NZ240177A - Horticultural injectable formulation containing trichoderma viride - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £40177 240177 Patents Form 5 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No. 240177 10 October 1991 AN INJECTABLE TREATMENT FOR PLANTS WE, DAVID STEPHEN JOHN GALE of 420 Cashmere Road, Christchurch 5, New Zealand being a British Subject and JOHN SINCLAIR HUNT of 48 Rossmore Terrace, Christchurch 2, New Zealand, being a New Zealand Citizen, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- — 1 — 240177 The invention relates to horticulture and more particularly to an injectable treatment used in horticulture for ur.e in the treatment of disease, the application of herbicides, growth hormones, nutrients, fertilizers and other treatments.

At present there is a need in horticulture for a delivery system for active agents and a packaging system which allows operators to handle with safety chemicals and other active agents without risk and danger.

According to a broadest object of the invention there is provided a delivery and packaging system for injectable horticultural treatments for applying biological treatments for disease, herbicides, growth hormones, nutrients, fertilizers, other disease treatments and the like.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following descriptions which are given by way of example only.

According to a broadest aspect of the invention there is provided a horticultural applicator and delivery system including a pack consisting of a flexible sachet or container for a solution which pack has a connection for an injector device and optionally a connection for a vial pack of an active ingredient, the arrangement being such that when required an active ingredient either from the vial pack or from elsewhere is mixed with the solution to be ready for transmission direct to the injector device. 3 24 0 1 The connection between the sachet and the injector may be by a flexible connection.

The sachet can be a sterile container and the connections between the sachet and the injector and the vial pack can be of a sterile type normally used in medicine for the treatment of humans.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a pack for delivering a high dose injectable form of biologicals (in excess of 108 colony forming units per-millilitre) of a fungus such as the naturally occurring fungus Trichodexma viride organism in a stable form usable as required.

The biological active ingredient is stored in a dry powder form in vial pack from which it is mixed, in use, with a sterile nutrient solution stored, for example within a flexible plastic sachet. In use, once the powder is mixed with the solution, the sachet can be used to fill an applicator device, for example a spring loaded syringe, with which the biological active ingredient now in liquid form can be delivered directly into the tree by injection.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a high dose injectable form of the naturally occurring fungus Trichoderma. viride organism (epithets include American Tissue Culture Collection - [ATCC] No. 20475 & 20476 as well as others) which enables a high concentration of the biological active ingredient to be delivered into a tree or vine. 24017 The delivery by injection allows the organism to be disseminated throughout a relatively large area of the host (when compared with other forms of delivery). Inclusion of compatible (to Trichoderma) systemic fungicides will allow fungal pathogens not normally affected by the Trichoderma to be sufficiently compromised thereby allowing the active ingredient to elicit a curative as well as a protective function.

The biological active ingredient form of Trichoderma is able to inhabit and grow within the injected tree or vine without harm.

The presence of Trichoderma within a tree or vine acts as an "immunising commensal" thereby affording protection from other would be wood infecting pathogens.

The Trichoderma (ATCC 20475 and 20476 and others) in the form of dried spores mixed with 1-2.5% (w/v) malt powder, together with other nutrients and protectants, the vegetable dyes, for example, brilliant blue (0.0075% w/v) and tartrazine (0.015 w/v) and phosphonic acid the concentration of which does not harm the biological active ingredient, for example a concentration of 200mM (final concentration when made up in solution).

Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description given by way of example.

An example will be described in the following description which is with reference to the drawing which accompanied the provisional specification which shows 240177 diagrammatically a packaged form of the invention, at its point of sale.

The example of the invention is for a particular horticultural application. It is however to be appreciated that with minor modifications and variations other injections of biological and chemically active ingredients including both compatible and incompatible systemic and non-systemic fungicides, growth regulators, trace elements and fertilizers can be utilized instead of the specific examples described. This includes variations to the size of the plastics sachet up to 5 litres to enable the packaging of materials in solvents both hazardous (toxic or inflammable) nature for use in a simple user friendly manner. This can include the provision of a leak-proof snap-on connection device (such as, for example, the "Luer Lock") between the plastics sachet and the syringe to thereby eliminate spillage.

Trichoderma (ATCC 20475 and 20476 and others) in the form of dried spores mixed with 1-2.5% (w/v) malt powder, together with other nutrients and protectants, one of which may also be included being cyproconazole in powder form to be at a final concentration when made up in solution of up to lOOmg per litre, vegetable dyes and phosphonic acid at a concentration which does not harm the biological active ingredient, for example, 200mM (final concentration when made up in solution) which is contained within a 25ml glass vial 1 closed with a rubber bung 2 and crimped aluminium seal 3 . 240177 Sterile colourless liquid nutrient of dextrose 100ml at specified pH 4 is contained within flexible plastic sachet 4 to which the glass vial 1 is attached via a twist breakable seal 5 to allow the contents of the vial 1 to be washed into the sachet 4. Alternatively this sterile liquid could also contain a compatible (to Trichoderma) systemic fungicide for example a solution or suspension of cyproconazole at a final concentration of up to lOOmg per litre. Once washed into the nutrient solution the preparation becomes a uniform coloured suspension/solution containing not less than 100 million active propagules of Trichoderma per millilitre of liquid. This solution is stable at 4° C for up to 5 days.

The plastic sachet 4 once activated by mixing with the contents of the vial 1 becomes the vessel by which a spring loaded syringe 6 is used for injecting the Trichoderma into the tree or vine.

The plastic spring loaded syringe device 6 which is provided can deliver either 10 or 20ml volume of active ingredient per injection.

The storage system has a number of advantages: a) the biological active ingredient is stable for long periods in dry powder form at room temperature; b) the liquid nutrient solution is sterile and also stable for long periods at room temperature; c) the combination pack allows mixing Immediately before use; 24017 d) once mixed the sachet is easily accessible for filling the spring loaded syringe without contamination; and e) the spring loaded syringe (which is itself subject to a patent) is simple to use and can be left in a tree to discharge unattended.

The applicants believe that this is the first (and only) injectable form of Trichoderma available world-wide in a packaged form which has a commercially feasible shelf life combined with a simple delivery (into the tree) device.

The applicants also believe that the formulation of the Trichoderma once combined with the liquid nutrients optimises the active ingredient's opportunity to both inhabit and protect the host from other wood infecting pathogens.

The applicants believe that the combination of nutrients at the pH optimum for its Trichoderma biological active ingredient growth (at which pH many other competing organisms will either not grow well or not at all) combined with the general fungicidal properties of phosphonic acid (which does not compromise the active ingredient at the concentration chosen) is unique and maximises the benefit to the biological active ingredient at the expense of other would-be competing micro-organisms.

The systemic fungicides such as for example phosphonic acid or cyproconazole together with Trichoderma would allow 2m otherwise intractable (to Trichoderma) fungal pathogen to be sufficiently compromised to allow the active ingredient 24 0177 Trichoderma to act in both a protective and curative manner towards the pathogen.

In conducting the background research the applicants recognised that there are many types of wood infecting fungi and some bacteria which affect a wide variety of trees and vines grown commercially for their crops. Many of these pathogens infect their host via wounds caused by pruning cuts or wind damage which exposes sensitive internal tissue of the wood thereby offering a relatively easy route for infection. There are other routes for infection such as the tissue which is exposed when flowers, leaves or fruit falls or is picked.

The ubiquitous fungus Trichoderma viride found worldwide in soil and plant litter and debris has been well described during the past four decades in the international literature for its bio-control properties. There are some 200 different strains or races (technical term "epithets") which have been described with various properties and habitats. Many are parasitic and/or antagonistic to other micro-organisms with some producing a number of fungistatic and/or bacteriostatic metabolites including both antibiotic and toxin like compounds.

The presence of Trichoderma within a growing plant, tree or vine acts as an "immunising commensal" thereby affording protection from other would-be wood infecting pathogens. An immunising commensal is an organism which is able to inhabit smother organism without harming it but while inhabiting imparts beneficial properties to the host organism. 240177 Trichoderma's parasitic and/or antagonistic properties towards some fungi thereby affect curative properties within trees or vines infected with these fungal pathogens. These curative properties can be demonstrated when the symptoms usually associated with the pathogen are alleviated, either through the elimination of the pathogen, or the cessation of pathogen growth by Trichoderma's antagonistic properties; e.g. control of silverleaf disease of pip and stone fruit trees caused by the pathogen Chondrostereum purpureum using Trichoderma.

A number of epithets of Trichoderma have been registered for use in overseas countries as well as New Zealand. The most common form of use is to deliver the active ingredient on a pellet which is inserted into the affected tree or vine for the control of silverleaf. The applicants Trichodowel (Registered Trade Mark) uses this form of delivery by incorporating the active ingredient on a small wooden dowel which can be easily inserted into the tree. Other common forms of delivering the active ingredient are as pastes or sprays.

The injectable form of delivering Trichoderma has certain advantages over other delivery systems. A high dose can be delivered throughout a large area of affected tree or vine thereby affording a more effective and often faster cure.

A single injection can be used to treat large severely affected trees with greater doses of biological active 240177 ingredient more easily than by inserting a number o£ Trichodowels or pellets.

The injections can be inserted at ground level allowing the biological active ingredient to spread both upward into shoot tissue and downward into root tissue in trees and vines affected with root infecting pathogens.

The injections can be used in small young trees or vines to disseminate the biological active ingredient throughout the complete woody tissues by nature of their smaller overall volume.

The injections can be used as a curative against pathogens such as that causing silverleaf as well as a preventative against a wide range of other wood infecting pathogens or curative and preventative against any number of pathogens which were sensitive to the addition of an appropriate compatible (to Trichoderma) systemic fungicide included with the active ingredient Trichoderma.

Thus by this invention there is provided a treatment for disease effecting many types of plants.

A particular example of the invention has been described and it is envisaged that improvements and modifications can take place without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (11)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A spore concentrate form of the naturally occurring fungus Trichoderma viride as hereinbefore defined, the concentrate being in such a dry stable form that it can be mixed into an injectable carrier solution enabling a high concentration (as hereinbefore defined) of the organism, and hence biologically active ingredient of Trichoderma viride, to be delivered into a plant.

2. A spore concentrate form of Trichoderma viride as claimed in claim 1 which when dispersed in suspension and/or dissolved in solution and delivered by injection allows the organism to be disseminated throughout the host.

3. A spore concentrate of Trichoderma viride organism as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 which can be mixed with compatible (to Trichoderma) systemic fungicides which allow fungal pathogens not normally affected by the Trichoderma to be sufficiently compromised to allow the active Trichoderma viride ingredient to elicit a curative as well as a protective function.

4. A spore concentrate of Trichoderma viride organism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 2 wherein the biological active ingredient form of Trichoderma is able to inhabit and grow within an injected tree or vine without harm' to;^ or vine. 240 1 7 7

5. A spore concentrate of Trichoderma viride organism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the Trichoderma is in the form of dried spores mixed with 1-2.5% (w/v) malt powder, together with other nutrients and protectants, vegetable dyes and tartrazine (0.015 w/v) and phosphonic acid the concentration of which does not harm the biological active ingredient.

6. An applicator for delivering a spore concentrate form of Trichoderma viride as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, the applicator is configured such that the spore concentrate and the injectable solution are stored separately with a connection for an injection means and a connection for a vial means containing the spore concentrate, the configuration being such that upon activation the spore concentrate is mixed with a carrier solution for transmission to the injection means.

7. An applicator as claimed in claim 6 wherein the spore concentrate is stored in a dry powder form in a vial from which it is mixed for use with a sterile nutrient carrier solution contained in a sachet or container.

8. An applicator as claimed in claim 6 wherein the sachet is a sterile container and the connections between the sachet and the injector and the vial pack can be of a sterile type normally used in medicine for the treatment of hm»ar|^' ^ ^ f ; V I'A . - 13 - 2 4 0^77

9. An applicator as claimed in claim 7 wherein systemic fungicides are mixed with the nutrient carrier solution contained in the sachet or container.

10. An applicator as claimed in claim 9 wherein the systemic fungicide is phosphonic acid or cyproconazole.

11. A pack for delivering a spore concentrate of Trichoderma viride as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DAVID STEPHEN JOHN GALE JSttd JOHN SJHSBgR" vBy The^r Attorneys^ SON & CAREY ASPEC64676 - -