EP0863703A1 - Accroissement du rendement de cultures - Google Patents

Accroissement du rendement de cultures

Info

Publication number
EP0863703A1
EP0863703A1 EP95929908A EP95929908A EP0863703A1 EP 0863703 A1 EP0863703 A1 EP 0863703A1 EP 95929908 A EP95929908 A EP 95929908A EP 95929908 A EP95929908 A EP 95929908A EP 0863703 A1 EP0863703 A1 EP 0863703A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
betaine
yield
plants
stress
grain legumes
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP95929908A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Erkki Virtanen
Eija Pehu
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Danisco Finland Oy
Original Assignee
Cultor Oyj
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Cultor Oyj filed Critical Cultor Oyj
Publication of EP0863703A1 publication Critical patent/EP0863703A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C05—FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF
    • C05G—MIXTURES OF FERTILISERS COVERED INDIVIDUALLY BY DIFFERENT SUBCLASSES OF CLASS C05; MIXTURES OF ONE OR MORE FERTILISERS WITH MATERIALS NOT HAVING A SPECIFIC FERTILISING ACTIVITY, e.g. PESTICIDES, SOIL-CONDITIONERS, WETTING AGENTS; FERTILISERS CHARACTERISED BY THEIR FORM
    • C05G3/00—Mixtures of one or more fertilisers with additives not having a specially fertilising activity
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01N—PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF; BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES; PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS
    • A01N37/00—Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing organic compounds containing a carbon atom having three bonds to hetero atoms with at the most two bonds to halogen, e.g. carboxylic acids
    • A01N37/44—Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing organic compounds containing a carbon atom having three bonds to hetero atoms with at the most two bonds to halogen, e.g. carboxylic acids containing at least one carboxylic group or a thio analogue, or a derivative thereof, and a nitrogen atom attached to the same carbon skeleton by a single or double bond, this nitrogen atom not being a member of a derivative or of a thio analogue of a carboxylic group, e.g. amino-carboxylic acids
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C05—FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF
    • C05F—ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
    • C05F11/00—Other organic fertilisers
    • C05F11/10—Fertilisers containing plant vitamins or hormones

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the use of betaine to improve the yield of plants.
  • the invention relates especially to the use of betaine to improve the yield of grain legumes.
  • the yield can be improved both under normal and stress conditions, i.e. when the conditions are poor due to e.g. drought, high salinity, low temperatures, humidity or environmental pollutants interfering with the growth.
  • the invention also relates to grain legumes treated with betaine and to the parts thereof, especially seeds, and to products prepared from these.
  • the physiological properties of a plant are preferably manipulated by means of breeding, both with traditional breeding methods and for example with genetic manipulation.
  • Water supply is more important than any other environmental factor for the productivity of a crop, even though the sensitivity of plants to drought varies. Irrigation is usually utilized to ensure sufficient water supply.
  • irrigation for example a sharp decrease in water resources, deterioration of water quality and deterioration of agricultural lands. It has been calculated in the field that about half of the artificially irrigated lands of the world are damaged by waterlogging and salinization. An indication of the significance and scope of the problem is that there are 255 million hectares of irrigated land in the world, and they account for 70% of the total world water consumption.
  • soil is saline if it contains soluble salts in an amount sufficient to interfere with the growth and yield of several cultivated plant species.
  • the most common of the salts is sodium chloride, but other salts also occur in varying combinations depending on the origin of the saline water and on the solubility of the salts.
  • the productivity of plants and their sensitivity to the salinity of soil also depend on the plant species.
  • Halophytes require relatively high sodium chloride contents to ensure optimum growth, whereas glycophytes have low salt tolerance or their growth is considerably inhibited already at low salt concentrations.
  • the salt tolerance of one and the same species or cultivar may also vary depending for example on the stage of growth. In the case of low or moderate salinity, the slower growth of glycophytes cannot be detected in the form of specific symptoms, such as chlorosis, but it is shown in the stunted growth of the plants and in the colour of their leaves that is darker than normal.
  • ABA abscisic acid
  • Plants can adapt to some extent to growth and stress conditions. This ability varies considerably depending on the plant species. As a result of the aforementioned stress conditions, certain plants begin to produce a growth hormone called abscisic acid (ABA), which helps the plants to close their stomata, thus reducing the severity of stress.
  • ABA also has harmful side effects on the productivity of plants. ABA causes for example leaf, flower and young fruit drop and inhibits the formation of new leaves, which naturally leads to reduction in yield.
  • the purpose of the present invention was to find a way to partially replace irrigation so that the amount and quality of the yield could be simultaneously ensured.
  • Another purpose of the invention was to find a way to protect plants also under other stress conditions, such as during high salinity often connected with drought, at low temperatures, etc.
  • a further aim was to find a way to increase the yield under normal conditions without utilizing methods that would consume environmental resources or harm the environment.
  • Betaine has been found to be effective in improving the yield both under normal and stress conditions, and it has no such detrimental effects as the side effects of ABA. Betaine application makes it possible to considerably reduce for example the need for artificial irrigation, thus saving the environment and cutting down the costs to a great extent.
  • An advantageous feature of the invention is also the decrease of the antinutrient concentration of plants as a result of the betaine application. A good example of this is the low alkaloid content of lupins treated with betaine, i.e. about half of the normal level.
  • the invention thus relates to the exogenous use of betaine to improve the yield of grain legumes.
  • the invention relates especially to the use of betaine to improve the seed yield of grain legumes.
  • betaine is used exogenously to improve the yield of grain legumes both under normal and stress conditions.
  • the invention also relates to the exogenous use of betaine to reduce the antinutrient content of grain legumes, especially to reduce the alkaloid content of lupin.
  • the invention further relates to grain legumes treated exogenously with betaine and to the parts thereof, particularly seeds, and to their use as such and for example in food, animal feed and forage industries.
  • the invention also relates to a method of improving the yield of grain legumes, in which method betaine is exogenously applied to growing grain legumes.
  • the invention further relates to a method of reducing the antinutrient content of grain legumes, in which method betaine is exogenously applied to growing grain legumes.
  • the invention especially relates to a method of reducing the alkaloid content of lupins, in which method betaine is exogenously applied to growing lupins.
  • Betaine is applied to the plant in either one or several dosages. The application may be performed for example by spraying together with some other spraying of for example a pesticide, if desired.
  • Betaine used according to the invention is transported to plant cells, where it actively regulates the osmotic balance of the cells and also participates in other processes of cell metabolism. A plant cell treated with betaine is more viable even when subjected to exogenous stress factors.
  • betaine treatment according to the invention is economically advantageous, and the yield increases in an amount that is economically profitable and significant.
  • the treatment does not produce significantly more work since it may be performed together with other sprayings, and it does not require new investments in machinery, equipment or space.
  • betaine is a non-toxic natural product, which has no detrimental effects on the quality of the yield.
  • Betaine is also a stable substance that remains in the plant cells and thereby has a long ⁇ standing effect.
  • Betaine refers to fully N-methylated amino acids. Betaines are natural products that have an important function in the metabolism of both plants and animals.
  • One of the most common betaines is a glycine derivative wherein three methyl groups are attached to the nitrogen atom of the glycine molecule. This betaine compound is usually called betaine, glycinebetaine or trimethylglycine, and its structural formula is presented below:
  • betaines are for example alaninebetaine and prolinebetaine, which has been reported to for example prevent perosis in chicks.
  • R.G. Wyn Jones and R. Storey describe betaines in detail in The Physiology and Biochemistry of Drought Re ⁇ istance in Plants (Paleg, L.G. and Aspinall, D. (Eds.), Academic Press, Sydney, Australia, 1981). The publication is included herein by reference.
  • Betaine has a bipolar structure and it contains several chemically reactive methyl groups which it can donate in enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Most organisms can synthesize small amounts of betaine for example for the methyl function, but they cannot react to stress by substantially increasing the production and storage of betaine. Best known organisms accumulating betaine are plants belonging to the Chenopodiaceae family, for example sugar beet, and some microbes and marine invertebrates. The main reason for the betaine accumulation in these organisms is probably that betaine acts as an osmolyte and thus protects the cells from the effects of osmotic stress.
  • betaine in these plants and microbes is to increase the osmotic strength of the cells when the conditions require this, for example in case of high salinity or drought, thus preventing water loss.
  • betaine is highly compatible with enzymes, and the betaine content in cells and cell organelles may therefore be high without having any detrimental effect on the metabolism.
  • Betaine has also been found to have a stabilizing effect on the operation of macromolecules; it improves the heat resistance and ionic tolerance of enzymes and cell membranes.
  • Betaine can be recovered for example from sugar beet with chromatographic methods. Betaine is commercially available from Cultor Oy, Finnsugar Bioproducts as a product that is crystalline water-free betaine. Other betaine products, such as betaine monohydrate, betaine hydrochloride and raw betaine- containing liquids, are also commercially available and they can be used for the purposes of the present invention. According to the present invention, betaine is thus used exogenously to improve the yield of grain legumes, such as soybean, faba bean, green bean and other beans, pea, lupin, etc. According to the invention, betaine is used to improve the yield of grain legumes both under normal and stress conditions, i.e. when the plants are subjected to periodic or continuous exogenous stress.
  • Such exogenous stress factors include for example drought, high temperatures, high soil salinity, air pollution, such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and sulphuric acid (acid rain), environmental poisons, herbicides, pesticides, etc.
  • Treating plants subjected to stress conditions exogenously with betaine for example improves the adaptation of the plants to the conditions and maintains their growth potential longer, thereby improving the yield-producing capacity of the plants.
  • Betaine is also a stable substance that remains in the plant cells. The positive effect of betaine is thereby long-standing and diminishes only gradually due to dilution caused by the growth.
  • betaine is used here as a general term which thus covers different known betaines.
  • Betaine is applied to the plants in either one or several dosages. Application in a single dose is considered preferable.
  • the amount used varies depending on the grain legume species and cultivar, and on the stage and conditions of growth. A useful amount may be for example about 0.1 to 20 kg of betaine per hectare. A preferable amount is thus for example about 1 to 6 kg of betaine per hectare.
  • the amounts given here are only suggestive; the scope of the present invention thus contains all amounts that work in the manner described herein.
  • Betaine can be applied separately or together with other plant protectants, pesticides or nutrients, such as fungicides and urea or micronutrients. Betaine can be applied easily for example by spraying. Foliar application of betaine and possible other agents through spraying is a preferable method which enables a more rapid response than methods involving root application. However, there may be different problems related to this method, such as low penetration concentrations in leaves with thick cuticles, run-off from hydrophobic surfaces, washing off by rain, rapid drying of the solution and leaf damage, and therefore other methods may also be used to apply betaine, if desired.
  • an aqueous solution of betaine is preferably used.
  • the time of the treatment according to the invention may also vary. If betaine is applied in a single dosage, the treatment is usually performed at an early stage of growth, for example on plants of about 5 to 20 cm, or when the leaves have just come out. If betaine is applied in several dosages, a new spraying is performed preferably in the beginning of flowering or when stress can be forecasted on the basis of the weather.
  • the betaine treatment according to the invention considerably improves the yield of grain legumes, for example the amount and quality of the yield.
  • the treatment according to the invention can also reduce the need for artificial irrigation.
  • the treatment according to the invention is economically advantageous and the increase in yield is economically profitable and significant.
  • lupin yield can be increased by over 28% with a suitable betaine dosage, for example about 6 kg/ha.
  • a suitable betaine dosage for example about 6 kg/ha.
  • the antinutrient content of plants for example the alkaloid content of lupins, considerably decreases as a result of the betaine application according to the invention.
  • lupin yield is used as forage or in some other form as food for animals whereupon the advantages of lupin are its high contents of protein, amino acids and energy.
  • the highest allowed alkaloid content for these applications is 0.04%.
  • alkaloids cause a bitter off- taste, wherefore animals tend to avoid eating forage or other feed containing alkaloids.
  • the use of lupins in animal food and forage applications is therefore restricted due to their alkaloid content. It is also known that the alkaloid content of lupins increases under stress conditions.
  • the yield of grain legumes can thus be improved both under normal and stress conditions, which in addition to drought include for example high salinity often connected with drought, high temperature, etc. Furthermore, the invention also makes it possible to grow grain legumes on lands that were previously considered unfit for cultivation.
  • the experiment was conducted according to a split-plot design utilizing plots of 8 m 2 .
  • the plots were divided into four sub-plots that were treated with different betaine concentrations.
  • the betaine concentrations used were 0 (control), 2 kg/ha, 4 kg/ha and 6 kg/ha.
  • the soil was sandy (98% sand, 1% silt and 1% clay) with a low nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content and poor water and nutrient retention properties. The amount of irrigation was normal.
  • the cultivar was Gungurru. The results are shown in Table 1. Table 1
  • Twenty green bean seeds were soaked for 24 hours in 330 ml of one of the aforementioned test solutions. The seeds were then dried on stainless steel screens and sown into soil with two seeds placed in each container. The containers were then placed on a window ledge with a southern exposure to the sun, and they were watered daily with deionized water.
  • Water stress was imposed on half of the plants four weeks after seedling emergence.
  • the pots were then grouped into 3 sets, each of which consisted of 4 pots, and each set was sprayed with either 25 ml of distilled water, 0.1M betaine solution or 0.3M betaine solution two weeks after the stress imposition.
  • 200 ml of 100 mM NaCl solution was applied to half of the pots every four days for five weeks after seedling emergence.
  • the pots were grouped in 3 sets of 4 pots in each set, and they were sprayed with 25 ml of distilled water, 0.1M betaine solution or 0.3M betaine solution after the first administration of the NaCl solution.
  • the NaCl treatment was repeated six more times after the betaine application.
  • the smaller betaine rate of 0.IM thus had a positive effect both on the number of active nodules, number of pods and the leaf dry matter content when the pea was growing under dry conditions.
  • the positive effect on pea growing under salt stress was even clearer.
  • the higher betaine content of 0.3M had a positive effect on the number of nodules and leaf dry matter content of peas growing under salt stress.
  • Example 5 The experiment of Example 5 was repeated by utilizing betaine solutions of 0 (control), 0.05M, 0.1M and 0.2M. Water stress was induced in the manner described in Example 5, whereas salt stress was not examined in this experiment. In order to examine the recovery of plants, the stressed plants were divided on day 28 of the experiment into two groups one of which still remained under water stress, and the other one was irrigated and its recovery was followed. Samples were taken on days 21, 28, 35 and 42. Peas growing under optimum conditions (sufficient irrigation) were used as control. The best results were obtained with the betaine rate of 0.05M. The results concerning the relative growth rate of pea and the dry weight of the shoot are shown in Figures 1 and 2, respectively.
  • Example 5 Effect of betaine application on faba bean yield under stress conditions
  • the experiments described in Example 5 were repeated utilizing faba bean. Ten seeds of faba bean were sown per pot and they were later thinned to 3 plants per pot. The other parameters of the experiments corresponded to those described in Example 5.
  • the positive effect on faba bean was apparent especially for the number of pods, which increased under water stress from a control value of 3.13 to 3.50 with the 0.1M betaine solution, and to 3.63 with the 0.3M betaine solution.
  • the results correspond to values 112 and 116 in percentages of the control (100).
  • the leaf dry matter content increased from a control value of 2.04 g to 2.21 g with the 0.1M betaine solution, but decreased to 1.67 g with the 0.3M betaine solution.
  • Example 8 Example 8
  • the nitrogen fixation capacity of soybean was determined by measuring the nitrogenase activity with an acetylene reduction test wherein acetylene is reduced to ethylene.
  • the experiment was conducted 10 weeks after sowing.
  • metal cylinders of 10 cm in diameter and 20 cm in depth were placed in the soil around a soybean plant. The plant was removed from the soil in the cylinder and the shoot was cut off. The roots were then quickly placed in an airtight container of 1000 ml. 150 ml of acetylene was then injected in the container, and a 6.5 ml gas sample was taken by a syringe 5, 10 and 15 minutes after incubation, and the samples were then subjected to gas chromatography. It has been established that acetylene reduction is linear for about 20 minutes from the acetylene introduction. The results obtained after 15 minutes are shown in Table 8.
  • Example 8 The acetylene reduction test described in Example 8 was repeated in greenhouses utilizing the betaine rate of 0.1 and cultivar Biloxi. The experiment was conducted by closing plant roots (2 per pot) in a glass container (1 1) and by sucking 150 ml of air out of the container, whereafter the air was replaced with a corresponding amount of acetylene gas in the manner described in Example 8.
  • the water-stressed plants were divided into three groups, one of which (control) was treated with distilled water, the second one was sprayed with betaine at the rate of 2 kg/ha and the third one with betaine at the rate of 6 kg/ha a day after stress imposition.
  • the photosynthetic activity of the plants was determined with the Li-cor Li-1600-Steady State Porometer. The apparatus and its use are described in the following references: Campbell, G.S. 1975. Steady-state diffusion porometer ⁇ . In: Measurement of stomatal aperture and diffusive resistance. Coll. Agric. Res. Center Bull. 809. p. 20. Washington State Univ. Pullman, Wash, and Bingham, G.E. & Coyne, P.I. 1977. A portable , temperature-controlled steady-state porometer for field measurements of transpiration and photosynthesis . Photosynthetica 11(1): 148-160. The results are shown in Table 10. Table 10

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Pest Control & Pesticides (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Plant Pathology (AREA)
  • Dentistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Agronomy & Crop Science (AREA)
  • Botany (AREA)
  • Agricultural Chemicals And Associated Chemicals (AREA)
  • Cultivation Of Plants (AREA)
  • Compounds Of Unknown Constitution (AREA)
  • Breeding Of Plants And Reproduction By Means Of Culturing (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur une utilisation exogène de bétaïne destinée à accroître le rendement de légumineuses à graines. On utilise, au titre de cette invention, de la bétaïne afin d'accroître le rendement de ces plantes, dans des situations d'agression notamment. L'invention, qui concerne également des légumineuses à graines traitées de façon exogène avec de la bétaïne, porte plus particulièrement sur le traitement de leurs semences.
EP95929908A 1995-09-07 1995-09-07 Accroissement du rendement de cultures Withdrawn EP0863703A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FI954195A FI98515C (fi) 1995-09-07 1995-09-07 Kasvien satotuloksen parantaminen
PCT/FI1995/000480 WO1997008951A1 (fr) 1995-09-07 1995-09-07 Accroissement du rendement de cultures
FI954195 1995-09-07

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0863703A1 true EP0863703A1 (fr) 1998-09-16

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95929908A Withdrawn EP0863703A1 (fr) 1995-09-07 1995-09-07 Accroissement du rendement de cultures

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0863703A1 (fr)
CN (1) CN1200650A (fr)
AU (1) AU703341B2 (fr)
BR (1) BR9510641A (fr)
CA (1) CA2231162A1 (fr)
FI (1) FI98515C (fr)
WO (1) WO1997008951A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2209591A1 (fr) * 1997-07-03 1999-01-03 Universite Du Quebec A Montreal Methode pour ameliorer la tolerance au froid ou au gel, reduire le taux de croissance ou inhiber la croissance de plantes, et ameliorer le taux de germination de semences vegetales
FR2789550B1 (fr) * 1999-02-15 2003-04-11 Goemar Lab Sa Procede pour augmenter le rendement des recoltes des plantes agronomiques par stimulation de la germination des grains de pollen
JP2001316204A (ja) 2000-04-28 2001-11-13 Kao Corp 植物活力剤
US9085776B2 (en) 2013-08-13 2015-07-21 Plant Response Biotech S.L. Method for enhancing drought tolerance in plants
US9198416B2 (en) 2013-08-13 2015-12-01 Plant Response Biotech S.L. Method for enhancing drought tolerance in plants
CN111556709B (zh) * 2017-12-07 2022-04-05 丹斯塔发酵股份公司 用于改善种子萌发和/或植物对环境胁迫耐受性的方法
WO2020060939A1 (fr) * 2018-09-17 2020-03-26 Smithers-Oasis Company Composition et procédé pour améliorer la tolérance à la sècheresse de plantes
WO2022096721A1 (fr) * 2020-11-09 2022-05-12 Danstar Ferment Ag Procédé, combinaison ou composition pour une activité insecticide, acaricide et/ou nématicide améliorée

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0181494A1 (fr) * 1984-10-11 1986-05-21 Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. Agent de régulation de la croissance des plantes
JPH01228416A (ja) * 1988-03-08 1989-09-12 Katakura Chitsukarin Kk 養液による植物の栽培法

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9708951A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FI98515B (fi) 1997-03-27
AU3348095A (en) 1997-03-27
FI98515C (fi) 1997-07-10
WO1997008951A1 (fr) 1997-03-13
CA2231162A1 (fr) 1997-03-13
MX9801840A (es) 1998-08-30
BR9510641A (pt) 2001-07-31
AU703341B2 (en) 1999-03-25
FI954195A0 (fi) 1995-09-07
CN1200650A (zh) 1998-12-02

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