Edible coating for use as a plant biostimulant

A method of promoting plant growth using an edible coating emulsion consisting in the combination of:

• natural vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, canola, safflower, castor, coconut, grape seed, hazelnut, hemp seed, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut or mixtures thereof, wherein the natural vegetable oils represent between 6% and 12% w/w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion;
• a mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of sucrose monoester and sucrose polyester, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoester versus sucrose polyester is comprised between 25 and 70% in weight of each of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the mixture of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers which is comprised between 5 and 15 and wherein the mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers represent between 7% w/w and 15% w/w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion;
• wherein the mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers are selected from the list consisting of mixed palmitates and stearates, the sucrose (alpha-D-Glucopyranoside, beta-D-fructofuranosyl) monostearate and di or tri or polystearate, and sucrose (alpha-D-Glucopyranoside, beta-D-fructofuranosyl) palmitate and di or tri or polypalmitates;
• and the balance being water;
• as a plant biostimulant for pre-harvest agricultural crops or cultivation plants selected from the list comprising cereals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, grass and seeds, wherein the plant biostimulant for pre-harvest agricultural crops or cultivation plants consists in promoting:
• the sexual or non-sexual reproduction;
• an improved stress resistance consisting of a drought stress, a salt stress, a cold stress, a heat stress;
• the plant growth wherein plant growth comprises increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturation, and combinations thereof.

A method for treatment of pre-harvest cultivation plants and/or plant seeds, comprising the step of applying a biofilm of a plant biostimulant agent being in the form of an oil in water (O/W) edible coating emulsion consisting in the combination of:

• natural vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, canola, safflower, castor, coconut, grape seed, hazelnut, hemp seed, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut or mixtures thereof, wherein the natural vegetable oils represent between 6% and 12% w/w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion;
• a mixture of two nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of sucrose monoester and sucrose polyester, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoester versus sucrose polyester is comprised between 25 and 70% in weight of each of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the mixture of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers which is comprised between 5 and 15 and wherein the mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers represent between 7% w/w and 15% w/w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion and is selected from the group consisting of mixed palmitates and stearates, the sucrose (alpha-D-Glucopyranoside, beta-D-fructofuranosyl) monostearate and di or tri or polystearate, and sucrose (alpha-D-Glucopyranoside, beta-D-fructofuranosyl) palmitate and di or tri or polypalmitates;
• and the balance being water, wherein the treatment with the plant biostimulant agent consists in promoting:
• the sexual or non-sexual reproduction;
• an improved stress resistance consisting of a drought stress, a salt stress, a cold stress, a heat stress;
• the plant growth wherein plant growth can be increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturation, and combinations thereof, compared to a plant that did not receive the agriculturally effective amount of the plant biostimulant agent.

A plant abiotic biostimulant for pre-harvest treatment of agricultural crops or cultivation plants, the plant biostimulant being in the form of an oil in water (O/W) edible coating emulsion resulting in the combination of the following ingredients consisting of:

• natural or non-synthetic vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of canola and sunflower wherein the natural vegetable oils represent between 6% and 12% w/w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion;
• a mixture of two nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of sucrose monoester and sucrose polyester, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoester versus sucrose polyester is comprised between 25 and 70% in weight of each of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the mixture of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers which is comprised between 5 and 15 and wherein the mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers represent between 7% w/w and 15% w/w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion and is selected from the group consisting of mixed palmitates and stearates, the sucrose (alpha-D-Glucopyranoside, beta-D-fructofuranosyl) monostearate and di or tri or polystearate, and sucrose (alpha-D-Glucopyranoside, beta-D-fructofuranosyl) palmitate and di or tri or polypalmitates;
• the relative percentages of the ingredients being selected from within the respective ranges and the balance being water so that their sum is 100% of the edible coating emulsion.