FI96111B - Improving crop yields - Google Patents

Description

96111

Improving crop yields

TECHNICAL FIELD • This invention relates to the use of betaine to improve the yield of plants. In particular, the invention relates to the use of betaine to improve the yield of plants belonging to the genus Soi Anum. According to the invention, the yield can be improved in particular under stress conditions, i.e. when the conditions are poor, for example when cold, drought, high salinity or environmental toxins impair growth. The invention also relates to plants of the genus Solarium treated with betaine and products obtained therefrom.

Background 15 The growing environment and growing conditions play a significant role in the growth performance of plants. When the growth environment and conditions are optimal, a good yield is usually obtained qualitatively and quantitatively. With poor growth conditions, both quality and quantity naturally deteriorate.

Numerous different solutions have been developed to improve plant growth conditions and yields. Choosing the right plant for the right place to grow is a matter of course for a person skilled in the art. During the growing season, the plants can be protected by mechanical means, for example by using various gauze or plastics or by cultivating the plants in greenhouses. Irrigation and watering, fertilizers and plant nutrients are commonly used to improve growth. The physiological properties of the plant are influenced by means of breeding, 30 in which case both traditional breeding and, for example, the use of genetic engineering are involved. The methods are often laborious and impractical, have limited effectiveness (economic size of the greenhouse, limited protection of gauze, etc.) and, in addition, are globally expensive by over 35 people. Economically acceptable chemical solutions for the implementation of plant protection have not been described so far.

Plants are also able to adapt to some extent to growing conditions and also to stress conditions. In these 5 conditions e.g. proline and betaine accumulate in the growth sites of certain plants. The purpose and significance of these accumulated products have been discussed in the literature. On the one hand, products have been shown to be by-products of stress that are harmful to cells, 10 on the other hand, it has been estimated that they may have a cell protective effect (Wyn Jones, RG and Storey, R. in The Physiology and Biochemistry of Drought Resistance in Plants, edited by Paleg , LG and Aspinall, D., Academic Press, Sydney, Australia, 1981).

15 In J. Plant Physiol. 140 (1992) 541-543,

Zhao et al., Describe the effect of betaine on alfalfa cell membranes. The alfalfa seedlings were sprayed with 0.2 M glycine betaine, after which the seedlings were removed from the rooted medium, washed to remove soil, and transferred for one hour to cold, -10 ° C to -2 ° C. The seedlings were then thawed and planted in moist sand for a week, at which time new growth could be observed for the surviving plants. Glycine betaine clearly improved the cold resistance of alfalfa. The effect was observed especially for the cold treatment at -6 ° C. Of the controls maintained at -6 ° C for one hour, all died, while 67% of the glycine betaine-treated seedlings survived.

Plant Science Letters 25 (1982) 329 -335, Itai and Paleg, describes the effect of proline and betaine on the recovery of barley and cucumber from stress caused by lack of water. The plants were grown in washed sand and polyethylene glycol (PEG, molecular weight 4000) was added to the nutrient solution for four days to induce water stress, after which the plants were allowed to recover for four to four days before harvest. Proline and / or betaine 3 96111 (25 mM, pH 6.2) were sprayed on plant leaves either on the first or third day of stress or immediately before harvest. For barley, it was found that betaine given before or after stress had no effect, whereas betaine added towards the end of stress had an effect. Proline had no effect. No positive effect could be demonstrated for the throat. On the contrary, it was found that both betaine and proline had a negative effect.

Brief Description of the Invention In the context of the present invention, it has been shown that the yield of plants belonging to the genus Solarium, such as potatoes and tomatoes, can be considerably improved by externally administered betaine. The effect of betaine is particularly significant when plants are exposed to external stress during growth.

The invention thus relates to the use of betaine externally to improve the yield of plants belonging to the genus Solarium. In particular, the invention relates to the use of betaine to improve the yield of plants under stress conditions.

The invention furthermore relates to plants and their products belonging to the genus Solanum which have been externally treated with betaine, and to their use both as such and as raw materials for the food industry.

The invention also relates to a method for improving the yield of plants belonging to the genus Sol Anum, in which method betaine is applied externally to growing plants belonging to the genus Solanum.

The invention further relates to plants belonging to the genus Soianum and their products obtained by the process according to the invention.

Betaine is applied to the plant either in single doses or in batches. The application can be carried out, for example, by spraying, if desired in combination with another spraying of fertilizers or pesticides. The betaine used according to the invention 4 96111 is transported into plant cells and actively regulates the osmotic balance of the cells as well as participates in other metabolism. The betaine-treated cell remains more viable even under the influence of external stressors.

The betaine treatment according to the invention is economically advantageous and the increase in yield is economically viable and significant. The treatment does not involve significant additional work, as it can be done in conjunction with other spraying of fertilizers or pesticides, and does not require new investment in machinery, equipment or facilities. It should also be noted that betaine is a non-toxic natural product that does not adversely affect crop quality. In addition, betaine is a stable substance that is retained in plant cells and thus has a long-term effect.

Detailed description of the invention

Fully N-methylated amino acids are called betaines. Betaines are natural products that play an important role in the metabolism of both plants and animals. One of the most common betaines is a glycine derivative in which three methyl groups are attached to the nitrogen atom of the glycine molecule. This betaine compound is commonly referred to as betaine, glycine betaine or trimethylglycine and has the following structural formula: - 25 CH- '+

CH- - N - CH, COO

J | * 30 CH3

Other betaines include, for example, alanine betaine and proline betaine, e.g. has been reported to prevent osteoporosis in chickens. Wyn Jones, R. G., and 35 Storey, R., in The Physiology and Biochemistry of Drought Resistance in Plants, edited by Paleg, L. G., and Aspinall, D., Academic Press, Sydney, Australia, 1981, have provided a detailed description of betaines.

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Betaine thus has a bipolar structure and contains several chemically reactive methyl groups that it can donate in enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Most organisms are able to synthesize betaine 5 in small amounts e.g. for the methyl function, but are unable to respond to stress by substantially increasing betaine production and storage. The best known of the betaine-accumulating organisms are plants belonging to the genus Chenopodiaceae, such as sugar beet, and a few microbes 10 and marine invertebrates. The main reason these organisms store betaine is probably that betaine acts as an osmolyte and thus protects cells from the effects of osmotic stress. Indeed, the most important functions of betaine in these plants and microbes are to increase the osmotic resistance of cells when conditions require it, for example when the salt content is high or dry, and thus to prevent water losses. Betaine, unlike many salts, is well compatible with enzymes and thus the betaine content in cells and cellular organelles can be high without this having a detrimental effect on metabolism. Betaine has also been found to have a stabilizing effect on the function of macromolecules, improving the heat resistance and ion resistance of enzymes and cell membranes. Plants of the genus Solanum 25 do not normally store betaine in their cells.

Betaine can be obtained, for example, from sugar beet by chromatographic methods. Betaine is commercially available e.g. under the trademark BETAFIN, Cultor 30 Oy, Finnsugar Bioproducts. BETAFIN is a crystalline anhydrous betaine from Finnsugar Bioproducts. Other betaine products, such as betaine monohydrate, betaine hydrochloride, and betaine-containing crude solutions, are commercially available and can be used for the purposes of this invention.

96111 6 According to the present invention, betaine is used externally to improve the yield of plants belonging to the genus Solarium. In particular, betaine is used when plants are grown under stressful conditions, i.e. when the growth of plants is afflicted by intermittent or continuous external stress. Such external stressors include e.g. drought, humidity, cold, heat, high salinity, herbicides, environmental toxins, etc. By administering betaine externally to plants suffering from stress conditions, e.g. promotes the adaptation of plants to these conditions and maintains their growth potential for a longer period of time, thus improving the crop's yield. Betaine is also a stable substance that is retained in plant cells. The positive effect of betaine thus lasts for a long time and only gradually disappears with the dilution caused by growth.

Betaine is applied to plants either as a single dose or in batches. The amount used varies with the plant variety and growth stage. For example, for potatoes, about 0.1 to 20 kg of betaine per hectare can be used. The usable amount is thus, for example, about 10 kg of betaine per hectare, which corresponds to about 0.01% of the potato biomass. The preferred amount is about 2 to 8 kg of betaine per hectare. For tomatoes, about 0.1 to 30 kg of betaine per hectare can be used. The preferred amount is about 20 to 25 kg / ha, especially about 22 kg / ha.

Any suitable method can be used to apply betaine. Betaine can be easily applied, for example, by spraying. Such spraying may, if desired, be carried out in combination with another spraying of fertilizers or pesticides. According to the invention, an aqueous betaine solution is preferably used.

The time of treatment according to the invention may vary and a suitable time is preferably determined for each plant separately. If betaine is applied in one batch of 35, the treatment is generally carried out at an early stage of growth, for example about 5 to 20 cm for the plants. If the dosage is divided into two batches, re-injection is preferably carried out at the beginning of flowering or when stress can be predicted on the basis of the type of weather.

The betaine treatment according to the invention can considerably improve the yield of plants belonging to the genus Solanum, such as the quantity and quality of the yield. The treatment according to the invention is economically advantageous and the increase in the amount of yield is economically profitable and significant. For example, in the case of potatoes, an increase in yield of more than 30% has been obtained, and in the case of tomatoes, the yield has even been doubled using a suitable betaine dosage. In addition, it should be noted that a cell treated with betaine or proline remains viable even under the influence of external stressors such as cold, dry, high salt, and the like.

The invention is illustrated in more detail by the following examples. These examples are provided solely to illustrate the invention and should not be construed as limiting its scope in any way.

Example 1

The effect of betaine on potato yield was determined under field conditions in two different growing sites and using four different betaine concentrations, 0 (control), 1.25, 5.0 and 25 10.0 kg betaine per hectare. For administration, an aqueous betaine solution was prepared which, in addition to the desired betaine content, contained 2 ml / l of nonionic wetting agent, Plus-50 (Ciba Geigy). The betaine solution was applied at 640 l / ha when 75% of the field area was covered with growth and once in the tuber growth phase. The potato variety was

Russet Burbank. Habitats differed in climate, with one (1) having a warmer and drier climate than the other (2) with frost during the growing season. After harvesting, the tubers were sorted into 35 non-commercial groups (small, green 96111 and anomalous tubers) and commercial groups, and their weight and number of tubers were determined. The specific gravity of the tubers was determined by the weight in air / weight in water method. Statistical analysis of the results was performed by analysis of variance using Genstat software.

At site (1), the yield of tubers per plant increased from a control value of 1.96 kg to 2.42 kg when betaine was applied at 2.5 kg / ha. This represents 23.5% of nou-10 sua compared to the control, i.e. about 17 t / ha. The results are shown in Table 1.

table 1

Effect of betaine on potato yield 15 increase in betaine yield _ (kg / ha) __ (% of control) o 100 1.25 112 2.50 123.5 20 5.00 117.5 _10.00__112.5_

At site (2), the results differed somewhat from those at site (1), with more than 10% increase in li-25 yield compared to control only observed at doses of 5 and 10 kg / ha. The best result was obtained at a dose of 10 kg / ha, whereby the yield increased by 12.6% compared to the control, i.e. 7.9 t / ha. At a betaine application rate of 10 kg / ha, a clear increase in the number of commercially available 30 tubers per plant was also observed. No significant differences were found in the specific gravity of the tubers, with values ranging from 1.084 to 1.082.

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Thus, a clear increase in yield was observed in both growth sites as a result of external betaine addition.

However, clear differences were observed in the increase in yield. The differences can be due to two different factors. On the other hand, 5 stress was different in these habitats due to climatic differences. On the other hand, at the growing site (1), the potato tubers were harvested within a week of the second betaine addition and it is possible that the second betaine addition did not have time to affect the yield. At growth site (2), betaine addition was performed during the tuber development stage and harvesting was performed at about 6 weeks after harvest. Thus, the results may indicate that a second betaine addition should not be performed in a short time.

Example 2 The effect of betaine on the amount of potato yield under drought stress was determined under field conditions according to the following experimental set-up: 1). Normal watering (watering every 7 days) (WW) 2). Drought stress (watering every 15 days) (SS) 20 3). Drought stress (watering every 15 days) + betaine (SB)

Betaine was added during flowering of the plants six weeks after planting. A 0.2 M aqueous betaine solution was used as betaine. The solution was sprayed on the plants 25 so that they got wet but did not get too wet, about 20 ml / plant or 0.47 g / plant. The potato variety was Alpha. The potato was grown in areas of about 4.0 x 2.8 m and the crop was harvested in areas of about 3.0 x 2.1 m. Otherwise, the cultivation followed the normal practice, i.e. fertilizer, in-30 secticide and other pesticides were added, soiled, etc. The growth time was normal in the growing area used. Potatoes were picked after 110 days of cultivation. The results are shown in Table 2.

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Table 2

Effect of betaine on potato yield in dry conditions _Treatment_

Parallel (WW) (SS) (SB) 5 experiments____ _1__16,68__11,16__10,84 _11__19,70__11,94__13,70 111__20,66__7,0____14,20

Average 19.01 10.04 12.91 10

Drought stress thus clearly reduced the tuber yield. On the other hand, betaine treatment caused a significant increase in the number of tubers under stress conditions. The addition of betaine in a single-15 dose resulted in a 30% increase in the tuber yield of drought-stressed potatoes.

Example 3

The effect of betaine on tomato yield under drought stress was determined under field conditions according to the following experimental-20 arrangement: 1). Normal watering (watering every 7 days) (WW) 2). Normal watering (watering every 7 days) + betaine (WB) 3). Drought stress (watering every 15 days) (SS) 25 4). Drought stress (watering every 15 days) + betaine (SB)

Betaine was added during flowering of the plants six weeks after planting. A 0.2 M aqueous betaine solution was used as betaine. The solution was sprayed on the plants 30 so that they got wet but did not get too wet, about 20 ml / plant, i.e. about 0.47 g / plant. The amount of water given was not relevant to the plant's water needs. The cultivation followed the normal practice, i.e. fertilizer, insecticide and other pesticides were added, etc. The growth time 35 was normal in the growing site used. The results of tomato cultivation 96111 11 were always determined for 10 plants and the harvest of the mature crop took place manually within 5 weeks starting 11 weeks after planting. The results are shown in Table 3.

5 Table 3

Effect of betaine on tomato yield under different conditions Treatment_

Parallel (WW) (WB) (SS) (SB) tests_____ 10 Mean__379__782__492__1,221

Drought stress did not cause significant changes in tomato yield, on the contrary, stressed plants gave 30 to 15% higher yield than plants irrigated in the normal way. On the other hand, betaine treatment significantly increased tomato yield, fruit production of stressed plants more than doubled, and production of plants grown under normal growing conditions approximately doubled.

Example 4 In this experiment, it was investigated whether betaine can protect plants from damage caused by herbicides. The experiment was carried out under field conditions and .beta. 25 metribuzin and cyanazine (Bladex) were used as herbicides, which were added in the late growth phase. Five different concentrations of betaine were used, 0 (control), 2, 4, 8 and 12 kg betaine per hectare. For administration, an aqueous betaine solution containing 1 ml / l of nonionic wetting agent, Plus-50 (Ciba Geigy) was added to the desired betaine concentration. The betaine solution was applied at 640 l / ha when 25% of the field area was covered with growth. The potato variety was Russet Burbank. The habitat was located at an altitude of 140 m and was at times plagued by heat and drought. The crop was left by hand and the tubers were sorted into the non-commercial group (small, green and diseased tubers) and the commercial group and their weight and number of tubers were determined.

5 In this experiment, too, betaine increased the number of tubers. The lowest betaine doses of 2-4 kg / ha had no significant effect on yield and tuber count. At the highest betaine concentrations, the number of crops and tubers increased significantly. The number of tubers per hectare increased the most with a betaine content of 8 kg / ha, which was an increase of 21% compared to the control. The results are shown in Table 4.

Table 4 15 Effect of betaine on yield of herbicide-treated potato

Betaine _number of tubers_ (kg / ha) per hectare x 103% of control 0 170 100 20 2 160 94 4 176 103 8 206 121 12__181__106_

Claims (26)

1. External use of betaine to improve crop yields of plants of the genus Solanum. Use according to claim 1, characterized in that betaine is used to improve the harvest result under stress conditions. Use according to claim 2, characterized in that the stress conditions comprise high or cool temperatures, dry or excessive humidity or high salinity. Use according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the plant is a potato. Use according to claim 4, characterized in that the potato grows under cold stress. Use according to claim 4, characterized in that the potato grows under dry stress. Use according to any of claims 4-6, characterized in that betaine is used in an amount of about 0.1 - 20 kg / ha. Use according to claim 7, characterized in that betaine is used in an amount of about 2 - 8 kg / ha. Use according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the plant is tomato. Use according to claim 9, characterized in that the tomato grows under dry stress. Use according to claim 10, characterized in that betaine is used in an amount of about 0.1 - 30 kg / ha. Use according to claim 11, characterized in that betaine is used in an amount of about 20 - 25 kg / ha, advantageously 22 kg / ha. ia ia i lii il ti tm i 17 96111 13. A method for improving the yield of plants of the genus Solarium, characterized in that betaine is applied externally to viable plants. 5 14. A process according to claim 13, characterized in that betaine is applied to plants growing under stress conditions. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that the stress conditions comprise 10 high or low temperatures, dry or excessive humidity or high salinity. 16. A method according to any of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that betaine is applied one or more threads during the growing period. 15 17. A process according to any of claims 13-16, characterized in that betaine is applied together with a pesticide, surfactant or fertilizer. 18. A method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that betaine is applied in a round during the plant's early growing phase. 19. A method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that betaine is applied in several rounds, the first rate being applied during the early growth phase of the plant and the second rate when flowering begins. 20. A method according to any of claims 13-19, characterized in that the plant is potato. 30 21. A method according to claim 20, characterized in that the potato grows under cold stress. 22. A process according to claim 20, characterized in that the potato grows under dry stress. 96111 23. A method according to any of claims 20-22, characterized in that betaine is used at an x length of about 0.1 - 20 kg / ha, advantageously about 2 - 8 kg / ha. 5 24. A method according to any of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that the plant is tomato. 25. A method according to claim 24, characterized in that the tomato grows under dry stress. 26. A method according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that betaine is used in an amount of about 0.1 - 30 kg / ha, advantageously about 20 - 25 kg / ha and especially 22 kg / ha. • · «·