Enhanced shelf life and on seed stabilization of liquid bacterium inoculants
AssigneeBecker Underwood, Inc.
InventorsJeremy David Pearce, Mary Ann Carpenter
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Abstract
The present invention includes a method for producing a liquid inoculant containing a desiccant. The method can improve survival and stability of bacteria in liquid inoculants in pack and on seeds. The method includes providing a liquid inoculant of a bacteria grown to a substantially stationary phase. A desiccant treatment containing a desiccant is added to the liquid inoculant to form a partially desiccated inoculant product. The partially desiccated inoculant product can be packaged and stored. The partially desiccated inoculant product can also be applied to seeds.
Claims25
A method for preparing a partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, the method comprising:
- providing a liquid inoculant comprising bacteria from one or more of the genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas and Serratia, said bacteria grown to a substantially stationary phase;
- and
- adding to the liquid inoculant, in an amount sufficient to partially desiccate the liquid inoculant, a desiccant treatment comprising a desiccant to form the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, wherein the desiccant comprises from about 5% to about 50% by weight/volume of the partially desiccated liquid product and wherein the desiccant comprises one or more of trehalose, sucrose or glycerol.
A method for preparing a dry flowable inoculant formulation, the method comprising:
- providing a liquid inoculant comprising bacteria from one or more of the genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas and Serratia, said bacteria grown to a substantially stationary phase;
- and
- adding to the liquid inoculant, in an amount sufficient to partially desiccate the liquid inoculant, a desiccant treatment comprising a desiccant to form the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product;
- wherein the desiccant comprises from about 5% to about 50% by weight/volume of the partially desiccated liquid product, wherein the desiccant comprises one or more of trehalose, sucrose or glycerol and wherein the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product is applied to a dry carrier to form a dry flowable inoculant formulation.
A method for preparing a partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, the method comprising:
- first providing a liquid inoculant comprising bacteria from one or more of the genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas and Serratia, said bacteria grown to a substantially stionary phase;
- and
- second adding to the liquid inoculant, in an amount sufficient to partially desiccate the liquid inoculant, a desiccant treatment comprising a desiccant to form the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, wherein the desiccant comprises from about 5% to about 50% by weight/volume of the partially desiccated liquid product and wherein the desiccant comprises one or more of trehalose, sucrose or glycerol;
- third allowing the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to equilibrate for a predetermined amount of time before applying the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to seed;
- and
- fourth applying the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to a seed after the predetermined amount of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.