said one or more sugar alcohols, said one or more disaccharides, and said one or more maltodextrins collectively comprise about 0.25 to about 5% of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition (w/w, based upon the total weight of said aqueous liquid inoculant composition).
  16. 16 . A method, comprising applying the aqueous liquid inoculation composition of claim 1 to a plant propagation material.
  17. 17 . A method, comprising applying the aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 to a plant.
  18. 18 . A coated plant propagation material, comprising a plant propagation material and a coating that covers at least a portion of an outer surface of said seed, said coating comprising the aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 .
  19. 19 . A method, comprising applying the aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 to foliage.
  20. 20 . A method, comprising drying the aqueous liquid inoculant composition of claim 1 to produce a powder or granule comprising said one or more Gram-negative, non-spore-forming microorganisms, said one or more sugar alcohols, said one or more disaccharides, and said one or more maltodextrins.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a 35 U.S.C. 371 national application of international application no. PCT/US2017/066929 filed Dec. 18, 2017, which claims priority or the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 of U.S. application nos. 62/436,517, 62/436,529 and 62/436,562 each of which were filed Dec. 20, 2016, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT The inventive concepts described herein were developed as pan of a joint research agreement between Monsanto Company and Novozymes BioAg A/S. The activities giving rise to the claimed invention were undertaken within the scope of the joint research agreement, said agreement having been in effect on or before the date the claimed invention was made. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for enhancing the stability and survival of microorganisms in inoculant compositions. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Inoculant compositions comprising agriculturally beneficial microorganisms are well known in the an. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,484,464; 5,586,411; 5,695,541; 5,804,208; 5,916,029; 6,569,425; 6,808,917; 6,824,772; 7,429,477; 8,148,138; 8,278,247; 8,445,256; 8,883,679; 8,921,089; 8,999,698; 9,017,442; 9,101,088; 9,234,251; 9,340,464. Because the effectiveness of such inoculant compositions generally depends on the ability of the microorganisms therein to survive and propagate following application, much effort has been made to increase the stability of agriculturally beneficial microorganisms in inoculant compositions. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,132 (describing a method of adding trehalose, sucrose or glycerol to the substantially stationary phase of fermentation) and U.S. Pat. No. 9,090,884 (describing the microencapsulation of microorganisms in a water-soluble encapsulating material). Nevertheless, there remains a need for improved compositions and methods for enhancing the stability and survival of microorganisms in inoculant compositions. SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED SUBJECT MATTER The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for enhancing the survival and/or stability of microorganisms in inoculant compositions. A first aspect of the present disclosure is an inoculant composition comprising one or more maltodextrins, one or more sugar alcohols and one or more microorganisms. In some embodiments, the inoculant composition further comprises one or more humic acids, one or more fulvic acids, one or more monosaccharides, one or more disaccharides, one or more oligosaccharides, one or more pest attractants, one or more pesticides, one or more lipo-chitooligosaccharides, one or more chitooligosaccharides, one or more chitinous compounds, one or more flavonoids, one or more oxidation control components, and/or one or more drying agents. A second aspect of the present disclosure is a method that comprises applying an inoculant composition of the present disclosure to a plant propagation material. A third aspect of the present disclosure is a method that comprises applying an inoculant composition of the present disclosure to a plant. A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a coated plant propagation material comprising a plant propagation material and a coating that covers at least a portion of an outer surface of the plant propagation material, said coating comprising an inoculant composition of the present disclosure. A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a kit comprising an inoculant composition of the present disclosure and a container housing the inoculant composition. A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a kit comprising a coated plant propagation material of the present disclosure and a container housing the coated plant propagation material. A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a method that comprises planting a coated plant propagation material of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1-5 are graphs showing the survivability of desiccated Yersinia entomaphaga O82KB8 on soybean seeds stored at room temperature and 54% relative humidity. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the survivability of desiccated Bradyrhizobium japonicum NRRL B-50626 on soybean seeds stored at room temperature and 54% relative humidity. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the survivability of spray-dried Bradyrhizobium japonicum NRRL B-50626 on soybean seeds stored at room temperature and 54% relative humidity. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the survivability of desiccated Yersinia entomaphaga O82KB8 on parafilm stored at room temperature and 32%, 54%, 65%, 75% or 100% relative humidity. FIGS. 9-10 are graphs showing the survivability of desiccated Yersinia entomaphaga O82KB8 on parafilm stored at room temperature and 75% relative humidity. FIG. 11 is a graph showing the survivability of desiccated Yersinia entomaphaga O82KB8 on parafilm stored at room temperature and 54% relative humidity. FIGS. 12-13 are graphs showing