Process for the development of endophyte-infected plants
AssigneeJ. R. Simplot Company
InventorsA. Douglas Brede, Suichang Sun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Beneficial endophytes which live within certain plants are known to provide desirable, cost-effective biological insect control. Many naturally occurring grasses host symbiotic endophytic fungi. However, beneficial endophytes have never been found in several species of turf grass, including species of bentgrasses and Kentucky bluegrasses, two commercially important turf grasses which are used extensively on golf courses and for lawn turfs. The invention of this application relates to new methods of inoculating plant tissues which allow the development of endophyte-enhanced varieties of turfgrasses, and to the turf grass varieties produced using the methods.
Claims31
A cultivar of a non-naturally occurring turf grass comprising a naturally endophyte-free grass, selected from the group consisting of bentgrass of the genus Agrostis and Kentucky bluegrass of the genus Poa, infected with an Acremonium endophytic fungus.
A method for developing a turf grass cultivar comprising inoculating a turf grass, selected from the group consisting of a bentgrass and a Kentucky bluegrass, with an Acremonium endophyte.
A method of infecting a turf grass with an endophyte comprising inoculating a grass seedling, selected from the group consisting of bentgrass seedlings and Kentucky bluegrass seedlings, wherein said seedling is cut, an endophyte is placed on top of the cut, and endophyte-infected adult turf grass cultivars are established from the infected seedlings.
A method of infecting a creeping bentgrass of the variety Putter with an Acremonium endophyte comprising inoculating a bentgrass seedling by cutting the plant material, placing the endophyte on top of the cut, and establishing endophyte-infected cultivars from endophyte-infected seedlings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.