Increasing plant yield and/or vigor by seed treatment with a neonicotinoid compound
AssigneeMonsanto Technology LLC
InventorsJawed Asrar, Ernest F. Sanders, Frank C. Kohn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The yield and/or the vigor of an agronomic plant can be increased or improved in locations where the level of insect infestation is below that indicating the need for the use of an insecticide for insect control purposes by treating a seed of the plant with a neonicotinoid compound. The method is useful for non-transgenic plants and for plants having a foreign gene that encodes for the production of a modified Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin protein. A method of improving the results of a plant breeding program, a method of marketing plant seed, and a seed that has been treated by the method are also described.
Claims66
A method of increasing the yield and/or vigor of an agronomic plant that is grown from a seed, the method comprising:
- a. determining whether the seed is to be planted in a location having a level of insect pest infestation that would indicate treatment with an insecticide;
- and, if such treatment is not indicated,
- b. carrying out an action that is selected from the group consisting of:
- i. treating the seed with a neonicotinoid compound,
- ii. recommending the purchase of a seed that has been treated with a neonicotinoid compound for planting in the location,
- iii. selling a seed that has been treated with a neonicotinoid compound for planting in the location, and
- iv. planting in the location a seed that has been treated with a neonicotinoid compound.
A method of increasing the yield and/or vigor of an agronomic plant that is grown from a seed that is planted in a location having a level of infestation by an insect that is a pest for the agronomic plant and against which a neonicotinoid compound has insecticidal activity, the method comprising:
- a. determining whether the level of infestation by the insect that is a pest for the agronomic plant indicates treatment with an insecticide;
- and, if treatment is not indicated,
- b. treating the seed with a neonicotinoid compound.
A method of breeding a hybrid plant having increased yield and/or vigor from two parent plants, the method comprising:
- treating the seeds of one or both of the parent plants with a neonicotinoid compound prior to planting the seeds;
- pollinating the female parent with pollen of the male parent;
- and
- gathering the seed produced by the female parent plant.
A method of increasing the yield and/or vigor of an agronomic plant that is grown from a seed that is planted in a location where treatment of the seed or the agronomic plant with an insecticide is not indicated, the method comprising treating a seed with a neonicotinoid compound and planting the treated seed in a location where treatment of the seed or the agronomic plant with an insecticide is not practiced.
A method of increasing the yield and/or vigor of an agronomic plant that is grown from a seed that is planted in a location having a level of infestation by an insect that is a pest for the agronomic plant and against which a neonicotinoid insecticide has insecticidal activity, the method comprising treating a seed with a neonicotinoid compound and planting the treated seed in a location where insecticide treatment of the seed or the agronomic plant is not practiced.
A method of increasing the yield and/or vigor of an agronomic plant that is grown from a seed that is planted in a location having a level of infestation by an insect that is a pest for the agronomic plant and against which a neonicotinoid insecticide has insecticidal activity, the method comprising:
- a. treating a seed with a neonicotinoid insecticide;
- and
- b. planting the treated seed in a location having a level of insect infestation below that at which such insecticide treatment is indicated.
A method of marketing plant seed that are treated with a neonicotinoid compound to provide an increase in the yield and/or vigor of an agronomic plant that is grown from the seed, the method comprising:
- a. determining whether the seed is to be planted in a location having a level of insect infestation that indicates a need for such treatment, and, if not;
- b. carrying out an action selected from the group consisting of:
- i. recommending that such treated seed be purchased and planted,
- ii. advertising such treated seed,
- iii. obtaining such treated seed for resale, and
- iv. selling such treated seed.
A method of increasing the yield and/or vigor of an agronomic plant that is grown from a seed, the method comprising:
- a. selecting a location in which the seed is to be planted where the level of insect pest infestation is below that at which treatment with an insecticide is indicated;
- and
- b. carrying out an action that is selected from the group consisting of:
- i. treating the seed with a neonicotinoid compound,
- ii. recommending the purchase of a seed that has been treated with a neonicotinoid compound for planting in the location,
- iii. selling a seed that has been treated with a neonicotinoid compound for planting in the location, and
- iv. planting in the location a seed that has been treated with a neonicotinoid compound.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.