Agricultural products from Pseudomonas cepacia strains and methods of preparation
AssigneeLubrizol Genetics, Inc.
InventorsPeter J. Dart, K. Prakash Hebber
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Abstract
Agricultural methods of biological control and organisms useful in such methods are disclosed, such as a plant colonizing organisms and methods of biologically controlling plant disease caused by fungi. A novel type of Pseudomonas cepacia type Wisconsin has been identified. These strains and other P. cepacia strains described are useful as vectors for delivery to plants of beneficial products.
Claims22
A method of protecting a plant from disease caused by a fungus comprising inoculating said plant with a strain of Pseudomonas cepacia type Wisconsin.
A bacteria-containing agricultural inoculum suitable for inoculating a plant in the field comprising:
- (a) a suitable carrier that is non-phytotoxic, non-bacteriostatic and non-bacteriocidal;
- and
- (b) a bacterial strain having the distinguishing characteristics of Pseudomonas cepacia type Wisconsin, which strain colonizes leaves or roots of said plant.
A composition of matter comprising a plant seed and a bacterial strain having the distinguishing characteristics of a Pseudomonas cepacia type Wisconsin, which strain colonizes a plant or plant parts resulting from germination of said seed.
A substantially purified culture of bacterium having the distinguishing characteristics of a Pseudomonas cepacia type Wisconsin strain, said bacterium having the ability to colonize a part or parts of said plant after inoculation of said plant with said bacterium.
A method of isolating a strain of Pseudomonas cepacia type Wisconsin which colonizes the roots of plants which comprises the steps:
- (a) harvesting roots of plants;
- (b) washing said roots of plants to remove soil loosely attached to surfaces of said roots;
- (c) macerating said washed roots of plants, thereby preparing root macerate and diluting said root macerate with an appropriate medium;
- (c) plating dilutions of said root macerate on an appropriate bacterial growth medium so that bacterial colonies of individual distinct bacterial root isolates can be distinguished;
- (e) selecting from said bacterial root isolates those isolates that are Pseudomonas cepacia strains;
- (f) selecting from said P. cepacia root isolates those isolates that are antagonists of a fungus of the genus Fusarium, purifying selected fungal antagonist P. cepacia root isolates;
- and
- (g) confirming that the selected, purified P. cepacia corn root isolates that are antagonistic to a fungus of the genus Fusarium have the distinguishing characteristics of P. cepacia.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.