WO2012037352A2 - Methods and compositions for reducing pathogens in soil and improving plant growth - Google Patents

Methods and compositions for reducing pathogens in soil and improving plant growth Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2012037352A2
WO2012037352A2 PCT/US2011/051765 US2011051765W WO2012037352A2 WO 2012037352 A2 WO2012037352 A2 WO 2012037352A2 US 2011051765 W US2011051765 W US 2011051765W WO 2012037352 A2 WO2012037352 A2 WO 2012037352A2
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composition
soil
composition according
combination
phenylalanine
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PCT/US2011/051765
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French (fr)
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WO2012037352A3 (en
Inventor
Marc J. Rodriguez
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Microbes, Inc.
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Publication of WO2012037352A2 publication Critical patent/WO2012037352A2/en
Publication of WO2012037352A3 publication Critical patent/WO2012037352A3/en

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C05—FERTILISERS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF
    • C05D—INORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C; FERTILISERS PRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE
    • C05D9/00—Other inorganic fertilisers
    • 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
    • A01N63/00—Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing microorganisms, viruses, microbial fungi, animals or substances produced by, or obtained from, microorganisms, viruses, microbial fungi or animals, e.g. enzymes or fermentates
    • A01N63/30—Microbial fungi; Substances produced thereby or obtained therefrom
    • A01N63/32—Yeast
    • 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
    • C05F11/08—Organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia or the like
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E50/00—Technologies for the production of fuel of non-fossil origin
    • Y02E50/30—Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
    • Y02W30/00—Technologies for solid waste management
    • Y02W30/40—Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse

Definitions

  • the purpose of this invention is to provide a unique and eco-friendly product that will effectively reduce or control pathogens in soil, while minimizing damage to, and improving growth of, crop and non-crop plants, including turfgrass.
  • the rhizosphere is typically populated with a variety of prokaryotes and eukaryotes acting mutualistically or symbiotically to perpetuate themselves; all while providing essential nutrients that nourish the plant.
  • the microbiology of the rhizosphere is, however, diverse and many pests, i.e. pathogens, also interact with plant roots to feed in the rhizosphere. By feeding themselves, such pests compete with plants for nutrients at the plant roots, thereby causing the plants to become malnourished. In the case of crop plants, this malnourishment results in massive crop losses.
  • nematodes For example, one class of pathogens is nematodes. Nematodes cause immense damage to plants either by externally attaching themselves to the roots, or by penetrating the roots. Commercial products are available to control nematodes.
  • Fungi cause plant diseases including, for example, rust, smut, and leaf root and stem rots, causing severe damage to crops.
  • Chemical fungicides are currently used to control fungi. However, many of the chemicals are toxic and/or damaging to the surrounding plants and ecosystems.
  • the invention in a first aspect, relates to a composition for reducing pathogens in soil.
  • the composition comprises an amount of intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells sufficient to reduce the pathogens in the soil and a carrier suitable for delivering the intracellular components of lysed yeast cells to the soil.
  • the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
  • the invention in a second aspect, relates to a method for reducing pathogens in soil.
  • the method comprises applying to the soil a composition comprising an amount of intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop
  • the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
  • the invention in a third aspect, relates to a composition for reducing pathogens in soil.
  • the composition comprises an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
  • the composition also includes a carrier suitable for delivering the whole or lysed bacteria cells to the soil.
  • the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
  • the invention in a fourth aspect, relates to a method for reducing pathogens in soil.
  • the method comprises applying to the soil a composition comprising an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
  • the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
  • the invention relates to a composition for reducing pathogens in soil.
  • the composition comprises:
  • the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
  • the invention relates to a method for reducing pathogens in soil.
  • the method comprises applying to the soil a composition comprising:
  • the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
  • the invention relates to a composition for improving plant growth.
  • the composition comprises:
  • the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
  • the invention relates to a method for improving plant growth. The method comprises applying to the rhizosphere of the plant a composition comprising:
  • the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
  • the rhizosphere is the soil surrounding the roots of a plant in which complex relations exist between the soil, plants with roots in the soil, and
  • microorganisms that inhabit the soil.
  • the roots influence the chemistry and biology of the rhizosphere, including pH and nitrogen transformations.
  • the microorganisms affect the plants whose roots are in the rhizosphere.
  • rhizosphere-inhabiting microorganisms include microorganisms that colonize, and/or live in the rhizosphere of, a plant, and that have a significant and positive effect on the plant.
  • microorganisms include, for example, yeast cells and bacteria cells.
  • bacteria include rhizobacteria cells and rhizosphere-associated bacteria cells.
  • Rhizobacteria are a category of bacteria that colonize plant roots (e.g., Rhizobium).
  • Rhizosphere-associated bacteria do not colonize plant roots, but live in the perimeter of the roots in the rhizosphere (e.g., Bacillus).
  • compositions of the invention may or may not comprise a suitable carrier, preferably an inert carrier. Any carrier suitable for delivering the active ingredients to the soil may be used in the compositions and methods of the invention.
  • Suitable carriers are well known in the art. Some examples of carriers include minerals, salts, paper waste material, and animal cell protein. Minerals include, for example, zeolite, including zeolite clmoptilolite (also known as clmoptilolite zeolite), lime and bentonite. Salts include, for example, magnesium chloride, and magnesium sulfate. Paper waste material includes paper waste processed into cellulose carriers. Paper waste material is available from Kadant Grantech, Inc. Animal cell protein includes, for example, whole red blood cells and animal proteins (beef and pork stock), and is available from Sensient Technologies. The composition may be in the form of a liquid or a solid. Liquid carriers typically comprise solutions or suspensions of water.
  • Solid carriers are in forms known in the art, such as, for example a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or are granular.
  • a fertilizer pellet can, for example, be an extruded pellet, which is sometimes referred to as an extrusion.
  • compositions useful in this invention do not include a lignosulfate compound.
  • methods for reducing pathogens in soil using such compositions do not include applying to the soil a lignosulfate compound.
  • yeast cells may be from the genera Aciculoconidium, Agaricomycotina, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Botryoascus, Brettanomyces, Bullera, Candida, Citeromyces, Clavispora, Cryptococcus, Cystofilobasium, Debaromyces, Dioszegia, Dipodascopsis, Endomyces, Entorrhizomycetes, Erythrobasidium,
  • Fellomyces Filobasidium, Geotrichum, Guilliermondella, Hanseniaspora, Hansenula, Hasegawaea, Hyphopichia, Incertae sedis, Issatchenkia, Kloeckera, Kluyveromyces, Leucosporidium, Lipomyces, Lodderomyces, Malassezia, Mastigomyces,
  • Pachytrichospora Pachysolen, Penicillium, Pezizomomycotina, Phaffia, Pichia,
  • Pityrospodium Procandida, Prototheca, Pucciniomycotina, Pvhodsporidium, Rhodotorula, Rhodotorula, Saccharomycotina, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycodes, Saccharomycopsis, Schizosaccharomycetes, Schizoblastosporion, Schwanniomyces, Selenotila,
  • yeast cells are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, or a combination thereof.
  • any whole bacterial cell or lysed bacterial cell that is capable of reducing pathogens in soil may be used in compositions and methods of the invention.
  • lysed bacteria cell it is meant that the intracellular components of the bacterial cell are used. As will be discussed below, to access the intracellular components of the bacteria cell, the bacteria may be lysed. Whole bacteria cells are also effectively used in the compositions and methods of the invention.
  • the bacteria cells may be from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium, Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter, Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, Amphibacillus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Brevibacillus, Sulfobacillus, Thermobacillus, Thiobacillus, Paenibacillus, Virgibacillus, Amphibacillus, Halobacillus, Heliobacillus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizo
  • Cyanobacterium Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus, Desulfomicrobium,
  • Desulfomonas Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium, Desulfobacter,
  • Desulfobacterium Desulfococcus, Desulfomonile, Desulfonema, Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia,
  • Methanobacterium Methanococcus, Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus,
  • Methylobacterium Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter,
  • Nitrosomonas Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria,
  • Photobacterium Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium,
  • Rhizomonas Rhodobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila,
  • Rhodopseudomonas Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter,
  • Streptobacillus Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
  • the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia, Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium, Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces, Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof. More preferably, the bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus or any combination thereof.
  • the bacteria are from the genus
  • Pasteuria may be cultured in vivo in nematodes, as is well known in the art, or in vitro by methods such as those described in U.S. patent 7,067,299.
  • Any amino acid and any combination of amino acids that is capable of improving the health of crop and/or non-crop plants, or that, in combination with the intracellular components of yeast cells or with whole or lysed bacteria cells, is capable of reducing pathogens in soil may be used in the compositions and methods of the invention.
  • amino acids that are capable of improving the health of crop and/or non- crop plants, or that, in combination with the intracellular components of yeast cells or with whole or lysed bacteria cells, are capable of reducing pathogens in soil are known in the art.
  • Preferred amino acids include, for example, lysine, especially L-lysine (or its analogs); phenylalanine, especially L-Phenylalanine and DL-Phenylalanine; and combinations thereof.
  • any fertilizer that improves the growth of crop or non-crop plants when added to soil may be used in the compositions and methods of the invention.
  • Suitable fertilizers are known in the art.
  • the fertilizer contains plant nutrients, especially nitrogen, phosphorous, or potassium, or any combination thereof, and provides a fertilizing effective quantity of the nutrients when the composition is applied to soil.
  • Combinations of nutrients include nitrogen and phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium, phosphorous and potassium, and nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
  • Nitrogen may be provided by an inorganic fertilizer or an organic fertilizer. Suitable inorganic fertilizers and organic fertilizers are known in the art.
  • Inorganic fertilizers may, for example, be selected from the group consisting of ammonia, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, urea, and a urea-formaldehyde reaction product (UF).
  • UF urea-formaldehyde reaction product
  • urea and formaldehyde react together to to produce polymer-chains of varying lengths. The length of the chain affects release characteristics of nitrogen.
  • UF products may be synthesized by known methods, or may be purchased commercially, for example from Agrium Advanced Technologies, Riverside Sedirected Corporation, and Shanghai Wintong Chemicals Co., Ltd
  • ureaform is sparingly soluble, and contains at least 35 percent total nitrogen, with at least 60 percent of the total nitrogen as cold-water- insoluble nitrogen (CWIN).
  • Ureaform is composed largely of longer-chained molecules of UF polymers. The unreacted (and, therefore, quick-release) urea nitrogen content in UF products is usually less than 15 percent of the total nitrogen.
  • Methylene ureas are a class of sparingly soluble UF products that predominantly contain intermediate-chain-length polymers.
  • the total nitrogen content of these polymers is 39 to 40 percent, with between 25 and 60 percent of the nitrogen present as CWIN.
  • the unreacted urea nitrogen content generally is in the range of 15 to 30 percent of the total nitrogen.
  • Organic fertilizers are or contain organic compounds having one or more of nitrogen, phosphorous, or potassium atoms. Suitable fertilizers that provide effective amounts of nitrogen are know in the art. Some examples of such fertilizers are selected from the group consisting of cornmeal, blood meal, red blood cells, cottonseed meal, ocean kelp meal, fish fertilizer, feather meal, soy meal, shrimp and crab meal, cheese and milk whey, algae, biosolids, manure based composts, landscape and yard based composts, animal cells and proteins, yeast proteins, food waste proteins, single cell proteins, guano, green manures, alfalfa, leather meal, bone meal and cocoa meal.
  • Suitable fertilizers that provide effective amounts of phosphorous are known in the art. Some examples of such fertilizers are compounds selected from the group consisting of CaHP0 4 , Ca(H 2 P0 4 )2, ammonium phosphate, sodium nitrophosphate, potassium nitrophosphate, sodium mono-orthophosphate and potassium mono- orthophosphate.
  • Ca(H 2 P0 4 ) 2 may be a superphosphate, e.g., a mono- superphosphate or a triple superphosphate.
  • Mono-superphosphate is made by reacting concentrated sulfuric acid and phosphate rock.
  • Triple-superphosphate is made by reacting phosphoric acid and phosphate rock
  • Suitable fertilizers that provide effective amounts of potassium are known in the art. Some examples of such fertilizers are selected from the group consisting of potash, potassium chloride, carnallite, potassium sulfate, and potassium nitrate.
  • the amount of yeast cells, bacteria cells, amino acids, fertilizer and combinations thereof in the composition or method is an amount that is sufficient to reduce pathogens in the rhizosphere of soil.
  • the minimum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells and of whole or lysed bacteria cells is, by weight of the composition, about 0.001% by weight, preferably about 0.1 % by weight, more preferably about 1% by weight, and most preferably about 10% by weight.
  • the maximum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells and of whole or lysed bacteria cells is about 66% by weight, preferably about 55% by weight, and more preferably about 50%> by weight of the composition.
  • the minimum amount of amino acids is, by weight of the composition, about 0.001%) by weight, preferably about 0.1 % by weight, more preferably about 1% by weight, and most preferably about 10% by weight.
  • the maximum amount of amino acids is about 75% by weight, preferably about 66% by weight, and more preferably about 50%) by weight of the composition.
  • the minimum amount of the fertilizer is about 0.1 % by weight, more preferably about 1% by weight, and most preferably about 10% by weight of the composition.
  • the maximum amount of fertilizer is about 85% by weight, preferably about 75%) by weight, and more preferably about 65% by weight of the composition.
  • the number of whole bacteria cells, and the number of bacteria or yeast cells that are lysed to provide the intracellular components of bacteria cells or yeast cells in the methods and compositions of the invention is any number of cells that is effective to reduce pathogens in the rhizosphere of a plant, or otherwise to promote plant growth.
  • the minimum number of cells is preferably about 1 x 10 4 , more preferably about 1 x 10 6 , and most preferably about 1 x 10 7 microorganisms per gram of composition.
  • the preferred maximum number of bacteria in the compositions and compositions of the invention is a number that is not less beneficial to plants than a lower number of cells. Typically, it is not necessary to use more than 1 x 10 12 bacteria cells per gram of fertilizer composition; more typically, it is not necessary to use more than 1 x 10 9 bacteria cells per gram of fertilizer composition.
  • Intracellular components of microorganisms Intracellular components of microorganisms
  • the compositions contain the intracellular components of yeast cells and/or bacteria cells.
  • yeast cells and/or bacteria cells that are the source of the intracellular components are beneficial to plants.
  • microorganisms e.g. , bacteria and yeast
  • microorganisms are considered to be beneficial to plants if the microorganisms colonize plant roots, or are closely associated with the plant rhizosphere, and in doing so, they promote plant growth and/or reduce disease or insect damage. Any non-beneficial characteristics of such microorganisms are outweighed by their beneficial characteristics.
  • microorganism isolates are cultured under conditions known in the art ⁇ e.g. , at about 35°C for about 48 hours and 200rpm in tryptic soy broth) to a sufficient cellular concentration, e.g., about 1 x 10 5 to about 1 x 10 12 CFU/ml.
  • the broth cultures are centrifuged and re-constituted in a suitable medium, such as a phosphate buffered solution (PBS) in preparation for the lysing event.
  • PBS phosphate buffered solution
  • intracellular lysing begins with the slight heating of the buffered cellular solution ⁇ e.g., to a temperature of about 40°C to about 50°C).
  • the cellular solution is mixed gently while a protease enzyme ⁇ e.g., neutral pH protease or papain) is added.
  • a protease enzyme e.g., neutral pH protease or papain
  • the enzymatic digestion of the bacterial peptidoglycan outer cellular walls and the yeast outer cellular/transmembrane proteins liberates the intracellular components into solution. The digestion is typically complete in approximately 3-5 hours.
  • the microorganisms lysed to make the compositions of the invention preferably contain a favorable amount of protein; yeast - approximately 50% and bacteria - approximately 75%.
  • the enrichment of the plant root rhizosphere with an abundance of proteins, amino acids, nucleotides, enzymes and other components favors a beneficial environment for plant nutrient uptake, growth and metabolism.
  • Pathogens a beneficial environment for plant nutrient uptake, growth and metabolism.
  • pathogens includes any organism that causes infectious disease of a plant and/or has a negative effect on the growth of a plant directly or indirectly.
  • Organisms that cause infectious disease include, for example, fungi, nematodes, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, viroids, virus-like organisms, phytoplasmas, protozoa, and parasitic plants.
  • compositions described above may be used in a method for reducing pathogens in the rhizosphere of a plant.
  • the amount of pathogens is considered reduced if there are at least about 10%, preferably about 25%, more preferably about 50%), most preferably at least about 75%, and optimally at least about 90%> fewer pathogens in the soil following treatment.
  • the method comprises delivering to the soil in the proximity of the plant a composition comprising an effective amount, as described above, of the intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells; whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells; combinations of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast and whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells; and, optionally in each case, amino acids, and fertilizers sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
  • the methods for reducing pathogens in soil are not limited to any particular mechanism of action, and several mechanisms of action are possible. For example, pathogens may be killed directly.
  • nematode eggs may be directly killed, or otherwise prevented from hatching.
  • the nematodes' reproduction and/or growth stages may be adversely affected.
  • the pathogens may be subjected to these mechanisms of action when the pathogens are either in the soil, in the roots of a plant, or partially in the soil and partially in the root.
  • the methods may also affect the microbiology of the rhizosphere such that the number of pathogens in soil is reduced by, for example, any of the mechanisms described above.
  • compositions and methods of the invention last up to one month, preferably up to two months, more preferably up to three months, most preferably up to six months, and optimally up to twelve months.
  • an agricultural field might benefit from the compositions and methods of the invention for one year with four, three, two, or even one treatment.
  • compositions are delivered to the soil by methods well known in the art.
  • the compositions are applied directly to the soil.
  • liquid compositions may be applied to the soil by spraying, dripping, or pouring; solid compositions may be scattered onto the soil manually or by machine.
  • compositions are delivered to the soil by first contacting seeds with the compositions, and then planting the seeds in the soil along with the compositions.
  • Liquid compositions can, for example, be sprayed on the seeds prior to planting. Alternatively, seeds can be dipped in the liquid compositions.
  • compositions can be admixed with, or dusted onto, the seeds.
  • the plant may be a crop or non-crop plant.
  • the word "plant” is used in a broad sense, and includes, for example, seedlings, plantlets, plants, bushes, and trees.
  • the method is effective on any crop plant.
  • crop plants include vegetable and fruit plants.
  • Some examples of vegetable plants include asparagus, tomato, beet, spinach, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage plants, etc.
  • fruit plants include grape, apple, pear, peach, plum and citrus plants, etc.
  • Examples of citrus plants include those of oranges, grapefruit, lemons and lime.
  • the method is also effective on any non-crop plant.
  • non-crop plants include grasses and ornamental plants.
  • ornamental plants include rose, geranium, forsythia, azelia, spathophylum, etc.
  • the method is especially effective on turf grass, such as bermudagrass, zoysia grass, St. Augustine grass, fescue grass, etc.
  • each member may be combined with any one or more of the other members to make sub-groups.
  • additional sub-genuses specifically contemplated include any two, three, or four, or five of the members, e.g., a and c; a, d, and e; a, c, d, and e; a, b, c, d, and e etc.
  • the members of a first genus of parameters may be combined with the members of a second genus of parameters, e.g., A, B, C, D, and E.
  • a first genus of parameters e.g., a, b, c, d, and e
  • the members of a second genus of parameters e.g., A, B, C, D, and E.
  • Any member or sub-genus of the first genus may be combined with any member or sub-genus of the second genus to form additional genuses, i.e., b with C; a and c with B, D, and E, etc.
  • a group of species of bacteria cells includes Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus, or any combination thereof.
  • sub-groups of bacteria cells include Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus chitinosporus; Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus laterosporus; and Bacillus chitinosporus and Bacillus laterosporus; in addition to the group of species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, and Bacillus laterosporus.
  • a group of species of yeast cells includes Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus. Any of the bacteria cells included in the group Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus individually; or any of the subgroups of bacteria cells mentioned above, i.e., Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus chitinosporus; Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus laterosporus; Bacillus chitinosporus and Bacillus laterosporus; as well as the group of bacteria cells Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, and Bacillus laterosporus can be combined with either of the Yeast cells Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Kluyveromyces marxianus individually, or with the subgroup of yeast cells Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus.
  • bacterial cells from the group Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, and Bacillus laterosporus can be combined with the yeast cells from the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
  • yeast cells from the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be combined with the yeast cells from the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
  • bacterial cells from the sub-group Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, and Bacillus laterosporus can be combined with the yeast cells from the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
  • Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus laterosporus can be combined with yeast cells from the species Kluyveromyces marxianus.
  • bacterial cells from the group Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus chitinosporus can be combined with yeast cells from the group Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus. Etc.
  • a list of elements following the word "comprising” is inclusive or open- ended, i.e., the list may or may not include additional unrecited elements.
  • a list following the words "consisting of is exclusive or closed ended, i.e., the list excludes any element not specified in the list.
  • the present formulation perpetuates a favorable microorganism population at the rhizosphere that guarantees essential nutrient cycling critical to plant growth and development.
  • the present invention provides a method used to control pathogens and promote the presence of desirable microorganisms at the plant rhizosphere.
  • desirable fauna act to exclude non- beneficial pathogens and potentially other non-beneficial insect pests and
  • microorganisms that damage plant roots and challenge the favorable microbial profile originating through the supplementation of the present invention.
  • a distinct advantage of the invention is the possibility of producing compositions that are useful in effectively reducing and controlling pathogens in soil, while minimizing damage to, and improving growth of, crop and non-crop plants, including turfgrass.
  • all of the compositions, and all of the methods that make use of such compositions are free of substantial amounts of any and all synthetic chemical compounds, i.e., chemical compounds that are artificially produced by humans, and not found in the natural environment.
  • a substantial amount is an amount that is more than a trace amount, and that is sufficient to have a significant effect on pathogens in a rhizosphere or on the health of a plant that is in the rhizosphere.
  • the intracellular components of bacteria and yeast, amino acids, and the organic and inorganic fertilizers mentioned above are not considered to be synthetic chemicals.
  • Some examples of synthetic chemicals that are preferably excluded from the compositions and methods of this invention include volatile nematocides, such as, for example, carbon disulfide, ethylene dibromide (EDB), 1,2- dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), and l,3-dichloropropene-l,2-dichloropropane (DD) as well as non-volatile nematocides such as, for example, 0-ethyl-S,S-dipropyl phosphorodithioate (Ethoprop), 2-methyl-2-(methylthio)-propionaldehyde, O- (methylcarbamoyl)oxime (Aldicarb), 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl methylcarbamate (Carbofuran),
  • Example 1 50 Specific Examples of Useful Compositions
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae is cultured at 35°C for 48 hours and 200rpm in tryptic soy broth to a cellular concentration of 1 x 10 9 CFU/ml.
  • the broth cultures are centrifuged at 20,000rpm for 1 hour and re-constituted in 1000ml of phosphate buffered solution (PBS) in preparation for the lysing event.
  • Intracellular lysing begins with the slight heating of the buffered cellular solution to a temperature of 40°C - 50°C.
  • the cellular solution is mixed gently while a protease enzyme (e.g. , neutral pH protease or papain) is added at 0.01 - 0.1%/wt.
  • a protease enzyme e.g. , neutral pH protease or papain
  • Zymomonas mobilis is cultured according to the conditions of example 2, with similar results.
  • Example 4 Lysis of Bacillus chitinosporus
  • Bacillus chitinosporus is cultured according to the conditions of example 2, with similar results.
  • Bacillus laterosporus is cultured according to the conditions of example 2, with similar results.
  • the superscripts e.g., "a,” “b,” “c” and “d” refer to Duncan's Multiple Range Test for demonstrating significant differences.
  • a test result that has a superscript letter different from the superscript letter of the result of the untreated control is statistically significant. For example, if the untreated control has an "a" superscript, then the difference between the control value and a treatment value that has a superscript other than "a" is statistically significant.
  • the pots were arranged in a randomized-block design in the greenhouse with six replications per treatment. Treatments were: water control, composition A, and composition B. Treatments were applied on 16 November 2009 and 16 December, 2009. Treatments were applied as a soil drench in 50-ml of aqueous solution per pot, water controls received 50-ml of water.
  • Numbers include six replications. Some phytotoxicity was observed, a though the grass recovered at the end of the three month trial.
  • compositions A and B There were no nematodes following treatment with compositions A and B when compared to the control.
  • the pots were arranged in a randomized-block design in the greenhouse with six replications per treatment. Treatments were applied as a soil drench in 50-ml of solution per pot, water controls received 50-ml of water.
  • composition C There were significantly fewer nematodes following treatment with composition C when compared to the control.
  • compositions D and E once per month for 3 months. [0081] After three months, the trial was stopped and the soils removed and extracted from the root zones of each treatment. Aerobic heterotrophic microbiology counts (Tryptic Soy agar at 34°C for 72 hours) and yeast mold, actinomycete and fungal counts (Potato Dextrose agar at 25 °C for 7 days) were taken.
  • Table 3 Heterotrophic bacteria and Yeast mold, Actinomycete and Fungal CFU/g
  • compositions D and E An upward trend in beneficial microbes is demonstrated in compositions D and E, encompassing aerobic heterotrophic bacteria as well as yeast mold, actinomycete and fungal populations in soil, versus the untreated control.
  • EXAMPLE 7 Comparison of number of germinated seedlings after treatment of corn and cotton with conventional agents (Royral and Ridomil) and Formula 1 (composition containing lysed bacteria, lysed yeast cells and amino acids)
  • Table 4 Increased Number of germinated seedlings (corn) after treatment with Formula 1
  • Table 5 Increased Number of germinated seedlings (cotton) after treatment with
  • Number of germinated seedlings 14 days after planting increased substantially after treatment with Formula 1 , in both corn and cotton plants, when compared to untreated control.
  • Number of germinated seedlings 14 days after planting increased substantially or performed similarly after treatment with Formula 1 , in both corn and cotton plants, when compared to chemical control.

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Abstract

The invention relates to compositions for reducing pathogens in soil, and to methods of using such compositions to treat soils. The composition comprises intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells and whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells. The composition can also include a fertilizer, and a carrier suitable for delivering the composition to the soil.

Description

METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR REDUCING PATHOGENS
IN SOIL AND IMPROVING PLANT GROWTH
Background of the Invention
[0001] The purpose of this invention is to provide a unique and eco-friendly product that will effectively reduce or control pathogens in soil, while minimizing damage to, and improving growth of, crop and non-crop plants, including turfgrass.
[0002] The area of soil in proximity to plant roots is referred to as the
rhizosphere. The rhizosphere is typically populated with a variety of prokaryotes and eukaryotes acting mutualistically or symbiotically to perpetuate themselves; all while providing essential nutrients that nourish the plant. The microbiology of the rhizosphere is, however, diverse and many pests, i.e. pathogens, also interact with plant roots to feed in the rhizosphere. By feeding themselves, such pests compete with plants for nutrients at the plant roots, thereby causing the plants to become malnourished. In the case of crop plants, this malnourishment results in massive crop losses.
[0003] For example, one class of pathogens is nematodes. Nematodes cause immense damage to plants either by externally attaching themselves to the roots, or by penetrating the roots. Commercial products are available to control nematodes.
However, the vast majority of such products are highly toxic to wildlife and humans.
[0004] Another example of a class of pathogens is fungi. Fungi cause plant diseases including, for example, rust, smut, and leaf root and stem rots, causing severe damage to crops. Chemical fungicides are currently used to control fungi. However, many of the chemicals are toxic and/or damaging to the surrounding plants and ecosystems.
[0005] There exists a strong demand for natural biochemicals to control soil pathogens that are safe, eco-friendly and environment-sensitive. Summary of the Invention
[0006] In a first aspect, the invention relates to a composition for reducing pathogens in soil. The composition comprises an amount of intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells sufficient to reduce the pathogens in the soil and a carrier suitable for delivering the intracellular components of lysed yeast cells to the soil. Additionally, the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
[0007] In a second aspect, the invention relates to a method for reducing pathogens in soil. The method comprises applying to the soil a composition comprising an amount of intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop
rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil. Additionally, the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
[0008] In a third aspect, the invention relates to a composition for reducing pathogens in soil. The composition comprises an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil. The composition also includes a carrier suitable for delivering the whole or lysed bacteria cells to the soil. Additionally, the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
[0009] In a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a method for reducing pathogens in soil. The method comprises applying to the soil a composition comprising an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil. Additionally, the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
[0010] In a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a composition for reducing pathogens in soil. The composition comprises:
(a) an amount of intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; (b) an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere- inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; and
(c) a carrier suitable for delivering the intracellular components of lysed yeast cells and whole or lysed bacteria cells to the soil.
Additionally, the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
[0011] In a sixth aspect, the invention relates to a method for reducing pathogens in soil. The method comprises applying to the soil a composition comprising:
(a) an amount of intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; and
(b) an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere- inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
Additionally, the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
[0012] In a seventh aspect, the invention relates to a composition for improving plant growth. The composition comprises:
(a) an amount of a fertilizer comprising an inorganic fertilizer, an organic fertilizer, or a combination thereof sufficient to improve growth of a plant; and one of the following;
(b) an amount of intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; or
(c) an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere- inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; or
(d) the intracellular components of lysed yeast cells described in (b) and the whole or lysed bacteria cells described in (c).
Additionally, the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi. [0013] In an eighth aspect, the invention relates to a method for improving plant growth. The method comprises applying to the rhizosphere of the plant a composition comprising:
(a) an amount of a fertilizer comprising an inorganic fertilizer, an organic fertilizer, or a combination thereof sufficient to improve growth of a plant; and one of the following;
(b) an amount of intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; or
(c) an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere- inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; or
(d) the intracellular components of lysed yeast cells described in (b) and the whole or lysed bacteria cells described in (c).
Additionally, the pathogens can be nematodes and/or fungi.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Rhizosphere-inhabiting microorganisms
[0014] The rhizosphere is the soil surrounding the roots of a plant in which complex relations exist between the soil, plants with roots in the soil, and
microorganisms that inhabit the soil. The roots influence the chemistry and biology of the rhizosphere, including pH and nitrogen transformations. The microorganisms affect the plants whose roots are in the rhizosphere.
[0015] In this specification, rhizosphere-inhabiting microorganisms include microorganisms that colonize, and/or live in the rhizosphere of, a plant, and that have a significant and positive effect on the plant. Such microorganisms include, for example, yeast cells and bacteria cells. Examples of such bacteria include rhizobacteria cells and rhizosphere-associated bacteria cells. Rhizobacteria are a category of bacteria that colonize plant roots (e.g., Rhizobium). Rhizosphere-associated bacteria do not colonize plant roots, but live in the perimeter of the roots in the rhizosphere (e.g., Bacillus).
Compositions
[0016] The compositions of the invention may or may not comprise a suitable carrier, preferably an inert carrier. Any carrier suitable for delivering the active ingredients to the soil may be used in the compositions and methods of the invention.
[0017] Suitable carriers are well known in the art. Some examples of carriers include minerals, salts, paper waste material, and animal cell protein. Minerals include, for example, zeolite, including zeolite clmoptilolite (also known as clmoptilolite zeolite), lime and bentonite. Salts include, for example, magnesium chloride, and magnesium sulfate. Paper waste material includes paper waste processed into cellulose carriers. Paper waste material is available from Kadant Grantech, Inc. Animal cell protein includes, for example, whole red blood cells and animal proteins (beef and pork stock), and is available from Sensient Technologies. The composition may be in the form of a liquid or a solid. Liquid carriers typically comprise solutions or suspensions of water. Solid carriers are in forms known in the art, such as, for example a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or are granular. In this specification, a fertilizer pellet can, for example, be an extruded pellet, which is sometimes referred to as an extrusion.
[0018] In one embodiment, the compositions useful in this invention do not include a lignosulfate compound. Similarly, the methods for reducing pathogens in soil using such compositions do not include applying to the soil a lignosulfate compound.
Yeast cells
[0019] The intracellular components of any yeast cell capable of reducing pathogens in soil may be used in the compositions and methods of the invention. As will be discussed below, to access the intracellular components of the yeast cell, the yeast cell may be lysed. [0020] For example, the yeast cells may be from the genera Aciculoconidium, Agaricomycotina, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Botryoascus, Brettanomyces, Bullera, Candida, Citeromyces, Clavispora, Cryptococcus, Cystofilobasium, Debaromyces, Dioszegia, Dipodascopsis, Endomyces, Entorrhizomycetes, Erythrobasidium,
Fellomyces, Filobasidium, Geotrichum, Guilliermondella, Hanseniaspora, Hansenula, Hasegawaea, Hyphopichia, Incertae sedis, Issatchenkia, Kloeckera, Kluyveromyces, Leucosporidium, Lipomyces, Lodderomyces, Malassezia, Mastigomyces,
Metschinikowia, Mrakia, Mrakiella, Nadsonia, Octosporomyces, Oosporidium,
Pachytrichospora, Pachysolen, Penicillium, Pezizomomycotina, Phaffia, Pichia,
Pityrospodium, Procandida, Prototheca, Pucciniomycotina, Pvhodsporidium, Rhodotorula, Rhodotorula, Saccharomycotina, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycodes, Saccharomycopsis, Schizosaccharomycetes, Schizoblastosporion, Schwanniomyces, Selenotila,
Sirobasidium, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, Stephanoascus, Sterigmatomyces, Sympodiomycopsis, Syringospora, Tibicos, Torulaspora, Taphrinomycotina, Torulopsis, Tremelloid, Trichosporon, Trigonopsis, Udeniomyces, Ustilaginomycotina,
Wallemiomycetes, Waltomyces, Wickerhamia, Williopsis, Wingea, Xanthophyllomyces, Yarrowia, Zygofabospora, Zygolipomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, or any combination thereof. Preferably, the yeast cells are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, or a combination thereof.
Bacteria cells
[0021] Any whole bacterial cell or lysed bacterial cell that is capable of reducing pathogens in soil may be used in compositions and methods of the invention. By "lysed bacteria cell" it is meant that the intracellular components of the bacterial cell are used. As will be discussed below, to access the intracellular components of the bacteria cell, the bacteria may be lysed. Whole bacteria cells are also effectively used in the compositions and methods of the invention.
[0022] For example, the bacteria cells may be from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium, Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter, Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, Amphibacillus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Brevibacillus, Sulfobacillus, Thermobacillus, Thiobacillus, Paenibacillus, Virgibacillus, Amphibacillus, Halobacillus, Heliobacillus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizobium, Brucella, Burkholderia, Cellulomonas, Centipeda, Chromatium, Chromobacterium, Caulobacter, Citrobacter, Chlorobium, Chloroflexus, Chloronema, Chromohalobacter, Chryseomonas, Clavibacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Corynebacterium, Cupriavidus, Curtobacterium,
Cyanobacterium, Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus, Desulfomicrobium,
Desulfomonas, Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium, Desulfobacter,
Desulfobacterium, Desulfococcus, Desulfomonile, Desulfonema, Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia,
Erythrobacter, Fibrobacter, Flavimonas, Flavobacterium, Flexibacter, Frankia,
Francisella, Frateuria, Fusobacterium, Gardenerella, Gemella, Gloeobacter, Gloeocapsa, Gloeothece, Gluconobacter, Halomonas, Haemophilus, Heliobacterium,
Hydrogenophaga, Kingella, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Lampropedia,
Leuconostoc, Legionella, Listeria, Lysobacter, Malonomas, Marinobacter, Marinococcus, Marinomonas, Megamonas, Melissococcus, Mesophilobacter, Methylobacillus,
Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus,
Methylobacterium, Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter,
Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria,
Pediococcus, Pelobacter, Peptococcus, Phenylobacterium, Phyllobacterium,
Photobacterium, Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium,
Rhizomonas, Rhodobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila,
Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter,
Ruminococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Saccharococcus, Sarcina, Serpens, Serratia, Sinorhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Spirulina, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina, Staphylococcus, Starria, Stenotrophomonas, Stomatococcus,
Streptobacillus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
Thiospirillum, Thiospirillopsis, Thiothrix, Trichococcus, Trichodesmium, Variovorax, Vibrio, Volcaniella, Weeksella, Wolinella, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenococcus, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yersinia, Yokonella, Zoogloea, Zymomonas, Zymophilus, or any combination thereof.
[0023] Preferably, the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia, Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium, Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces, Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof. More preferably, the bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus or any combination thereof.
[0024] In another preferred embodiment, the bacteria are from the genus
Pasteuria. Pasteuria may be cultured in vivo in nematodes, as is well known in the art, or in vitro by methods such as those described in U.S. patent 7,067,299.
Amino acids
[0025] Any amino acid and any combination of amino acids that is capable of improving the health of crop and/or non-crop plants, or that, in combination with the intracellular components of yeast cells or with whole or lysed bacteria cells, is capable of reducing pathogens in soil may be used in the compositions and methods of the invention.
[0026] Amino acids that are capable of improving the health of crop and/or non- crop plants, or that, in combination with the intracellular components of yeast cells or with whole or lysed bacteria cells, are capable of reducing pathogens in soil are known in the art. Preferred amino acids include, for example, lysine, especially L-lysine (or its analogs); phenylalanine, especially L-Phenylalanine and DL-Phenylalanine; and combinations thereof.
Fertilizers
[0027] Any fertilizer that improves the growth of crop or non-crop plants when added to soil may be used in the compositions and methods of the invention. Suitable fertilizers are known in the art. The fertilizer contains plant nutrients, especially nitrogen, phosphorous, or potassium, or any combination thereof, and provides a fertilizing effective quantity of the nutrients when the composition is applied to soil. Combinations of nutrients include nitrogen and phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium, phosphorous and potassium, and nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
[0028] Nitrogen may be provided by an inorganic fertilizer or an organic fertilizer. Suitable inorganic fertilizers and organic fertilizers are known in the art.
[0029] Inorganic fertilizers may, for example, be selected from the group consisting of ammonia, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, urea, and a urea-formaldehyde reaction product (UF). As is known in the art, urea and formaldehyde react together to to produce polymer-chains of varying lengths. The length of the chain affects release characteristics of nitrogen. UF products may be synthesized by known methods, or may be purchased commercially, for example from Agrium Advanced Technologies, Lebanon Seabord Corporation, and Shanghai Wintong Chemicals Co., Ltd
[0030] For example, ureaform is sparingly soluble, and contains at least 35 percent total nitrogen, with at least 60 percent of the total nitrogen as cold-water- insoluble nitrogen (CWIN). Ureaform is composed largely of longer-chained molecules of UF polymers. The unreacted (and, therefore, quick-release) urea nitrogen content in UF products is usually less than 15 percent of the total nitrogen.
[0031] Methylene ureas are a class of sparingly soluble UF products that predominantly contain intermediate-chain-length polymers. The total nitrogen content of these polymers is 39 to 40 percent, with between 25 and 60 percent of the nitrogen present as CWIN. The unreacted urea nitrogen content generally is in the range of 15 to 30 percent of the total nitrogen.
[0032] Organic fertilizers are or contain organic compounds having one or more of nitrogen, phosphorous, or potassium atoms. Suitable fertilizers that provide effective amounts of nitrogen are know in the art. Some examples of such fertilizers are selected from the group consisting of cornmeal, blood meal, red blood cells, cottonseed meal, ocean kelp meal, fish fertilizer, feather meal, soy meal, shrimp and crab meal, cheese and milk whey, algae, biosolids, manure based composts, landscape and yard based composts, animal cells and proteins, yeast proteins, food waste proteins, single cell proteins, guano, green manures, alfalfa, leather meal, bone meal and cocoa meal.
[0033] Suitable fertilizers that provide effective amounts of phosphorous are known in the art. Some examples of such fertilizers are compounds selected from the group consisting of CaHP04, Ca(H2P04)2, ammonium phosphate, sodium nitrophosphate, potassium nitrophosphate, sodium mono-orthophosphate and potassium mono- orthophosphate.
[0034] In this specification, Ca(H2P04)2 may be a superphosphate, e.g., a mono- superphosphate or a triple superphosphate. Mono-superphosphate is made by reacting concentrated sulfuric acid and phosphate rock. Triple-superphosphate is made by reacting phosphoric acid and phosphate rock
[0035] Suitable fertilizers that provide effective amounts of potassium are known in the art. Some examples of such fertilizers are selected from the group consisting of potash, potassium chloride, carnallite, potassium sulfate, and potassium nitrate.
Proportions
[0036] To the extent any of the following components are included in a composition or method of the invention, the amount of yeast cells, bacteria cells, amino acids, fertilizer and combinations thereof in the composition or method is an amount that is sufficient to reduce pathogens in the rhizosphere of soil. For example, the minimum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells and of whole or lysed bacteria cells is, by weight of the composition, about 0.001% by weight, preferably about 0.1 % by weight, more preferably about 1% by weight, and most preferably about 10% by weight. The maximum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells and of whole or lysed bacteria cells is about 66% by weight, preferably about 55% by weight, and more preferably about 50%> by weight of the composition.
[0037] The minimum amount of amino acids is, by weight of the composition, about 0.001%) by weight, preferably about 0.1 % by weight, more preferably about 1% by weight, and most preferably about 10% by weight. The maximum amount of amino acids is about 75% by weight, preferably about 66% by weight, and more preferably about 50%) by weight of the composition.
[0038] The minimum amount of the fertilizer is about 0.1 % by weight, more preferably about 1% by weight, and most preferably about 10% by weight of the composition. The maximum amount of fertilizer is about 85% by weight, preferably about 75%) by weight, and more preferably about 65% by weight of the composition.
Numbers of cells
[0039] The number of whole bacteria cells, and the number of bacteria or yeast cells that are lysed to provide the intracellular components of bacteria cells or yeast cells in the methods and compositions of the invention is any number of cells that is effective to reduce pathogens in the rhizosphere of a plant, or otherwise to promote plant growth. The minimum number of cells is preferably about 1 x 104, more preferably about 1 x 106, and most preferably about 1 x 107 microorganisms per gram of composition. The preferred maximum number of bacteria in the compositions and compositions of the invention is a number that is not less beneficial to plants than a lower number of cells. Typically, it is not necessary to use more than 1 x 1012 bacteria cells per gram of fertilizer composition; more typically, it is not necessary to use more than 1 x 109 bacteria cells per gram of fertilizer composition. Intracellular components of microorganisms
[0040] Where so specified in this specification, the compositions contain the intracellular components of yeast cells and/or bacteria cells. The yeast cells and/or bacteria cells that are the source of the intracellular components are beneficial to plants. In this specification, microorganisms, e.g. , bacteria and yeast, are considered to be beneficial to plants if the microorganisms colonize plant roots, or are closely associated with the plant rhizosphere, and in doing so, they promote plant growth and/or reduce disease or insect damage. Any non-beneficial characteristics of such microorganisms are outweighed by their beneficial characteristics.
[0041] In order to obtain such intracellular components, individual
microorganism isolates are cultured under conditions known in the art {e.g. , at about 35°C for about 48 hours and 200rpm in tryptic soy broth) to a sufficient cellular concentration, e.g., about 1 x 105 to about 1 x 1012 CFU/ml. The broth cultures are centrifuged and re-constituted in a suitable medium, such as a phosphate buffered solution (PBS) in preparation for the lysing event.
[0042] In one convenient lysing procedure, intracellular lysing begins with the slight heating of the buffered cellular solution {e.g., to a temperature of about 40°C to about 50°C). The cellular solution is mixed gently while a protease enzyme {e.g., neutral pH protease or papain) is added. The enzymatic digestion of the bacterial peptidoglycan outer cellular walls and the yeast outer cellular/transmembrane proteins liberates the intracellular components into solution. The digestion is typically complete in approximately 3-5 hours.
[0043] The microorganisms lysed to make the compositions of the invention preferably contain a favorable amount of protein; yeast - approximately 50% and bacteria - approximately 75%. The enrichment of the plant root rhizosphere with an abundance of proteins, amino acids, nucleotides, enzymes and other components favors a beneficial environment for plant nutrient uptake, growth and metabolism. Pathogens
[0044] The term "pathogens" includes any organism that causes infectious disease of a plant and/or has a negative effect on the growth of a plant directly or indirectly. Organisms that cause infectious disease include, for example, fungi, nematodes, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, viroids, virus-like organisms, phytoplasmas, protozoa, and parasitic plants.
Methods for reducing pathogens
[0045] Any of the compositions described above may be used in a method for reducing pathogens in the rhizosphere of a plant. The amount of pathogens is considered reduced if there are at least about 10%, preferably about 25%, more preferably about 50%), most preferably at least about 75%, and optimally at least about 90%> fewer pathogens in the soil following treatment.
[0046] The method comprises delivering to the soil in the proximity of the plant a composition comprising an effective amount, as described above, of the intracellular components of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells; whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells; combinations of lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast and whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells; and, optionally in each case, amino acids, and fertilizers sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
[0047] The methods for reducing pathogens in soil are not limited to any particular mechanism of action, and several mechanisms of action are possible. For example, pathogens may be killed directly.
[0048] For example, nematode eggs may be directly killed, or otherwise prevented from hatching. Alternatively, the nematodes' reproduction and/or growth stages may be adversely affected. [0049] The pathogens may be subjected to these mechanisms of action when the pathogens are either in the soil, in the roots of a plant, or partially in the soil and partially in the root. The methods may also affect the microbiology of the rhizosphere such that the number of pathogens in soil is reduced by, for example, any of the mechanisms described above.
[0050] The action of the compositions and methods of the invention last up to one month, preferably up to two months, more preferably up to three months, most preferably up to six months, and optimally up to twelve months. For example, an agricultural field might benefit from the compositions and methods of the invention for one year with four, three, two, or even one treatment.
[0051] The compositions are delivered to the soil by methods well known in the art. In one embodiment, the compositions are applied directly to the soil. In this embodiment, liquid compositions may be applied to the soil by spraying, dripping, or pouring; solid compositions may be scattered onto the soil manually or by machine.
[0052] In another embodiment, the compositions are delivered to the soil by first contacting seeds with the compositions, and then planting the seeds in the soil along with the compositions. Liquid compositions can, for example, be sprayed on the seeds prior to planting. Alternatively, seeds can be dipped in the liquid compositions. Solid
compositions can be admixed with, or dusted onto, the seeds.
[0053] The plant may be a crop or non-crop plant. The word "plant" is used in a broad sense, and includes, for example, seedlings, plantlets, plants, bushes, and trees.
[0054] The method is effective on any crop plant. Some examples of crop plants include vegetable and fruit plants. Some examples of vegetable plants include asparagus, tomato, beet, spinach, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage plants, etc. Some examples of fruit plants include grape, apple, pear, peach, plum and citrus plants, etc. Examples of citrus plants include those of oranges, grapefruit, lemons and lime.
[0055] The method is also effective on any non-crop plant. Some examples of non-crop plants include grasses and ornamental plants. Some examples of ornamental plants include rose, geranium, forsythia, azelia, spathophylum, etc. The method is especially effective on turf grass, such as bermudagrass, zoysia grass, St. Augustine grass, fescue grass, etc.
Miscellaneous definitions
[0056] In this specification, groups of various parameters containing multiple members are described. Within a group of parameters, each member may be combined with any one or more of the other members to make sub-groups. For example, if the members of a genus are a, b, c, d, and e, additional sub-genuses specifically contemplated include any two, three, or four, or five of the members, e.g., a and c; a, d, and e; a, c, d, and e; a, b, c, d, and e etc.
[0057] In some cases, the members of a first genus of parameters, e.g., a, b, c, d, and e, may be combined with the members of a second genus of parameters, e.g., A, B, C, D, and E. Any member or sub-genus of the first genus may be combined with any member or sub-genus of the second genus to form additional genuses, i.e., b with C; a and c with B, D, and E, etc.
[0058] For example, in the present invention, a group of species of bacteria cells includes Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus, or any combination thereof. Accordingly, in addition to each species individually, sub-groups of bacteria cells include Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus chitinosporus; Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus laterosporus; and Bacillus chitinosporus and Bacillus laterosporus; in addition to the group of species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, and Bacillus laterosporus.
[0059] A group of species of yeast cells includes Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus. Any of the bacteria cells included in the group Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus individually; or any of the subgroups of bacteria cells mentioned above, i.e., Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus chitinosporus; Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus laterosporus; Bacillus chitinosporus and Bacillus laterosporus; as well as the group of bacteria cells Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, and Bacillus laterosporus can be combined with either of the Yeast cells Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Kluyveromyces marxianus individually, or with the subgroup of yeast cells Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus.
[0060] For example, bacterial cells from the group Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, and Bacillus laterosporus can be combined with the yeast cells from the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Similarly, bacterial cells from the sub-group
Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus laterosporus can be combined with yeast cells from the species Kluyveromyces marxianus. Also, bacterial cells from the group Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus chitinosporus can be combined with yeast cells from the group Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus. Etc.
[0061] A list of elements following the word "comprising" is inclusive or open- ended, i.e., the list may or may not include additional unrecited elements. A list following the words "consisting of is exclusive or closed ended, i.e., the list excludes any element not specified in the list.
[0062] All numbers in the specification are approximate unless indicated otherwise.
Advantages of the invention
[0063] The present formulation perpetuates a favorable microorganism population at the rhizosphere that guarantees essential nutrient cycling critical to plant growth and development. Taken as a whole, the present invention provides a method used to control pathogens and promote the presence of desirable microorganisms at the plant rhizosphere. According to the invention, desirable fauna act to exclude non- beneficial pathogens and potentially other non-beneficial insect pests and
microorganisms that damage plant roots and challenge the favorable microbial profile originating through the supplementation of the present invention.
[0064] A distinct advantage of the invention is the possibility of producing compositions that are useful in effectively reducing and controlling pathogens in soil, while minimizing damage to, and improving growth of, crop and non-crop plants, including turfgrass. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, all of the compositions, and all of the methods that make use of such compositions, are free of substantial amounts of any and all synthetic chemical compounds, i.e., chemical compounds that are artificially produced by humans, and not found in the natural environment. In this regard, a substantial amount is an amount that is more than a trace amount, and that is sufficient to have a significant effect on pathogens in a rhizosphere or on the health of a plant that is in the rhizosphere.
[0065] In this specification, for example, the intracellular components of bacteria and yeast, amino acids, and the organic and inorganic fertilizers mentioned above are not considered to be synthetic chemicals. Some examples of synthetic chemicals that are preferably excluded from the compositions and methods of this invention include volatile nematocides, such as, for example, carbon disulfide, ethylene dibromide (EDB), 1,2- dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), and l,3-dichloropropene-l,2-dichloropropane (DD) as well as non-volatile nematocides such as, for example, 0-ethyl-S,S-dipropyl phosphorodithioate (Ethoprop), 2-methyl-2-(methylthio)-propionaldehyde, O- (methylcarbamoyl)oxime (Aldicarb), 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl methylcarbamate (Carbofuran), 0,0-diethyl-0-[p-(methylsulfinyl)phenyl]
phosphorothioate (Fensulfothion), and ethyl 4-(methylthio)-m-tolyl
isopropylphosphoramidte (Phenamiphus).
Examples
Example 1: 50 Specific Examples of Useful Compositions
Figure imgf000018_0001
35% S. 1% L-Lysine Sawdust in cerevisiae 1% DL- form of prill
Phenylalanine
25% S. 1% Z. mobilis 3% L-Lysine Inert rock cerevisiae 1.5% B. 1%-L zeolite
25% K. laterosporus Phenylalanine clinoptilolite marxianus 1.5% DL- in form of a
Phenylalanine prill
33% S. 25% B. Chalk in form cerevisiae laterosporus of paste
33% K.
marxianus
21% K 60% Z. 10% L- Inert zeolite marxianus mobilis Phenylalanine clinoptilolite in form of pellet
0.001% K. 15% L-Lysine Sawdust in marxianus 2% L- form of
1.5% S. Phenylalanine granule cerevisiae 2% DL- Phenylalanine
2.5% S. 0.001% B. 0.8% L-Lysine Inert rock in cerevisiae laterosporus 0.8% DL- form of a
0.01% B. Phenylalanine granule chitinosporus 0.8% L- 0.1% Z. Phenylalanine
mobilis
0.01% K. 1.25% Z. 5.5% L-Lysine Paper waste marxianus mobilis 8.5% L- material in
15% B. Phenylalanine form of laterosporus 6% DL- granule
Phenylalanine
0.60 % B. 0.065% DL- Remainder chitinosporus Phenylalanine water
10% Z. Remainder mobilis water
0.003% B. 2% L-Lysine Clay in form laterosporus of granule
12% Z. 15% L- mobilis Phenylalanine
12% B.
chitinosporus 15. 25% B. 1.2% L-Lysine Sawdust in laterosporus 12% DL- form of prill 5% Z. mobilis Phenylalanine
6.8% L-
Phenylalanine
16. 0.1% Z. Chalk in form mobilis of paste 0.01% B.
chitinosporus
17. 33% B. 33% L-Lysine Inert rock in laterosporus 20% L- form of a
Phenylalanine granule
18. 40% B. 3% L-Lysine Paper waste chitinosporus 3% L- material in 4% Z. mobilis Phenylalanine form of
3% DL- granule Phenylalanine
19. 60% B. 25% DL- Charcoal in laterosporus Phenylalanine form of pellet 6% Z mobilis
20. 31% B. 1% L-Lysine Inert zeolite chitinosporus 10% DL- clinoptilolite
0.1% Z Phenylalanine in form of mobilis pellet
10% B.
chitinosporus
21. 50% Z. 20% L- Remainder mobilis Phenylalanine water
22. 66% B. 30% DL- Sawdust in laterosporus Phenylalanine form of prill
23. 0.001% Z. Remainder mobilis water
0.001% B.
laterosporus
0.001% B.
chitinosporus
24. 2.5% B. 0.001% L- Clay in form chitinosporus Lysine of granule 0.05% Z. 0.001% L- mobilis Phenylalanine
25. 20% Z. 18% L- Charcoal in mobilis Phenylalanine form of pellet 40% B. 18% DL- laterosporus Phenylalanine 0.9% B. 36% DL- Chalk in form chitinosporus Phenylalanine of paste
3.6% L-Lysine
44% Z. 8.8% L-Lysine Inert rock in mobilis 1.2% DL- form of a
4.4% B. Phenylalanine granule chitinosporus
0.44% B.
laterosporus
3.3% Z. 0.5% L- Sawdust in mobilis Phenylalanine form of prill 3.3% B. 0.5% DL- laterosporus Phenylalanine
53% B. 17% L-Lysine Paper waste chitinosporus 3% DL- material in 7% Z. mobilis Phenylalanine form of granule
22% Z. 1.5% L-Lysine Clay in form mobilis 1.5% DL- of granule
22% B. Phenylalanine
laterosporus 1.5% L-
22% B. Phenylalanine
chitinosporus
0.05% S. 3% B. 5% DL - Remainder cerevisiae laterosporus phenylalanine water
6% Z. mobilis
2.5% K. 2.5% B. Chalk in form marxianus chitinosporus of paste
10% S. 10% Z. 10% L-Lysine Clay in form cerevisiae mobilis 5% DL- of granule
10% K. 10% B. Phenylalanine
marxianus chitinosporus 5% L-
10% B. Phenylalanine
laterosporus
25% S. 0.001% Z. 15% L-Lysine Inert zeolite cerevisiae mobilis 15% DL- clinoptilolite
1% B. Phenylalanine in form of chitinosporus 15% L- prill
10% B. Phenylalanine
laterosporus
45% K. 20% B. 0.001% L- Inert rock in marxianus laterosporus Phenylalanine form of a
5% Z. mobilis 0.001% DL- granule
Phenylalanine 60% S. 6% B. 12% L-Lysine Sawdust in cerevisiae chitinosporus 3% L- form of prill
Phenylalanine
3% DL- Phenylalanine
0.001% S. 0.1% B. magnesium cerevisiae chitinosporus chloride in 0.001% K. 1% Z. mobilis form of marxianus 5% B. granule laterosporus
30% S. 25% Z. 1% L- Paper waste cerevisiae mobilis Phenylalanine material in
10% K. 1.5% DL- form of marxianus Phenylalanine granule
7% K. 0.0075% B. 25% L-Lysine Charcoal in marxianus chitinosporus 25% L- form of pellet
18% S. 1.75% Z. Phenylalanine
cerevisiae mobilis
33% S. 9% Z. mobilis 6% L- Remainder in cerevisiae 9% B. Phenylalanine water
33% K. laterosporus
marxianus 9% B.
chitinosporus
10% S. Remainder Urea Prill cerevisiae
3% B. 18% Urea- Remainder laterosporus formaldehyde water 6% Z. mobilis reaction product
1% K. 10% B. 75% ammonium Remainder marxianus laterosporus phosphate water
15% S. 25% Z. 25% L-Lysine 5% Urea, 3% Remainder cerevisiae mobilis Triple- water superphosphate,
6% Potassium
nitrate
25% S. 2.5% B. 1% L-Lysine Remainder Granular cerevisiae laterosporus 1% L- Composted
5% K. 2.5% Z. Phenylalanine Manure
marxianus mobilis 1% DL- Phenylalanine
33% K. 22% Z. 15% L- 15% Fish Remainder marxianus mobilis Phenylalanine Fertilizer water
15% DL- Phenylalanine 50% S. 5% Z. mobilis Remainder Food Pellet cerevisiae 5% B. protein
laterosporus
5% B.
chitinosporus
18% S. 9% B. 0.01% L- Remainder Granular cerevisiae chitinosporus Lysine Animal Cell
4.5% B. 0.05% L- protein
laterosporus Phenylalanine
0.05% K. 1.5% Z. 33% L- 7% Methylene Remainder marxianus mobilis Phenylalanine Urea, 5% Triple water
0.1% S. 0.01% B. 3% L-Lysine Superphosphate,
cerevisiae chitinosporus 5% Potassium
sulfate
40% S. 21% Z. 10% Ammonium Remainder cerevisiae mobilis Sulfate, 8% water
Mono- Superphosphate,
15% Potassium
nitrate
Example 2: Lysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
[0066] Saccharomyces cerevisiae is cultured at 35°C for 48 hours and 200rpm in tryptic soy broth to a cellular concentration of 1 x 109 CFU/ml. The broth cultures are centrifuged at 20,000rpm for 1 hour and re-constituted in 1000ml of phosphate buffered solution (PBS) in preparation for the lysing event. Intracellular lysing begins with the slight heating of the buffered cellular solution to a temperature of 40°C - 50°C. The cellular solution is mixed gently while a protease enzyme (e.g. , neutral pH protease or papain) is added at 0.01 - 0.1%/wt. The enzymatic digestion of the bacterial
peptidoglycan outer cellular walls and the yeasts outer cellular/transmembrane proteins liberates all intracellular components into solution and takes approximately 3-5 hours for proteolytic digestion to be complete. Example 3: Lysis of Zymomonas mobilis
[0067] Zymomonas mobilis, is cultured according to the conditions of example 2, with similar results.
Example 4: Lysis of Bacillus chitinosporus
[0068] Bacillus chitinosporus is cultured according to the conditions of example 2, with similar results.
Example 5: Lysis of Bacillus laterosporus
[0069] Bacillus laterosporus is cultured according to the conditions of example 2, with similar results.
Example 6: Test Results
[0070] In the tables showing test results below, the superscripts, e.g., "a," "b," "c" and "d" refer to Duncan's Multiple Range Test for demonstrating significant differences. A test result that has a superscript letter different from the superscript letter of the result of the untreated control is statistically significant. For example, if the untreated control has an "a" superscript, then the difference between the control value and a treatment value that has a superscript other than "a" is statistically significant.
Example 6(a): Treatment of bentgrass infected with the Sting nematode
(Belonolaimus longicaudatus)
[0071] Twenty four 400 cm3 clay pots were filled with USGA specification sand and seeded with creeping bentgrass. After seed germination, each pot was inoculated with 50 sting nematodes {Belonolaimus longicaudatus). One week after nematode inoculation, the treatment regime began by applying aqueous compositions in accordance with the invention described in table 1 below.
[0072] The pots were arranged in a randomized-block design in the greenhouse with six replications per treatment. Treatments were: water control, composition A, and composition B. Treatments were applied on 16 November 2009 and 16 December, 2009. Treatments were applied as a soil drench in 50-ml of aqueous solution per pot, water controls received 50-ml of water.
[0073] At harvest, the soil from each pot was removed and nematodes extracted from a 100-cm3 subsample using centrifugal-flotation. Sting nematodes were then identified and counted using an inverted microscope. Nematode counts were subjected to analysis of variance and the treatment means separated according to Duncan's multiple- range test.
Table 1 : Effects of treatments on numbers of sting nematode recovered per 100 cm3 of soil
Figure imgf000025_0001
Numbers include six replications. Some phytotoxicity was observed, a though the grass recovered at the end of the three month trial.
Conclusion
[0074] There were no nematodes following treatment with compositions A and B when compared to the control.
EXAMPLE 6(b): Bentgrass infected with the Sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus)
[0075] From March- June 2010, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of compositions in accordance with the invention on the reproduction of the sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) on bentgrass. The treatments were applied three times at 4-week intervals.
[0076] 400 cm3 clay pots were filled with USGA specification sand and seeded with creeping bentgrass. After seed germination each pot was inoculated with 100 sting nematodes (Belonolaimus longicaudatus). One week after nematode inoculation the treatment regime began.
[0077] The pots were arranged in a randomized-block design in the greenhouse with six replications per treatment. Treatments were applied as a soil drench in 50-ml of solution per pot, water controls received 50-ml of water.
[0078] At harvest, the soil from each pot was removed and nematodes were extracted from the entire pot volume using a sieving followed by centrifugal-flotation method. Sting nematodes were then identified and counted using an inverted microscope. Root systems were scanned and analyzed using WinRhizo software. Nematode data were ln+1 transformed prior to analysis to normalize the data set. The entire data set was subjected to analysis of variance with treatment means separated according to Duncan's multiple-range test (P = 0.1).
Table 2: Effects of treatments on numbers of sting nematode recovered per 100 cm3 of soil
Figure imgf000026_0001
Numbers include six replications. No phytotoxicity was observed. Conclusion
[0079] There were significantly fewer nematodes following treatment with composition C when compared to the control.
EXAMPLE 6(c): Soil microbiology of bermudagrass treated with invented formula
[0080] 400cm3 pots were filled with sterilized soil and seeded with Bermuda grass seeds. The pots were watered and allowed to germinate for 3 days prior to drench treatments. The treatments consisted of a 50-ml drench with control and with
compositions D and E once per month for 3 months. [0081] After three months, the trial was stopped and the soils removed and extracted from the root zones of each treatment. Aerobic heterotrophic microbiology counts (Tryptic Soy agar at 34°C for 72 hours) and yeast mold, actinomycete and fungal counts (Potato Dextrose agar at 25 °C for 7 days) were taken.
Table 3: Heterotrophic bacteria and Yeast mold, Actinomycete and Fungal CFU/g
Figure imgf000027_0001
Numbers include six replications. No phytotoxicity was observed.
Conclusion
[0082] An upward trend in beneficial microbes is demonstrated in compositions D and E, encompassing aerobic heterotrophic bacteria as well as yeast mold, actinomycete and fungal populations in soil, versus the untreated control.
EXAMPLE 7: Comparison of number of germinated seedlings after treatment of corn and cotton with conventional agents (Royral and Ridomil) and Formula 1 (composition containing lysed bacteria, lysed yeast cells and amino acids)
Table 4: Increased Number of germinated seedlings (corn) after treatment with Formula 1
Trial Fungal Treatment Trial Result ( Crop Pathogen Plant Stand
Counts*) ilii Rliizoi inniii -) Control II
solani
(+) Chemical Control 45
(Rovral+Ridomil)
Formula 1 Soil Drench 62 5
Percent Stand Counts 12% increase (Formula 1 vs. Negative Control)
Rhizoctonia Untreated (-) Control 35 solani
Figure imgf000028_0001
Formula 1 Seed Spray 75
Figure imgf000028_0002
*% Stand Counts = Number of germinated seedlings 14 days after planting (DAP)
Table 5 : Increased Number of germinated seedlings (cotton) after treatment with
Formula 1
Trial Fungal Treatment Trial Result (Plant
Figure imgf000029_0001
(Rovral+Ridomil)
Formula 1 Soil Drench
Percent Stand Counts 19.3% increase (MBS001 vs. Negative Control)
Cotton Pythium ultimum Untreated (-) Control 60
(+) Chemical Control ii
(Rovral+Ridomil)
Formula 1 Seed Spray 85
Figure imgf000029_0002
M liSOO I \eu t i\ ( onirol )
*% Stand Counts = Number of germinated seedlings 14 days after planting (DAP) Conclusion
[0083] Number of germinated seedlings 14 days after planting increased substantially after treatment with Formula 1 , in both corn and cotton plants, when compared to untreated control. Number of germinated seedlings 14 days after planting increased substantially or performed similarly after treatment with Formula 1 , in both corn and cotton plants, when compared to chemical control.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A composition for reducing pathogens in soil, the composition comprising an amount of intracellular components of lysed, rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells that are beneficial to plants and a carrier suitable for delivering the intracellular components of lysed yeast cells to the soil, wherein the amount of yeast cells is sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the yeast cells are from the genera Aciculoconidium, Agaricomycotina, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Botryoascus, Brettanomyces, Bullera, Candida, Citeromyces, Clavispora, Cryptococcus,
Cystofilobasium, Debaromyces, Dioszegia, Dipodascopsis, Endomyces,
Entorrhizomycetes, Erythrobasidium, Fellomyces, Filobasidium, Geotrichum,
GuiUiermondella, Hanseniaspora, Hansenula, Hasegawaea, Hyphopichia, Incertae sedis, Issatchenkia, Kloeckera, Kluyveromyces, Leucosporidium, Lipomyces, Lodderomyces, Malassezia, Mastigomyces, Metschinikowia, Mrakia, Mrakiella, Nadsonia,
Octosporomyces, Oosporidium, Pachytrichospora, Pachysolen, Penicillium,
Pezizomomycotina, Phaffia, Pichia, Pityrospodium, Procandida, Prototheca,
Pucciniomycotina, Pvhodsporidium, Rhodotorula, Rhodotorula, Saccharomycotina, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycodes, Saccharomycopsis, Schizosaccharomycetes, Schizoblastosporion, Schwanniomyces, Selenotila, Sirobasidium, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, Stephanoascus, Sterigmatomyces, Sympodiomycopsis, Syringospora, Tibicos, Torulaspora, Taphrinomycotina, Torulopsis, Tremelloid, Trichosporon, Trigonopsis, Udeniomyces, Ustilaginomycotina, Wallemiomycetes, Waltomyces, Wickerhamia, Williopsis, Wingea, Xanthophyllomyces, Yarrowia, Zygofabospora, Zygolipomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, or any combination thereof.
3. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the yeast cells are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, or any combination thereof.
4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
5. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition is a liquid
6. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition is a solid.
7. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the solid is in the form of a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or is granular.
8. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition does not include a lignosulfonate compound.
9. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
10. The composition according to claim 9, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium, Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter, Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, AmphibaciUus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Brevibacillus, Sulfobacillus, ThermobaciUus, ThiobaciUus, Paenibacillus, VirgibaciUus, AmphibaciUus, HalobaciUus, Heliobacillus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizobium, Brucella, Burkholderia, Cellulomonas, Centipeda, Chromatium, Chromobacterium, Caulobacter, Citrobacter, Chlorobium, Chloroflexus, Chloronema, Chromohalobacter, Chryseomonas, Clavibacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Corynebacterium, Cupriavidus, Curtobacterium, Cyanobacterium, Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus,
Desulfomicrobium, Desulfomonas, Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium,
Desulfobacter, Desulfobacterium, Desulfococcus, Desulfomonile, Desulfonema,
Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Erythrobacter, Fibrobacter, Flavimonas, Flavobacterium, Flexibacter, Frankia, Francisella, Frateuria, Fusobacterium, Gardenerella, Gemella, Gloeobacter, Gloeocapsa, Gloeothece, Gluconobacter, Halomonas, Haemophilus, Heliobacterium,
Hydrogenophaga, Kingella, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Lampropedia,
Leuconostoc, Legionella, Listeria, Lysobacter, Malonomas, Marinobacter, Marinococcus, Marinomonas, Megamonas, Melissococcus, Mesophilobacter, Methylobacillus,
Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus,
Methylobacterium, Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter,
Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria,
Pediococcus, Pelobacter, Peptococcus, Phenylobacterium, Phyllobacterium,
Photobacterium, Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium,
Rhizomonas, Rhodobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila,
Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter,
Ruminococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Saccharococcus, Sarcina, Serpens, Serratia, Sinorhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Spirulina, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina, Staphylococcus, Starria, Stenotrophomonas, Stomatococcus,
Streptobacillus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
Thiospirillum, Thiospirillopsis, Thiothrix, Trichococcus, Trichodesmium, Variovorax, Vibrio, Volcaniella, Weeksella, Wolinella, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenococcus, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yersinia, Yokonella, Zoogloea, Zymomonas, Zymophilus, or any combination thereof.
1 1. The composition according to claim 9, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia, Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium, Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces,
Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof .
12. The composition according to claim 1 1 , wherein the bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus or any combination thereof.
13. The composition according to claim 9, wherein the minimum amount of bacteria cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of bacteria cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
14. The composition according to claim 9, wherein the composition does not include a lignosulfonate compound.
15. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an amount of amino acids sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
16. The composition according to claim 15, wherein the minimum amount of amino acids is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of amino acids is about 75 %> by weight of the composition.
17. The composition according to claim 15, wherein the amino acids comprise lysine, phenylalanine or any combination thereof.
18. The composition according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the amino acids is lysine and the lysine is L-lysine.
19. The composition according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the amino acids is phenylalanine and the phenylalanine is L-phenylalanine, DL-phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
20. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition contains no synthetic chemical compounds.
21. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the pathogen is a fungus.
22. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the pathogen is a nematode.
23. A method for reducing pathogens in soil, the method comprising applying to the soil a composition comprising an amount of intracellular components of lysed, rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells that are beneficial to plants and a carrier suitable for delivering the intracellular components of lysed yeast cells to the soil, wherein the amount of yeast cells is sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the compositions are applied to the soil by first contacting seeds with the compositions, and then planting the seeds in the soil along with the compositions.
25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the yeast cells are from the genera Aciculoconidium, Agaricomycotina, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Botryoascus,
Brettanomyces, Bullera, Candida, Citeromyces, Clavispora, Cryptococcus,
Cystofilobasium, Debaromyces, Dioszegia, Dipodascopsis, Endomyces,
Entorrhizomycetes, Erythrobasidium, Fellomyces, Filobasidium, Geotrichum,
GuiUiermondella, Hanseniaspora, Hansenula, Hasegawaea, Hyphopichia, Incertae sedis, Issatchenkia, Kloeckera, Kluyveromyces, Leucosporidium, Lipomyces, Lodderomyces, Malassezia, Mastigomyces, Metschinikowia, Mrakia, Mrakiella, Nadsonia,
Octosporomyces, Oosporidium, Pachytrichospora, Pachysolen, Penicillium,
Pezizomomycotina, Phaffia, Pichia, Pityrospodium, Procandida, Prototheca, Pucciniomycotina, Pvhodsporidium, Rhodotorula, Rhodotorula, Saccharomycotina, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycodes, Saccharomycopsis, Schizosaccharomycetes, Schizoblastosporion, Schwanniomyces, Selenotila, Sirobasidium, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, Stephanoascus, Sterigmatomyces, Sympodiomycopsis, Syringospora, Tibicos, Torulaspora, Taphrinomycotina, Torulopsis, Tremelloid, Trichosporon, Trigonopsis, Udeniomyces, Ustilaginomycotina, Wallemiomycetes, Waltomyces, Wickerhamia, Williopsis, Wingea, Xanthophyllomyces, Yarrowia, Zygofabospora, Zygolipomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, or any combination thereof.
26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the yeast cells are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus or a combination thereof.
27. The method according to claim 23, wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the composition is a liquid.
29. The method according to claim 23, wherein the composition is a solid.
30. The method according to claim 30, wherein the solid is in the form of a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or is granular.
31. The method according to claim 23, wherein the method does not include applying a lignosulfonate compound to the soil.
32. The method according to claim 23, wherein the composition further comprises an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium, Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter,
Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, AmphibaciUus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Brevibacillus, Sulfobacillus,
ThermobaciUus, ThiobaciUus, Paenibacillus, VirgibaciUus, AmphibaciUus, HalobaciUus, Heliobacillus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizobium, Brucella, Burkholderia, Cellulomonas, Centipeda, Chromatium, Chromobacterium, Caulobacter, Citrobacter, Chlorobium, Chloroflexus, Chloronema, Chromohalobacter, Chryseomonas, Clavibacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Corynebacterium, Cupriavidus, Curtobacterium, Cyanobacterium, Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus,
Desulfomicrobium, Desulfomonas, Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium,
Desulfobacter, Desulfobacterium, Desulfococcus, Desulfomonile, Desulfonema,
Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Erythrobacter, Fibrobacter, Flavimonas, Flavobacterium, Flexibacter, Frankia, Francisella, Frateuria, Fusobacterium, Gardenerella, Gemella, Gloeobacter, Gloeocapsa, Gloeothece, Gluconobacter, Halomonas, Haemophilus, Heliobacterium,
Hydrogenophaga, Kingella, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Lampropedia,
Leuconostoc, Legionella, Listeria, Lysobacter, Malonomas, Marinobacter, Marinococcus, Marinomonas, Megamonas, Melissococcus, Mesophilobacter, Methylobacillus,
Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus,
Methylobacterium, Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter,
Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria,
Pediococcus, Pelobacter, Peptococcus, Phenylobacterium, Phyllobacterium,
Photobacterium, Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium, Rhizomonas, R odobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila, Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter,
Ruminococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Saccharococcus, Sarcina, Serpens, Serratia, Sinorhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Spirulina, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina, Staphylococcus, Starria, Stenotrophomonas, Stomatococcus,
Streptobacillus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
Thiospirillum, Thiospirillopsis, Thiothrix, Trichococcus, Trichodesmium, Variovorax, Vibrio, Volcaniella, Weeksella, Wolinella, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenococcus, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yersinia, Yokonella, Zoogloea, Zymomonas, Zymophilus, or any combination thereof.
34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia, Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium,
Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces,
Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof.
35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus, or any combination thereof.
36. The method according to claim 32, wherein the minimum amount of bacteria cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of bacteria cells is about 66%o by weight of the composition.
37. The method according to claim 23, wherein the method does not include applying a lignosulfonate compound to the soil.
38. The method according to claim 23, wherein the composition further comprises an amount of amino acids sufficient to reduce the amount of pathogens in the soil.
39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the minimum amount of amino acids is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of amino acids is about 75%) by weight of the composition.
40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the amino acids comprise lysine, phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
41. The method according to claim 38, wherein at least one of the amino acids is lysine and the lysine is L-lysine.
42. The method according to claim 38, wherein at least one of the amino acids is phenylalanine and the phenylalanine is L-phenylalanine, DL-phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
43. The method according to claim 23, wherein the composition contains no synthetic chemical compounds.
44. The method according to claim 23, wherein the pathogen is a fungus.
45. The method according to claim 23, wherein the pathogen is a nematode.
46. A composition for reducing pathogens in soil, the composition comprising an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere-inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
47. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium, Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter, Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, Amphibacillus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Brevibacillus, Sulfobacillus,
ThermobaciUus, ThiobaciUus, Paenibacillus, VirgibaciUus, AmphibaciUus, HalobaciUus, Heliobacillus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizobium, Brucella, Burkholderia, Cellulomonas, Centipeda, Chromatium, Chromobacterium, Caulobacter, Citrobacter, Chlorobium, Chloroflexus, Chloronema, Chromohalobacter, Chryseomonas, Clavibacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Corynebacterium, Cupriavidus, Curtobacterium, Cyanobacterium, Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus,
Desulfomicrobium, Desulfomonas, Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium,
Desulfobacter, Desulfobacterium, Desulfococcus, Desulfomonile, Desulfonema,
Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Erythrobacter, Fibrobacter, Flavimonas, Flavobacterium, Flexibacter, Frankia, Francisella, Frateuria, Fusobacterium, Gardenerella, Gemella, Gloeobacter, Gloeocapsa, Gloeothece, Gluconobacter, Halomonas, Haemophilus, Heliobacterium,
Hydrogenophaga, Kingella, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Lampropedia,
Leuconostoc, Legionella, Listeria, Lysobacter, Malonomas, Marinobacter, Marinococcus, Marinomonas, Megamonas, Melissococcus, Mesophilobacter, Methylobacillus,
Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus,
Methylobacterium, Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter,
Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria,
Pediococcus, Pelobacter, Peptococcus, Phenylobacterium, Phyllobacterium,
Photobacterium, Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium,
Rhizomonas, Rhodobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila,
Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter,
Ruminococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Saccharococcus, Sarcina, Serpens, Serratia, Sinorhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Spirulina, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina, Staphylococcus, Starria, Stenotrophomonas, Stomatococcus, Streptobacillus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
Thiospirillum, Thiospirillopsis, Thiothrix, Trichococcus, Trichodesmium, Variovorax, Vibrio, Volcaniella, Weeksella, Wolinella, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenococcus, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yersinia, Yokonella, Zoogloea, Zymomonas, Zymophilus, or any combination thereof.
48. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia, Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium, Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces,
Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof.
49. The composition according to claim 48, wherein the bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus, or any combination thereof.
50. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of bacteria cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of bacteria cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
51. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the composition is a liquid.
52. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the composition is a solid.
53. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the solid is in the form of a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or is granular.
54. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the composition does not include a lignosulfonate compound.
55. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the composition further comprises an amount of amino acids sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
56. The composition according to claim 55, wherein the minimum amount of amino acids is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of amino acids is about 75% by weight of the composition.
57. The composition according to claim 55, wherein the amino acids comprise lysine, phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
58. The composition according to claim 55, wherein at least one of the amino acids is lysine and the lysine is L-lysine.
59. The composition according to claim 55, wherein at least one of the amino acids is phenylalanine and the phenylalanine is L-phenylalanine, DL-phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
60. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the composition contains no synthetic chemical compounds.
61. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the pathogen is a fungus.
62. The composition according to claim 46, wherein the pathogen is a nematode.
63. A method for reducing pathogens in soil, the method comprising applying to the soil a composition comprising an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non- crop rhizosphere -inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
64. The method according to claim 63, wherein the composition is applied to the soil by first contacting seeds with the compositions, and then planting the seeds in the soil along with the compositions.
65. The method according to claim 63, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium, Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter,
Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, AmphibaciUus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Brevibacillus, Sulfobacillus,
ThermobaciUus, ThiobaciUus, Paenibacillus, VirgibaciUus, AmphibaciUus, HalobaciUus, Heliobacillus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizobium, Brucella, Burkholderia, Cellulomonas, Centipeda, Chromatium, Chromobacterium, Caulobacter, Citrobacter, Chlorobium, Chloroflexus, Chloronema, Chromohalobacter, Chryseomonas, Clavibacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Corynebacterium, Cupriavidus, Curtobacterium, Cyanobacterium, Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus,
Desulfomicrobium, Desulfomonas, Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium,
Desulfobacter, Desulfobacterium, Desulfococcus, Desulfomonile, Desulfonema,
Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Erythrobacter, Fibrobacter, Flavimonas, Flavobacterium, Flexibacter, Frankia, Francisella, Frateuria, Fusobacterium, Gardenerella, Gemella, Gloeobacter, Gloeocapsa, Gloeothece, Gluconobacter, Halomonas, Haemophilus, Heliobacterium,
Hydrogenophaga, Kingella, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Lampropedia,
Leuconostoc, Legionella, Listeria, Lysobacter, Malonomas, Marinobacter, Marinococcus, Marinomonas, Megamonas, Melissococcus, Mesophilobacter, Methylobacillus,
Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus,
Methylobacterium, Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter,
Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria,
Pediococcus, Pelobacter, Peptococcus, Phenylobacterium, Phyllobacterium,
Photobacterium, Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium, Rhizomonas, R odobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila, Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter,
Ruminococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Saccharococcus, Sarcina, Serpens, Serratia, Sinorhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Spirulina, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina, Staphylococcus, Starria, Stenotrophomonas, Stomatococcus,
Streptobacillus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
Thiospirillum, Thiospirillopsis, Thiothrix, Trichococcus, Trichodesmium, Variovorax, Vibrio, Volcaniella, Weeksella, Wolinella, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenococcus, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yersinia, Yokonella, Zoogloea, Zymomonas, Zymophilus, or any combination thereof.
66. The method according to claim 63, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia, Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium,
Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces,
Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof .
67. The method according to claim 66, wherein the bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus, or any combination thereof.
68. The method according to claim 63, wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of bacteria cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of bacteria cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
69. The method according to claim 63, wherein the composition is a liquid.
70. The method according to claim 63, wherein the composition is a solid.
71. The method according to claim 63, wherein the composition is in the form of a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or is granular.
72. The method according to claim 63, wherein the method does not include applying to the soil a lignosulfonate compound.
73. The method according to claim 63, wherein the composition further comprises an amount of amino acids sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
74. The method according to claim 73, wherein the minimum amount of amino acids is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of amino acids is about 75%) by weight of the composition.
75. The method according to claim 73, wherein the amino acids comprise lysine, phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
76. The method according to claim 73, wherein at least one of the amino acids is lysine and the lysine is L-lysine.
77. The method according to claim 73, wherein at least one of the amino acids is phenylalanine and the phenylalanine is L-phenylalanine, DL-phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
78. The method according to claim 63, wherein the composition contains no synthetic chemical compounds.
79. The method according to claim 63, wherein the pathogen is a fungus.
80. The method according to claim 63, wherein the pathogen is a nematode.
81. A composition for reducing pathogens in soil, the composition comprising: (a) an amount of intracellular components of lysed, rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells that are beneficial to plants, wherein the amount of yeast cells is sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil;
(b) an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere- inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; and
(c) a carrier suitable for delivering the yeast cells and bacteria cells to the soil.
82. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the yeast cells are from the genera Aciculoconidium, Agaricomycotina, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Botryoascus, Brettanomyces, Bullera, Candida, Citeromyces, Clavispora, Cryptococcus,
Cystofilobasium, Debaromyces, Dioszegia, Dipodascopsis, Endomyces,
Entorrhizomycetes, Erythrobasidium, Fellomyces, Filobasidium, Geotrichum,
GuiUiermondella, Hanseniaspora, Hansenula, Hasegawaea, Hyphopichia, Incertae sedis, Issatchenkia, Kloeckera, Kluyveromyces, Leucosporidium, Lipomyces, Lodderomyces, Malassezia, Mastigomyces, Metschinikowia, Mrakia, Mrakiella, Nadsonia,
Octosporomyces, Oosporidium, Pachytrichospora, Pachysolen, Penicillium,
Pezizomomycotina, Phaffia, Pichia, Pityrospodium, Procandida, Prototheca,
Pucciniomycotina, Pvhodsporidium, Rhodotorula, Rhodotorula, Saccharomycotina, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycodes, Saccharomycopsis, Schizosaccharomycetes, Schizoblastosporion, Schwanniomyces, Selenotila, Sirobasidium, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, Stephanoascus, Sterigmatomyces, Sympodiomycopsis, Syringospora, Tibicos, Torulaspora, Taphrinomycotina, Torulopsis, Tremelloid, Trichosporon, Trigonopsis, Udeniomyces, Ustilaginomycotina, Wallemiomycetes, Waltomyces, Wickerhamia, Williopsis, Wingea, Xanthophyllomyces, Yarrowia, Zygofabospora, Zygolipomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, or any combination thereof.
83. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the yeast cells are
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, or any combination thereof.
84. The composition according to claim 81 , wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
85. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium, Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter, Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, AmphibaciUus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Brevibacillus, Sulfobacillus,
ThermobaciUus, ThiobaciUus, Paenibacillus, VirgibaciUus, AmphibaciUus, HalobaciUus, Heliobacillus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizobium, Brucella, Burkholderia, Cellulomonas, Centipeda, Chromatium, Chromobacterium, Caulobacter, Citrobacter, Chlorobium, Chloroflexus, Chloronema, Chromohalobacter, Chryseomonas, Clavibacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Corynebacterium, Cupriavidus, Curtobacterium, Cyanobacterium, Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus,
Desulfomicrobium, Desulfomonas, Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium,
Desulfobacter, Desulfobacterium, Desulfococcus, Desulfomonile, Desulfonema,
Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Erythrobacter, Fibrobacter, Flavimonas, Flavobacterium, Flexibacter, Frankia, Francisella, Frateuria, Fusobacterium, Gardenerella, Gemella, Gloeobacter, Gloeocapsa, Gloeothece, Gluconobacter, Halomonas, Haemophilus, Heliobacterium,
Hydrogenophaga, Kingella, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Lampropedia,
Leuconostoc, Legionella, Listeria, Lysobacter, Malonomas, Marinobacter, Marinococcus, Marinomonas, Megamonas, Melissococcus, Mesophilobacter, Methylobacillus,
Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus,
Methylobacterium, Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter, Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria,
Pediococcus, Pelobacter, Peptococcus, Phenylobacterium, Phyllobacterium,
Photobacterium, Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium, Rhizomonas, Rhodobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila,
Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter, Ruminococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Saccharococcus, Sarcina, Serpens, Serratia, Sinorhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Spirulina, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina, Staphylococcus, Starria, Stenotrophomonas, Stomatococcus,
Streptobacillus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
Thiospirillum, Thiospirillopsis, Thiothrix, Trichococcus, Trichodesmium, Variovorax, Vibrio, Volcaniella, Weeksella, Wolinella, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenococcus, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yersinia, Yokonella, Zoogloea, Zymomonas, Zymophilus, or any combination thereof.
86. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia, Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium, Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces,
Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof.
87. The composition according to claim 86, wherein bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus, or any combination thereof.
88. The composition according to claim 81 , wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of bacteria cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of bacteria cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
89. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the composition is a liquid
90. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the composition is a solid.
91. The composition according to claim 81 , wherein the composition is in the form of a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or is granular.
92. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the composition does not include a lignosulfonate compound.
93. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the composition further comprises an amount of amino acids sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
94. The composition according to claim 93, wherein the amino acids comprise lysine, phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
95. The composition according to claim 93, wherein at least one of the amino acids is lysine and the lysine is L-lysine.
96. The composition according to claim 93, wherein at least one of the amino acids is phenylalanine and the phenylalanine is L-phenylalanine, DL-phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
97. The composition according to claim 93, wherein the minimum amount of amino acids is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of amino acids is about 75 %> by weight of the composition.
98. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the composition contains no synthetic chemical compounds.
99. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the pathogen is a fungus.
100. The composition according to claim 81, wherein the pathogen is a nematode.
101. A method for reducing an amount of pathogens in soil, the method comprising applying to the soil a composition comprising:
(a) an amount of intracellular components of lysed, rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells that are beneficial to plants, wherein the amount of yeast cells is sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; and
(b) an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere- inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
102. The method according to claim 101, wherein the compositions are applied to the soil by first contacting seeds with the compositions, and then planting the seeds in the soil along with the compositions.
103. The method according to claim 101, wherein the yeast cells are from the genera Aciculoconidium, Agaricomycotina, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Botryoascus,
Brettanomyces, Bullera, Candida, Citeromyces, Clavispora, Cryptococcus,
Cystofilobasium, Debaromyces, Dioszegia, Dipodascopsis, Endomyces,
Entorrhizomycetes, Erythrobasidium, Fellomyces, Filobasidium, Geotrichum,
GuiUiermondella, Hanseniaspora, Hansenula, Hasegawaea, Hyphopichia, Incertae sedis, Issatchenkia, Kloeckera, Kluyveromyces, Leucosporidium, Lipomyces, Lodderomyces, Malassezia, Mastigomyces, Metschinikowia, Mrakia, Mrakiella, Nadsonia,
Octosporomyces, Oosporidium, Pachytrichospora, Pachysolen, Penicillium,
Pezizomomycotina, Phaffia, Pichia, Pityrospodium, Procandida, Prototheca,
Pucciniomycotina, Pvhodsporidium, Rhodotorula, Rhodotorula, Saccharomycotina, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycodes, Saccharomycopsis, Schizosaccharomycetes,
Schizoblastosporion, Schwanniomyces, Selenotila, Sirobasidium, Sporidiobolus,
Sporobolomyces, Stephanoascus, Sterigmatomyces, Sympodiomycopsis, Syringospora, Tibicos, Torulaspora, Taphrinomycotina, Torulopsis, Tremelloid, Trichosporon,
Trigonopsis, Udeniomyces, Ustilaginomycotina, Wallemiomycetes, Waltomyces, Wickerhamia, Williopsis, Wingea, Xanthophyllomyces, Yarrowia, Zygofabospora, Zygolipomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, or any combination thereof.
104. The method according to claim 101, wherein the yeast cells are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveryomyces marxianus, or any combination thereof.
105. The method according to claim 101, wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
106. The method according to claim 101, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium, Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter,
Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes, Alteromonas, AmphibaciUus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Brevibacillus, Sulfobacillus,
ThermobaciUus, ThiobaciUus, Paenibacillus, VirgibaciUus, AmphibaciUus, HalobaciUus, HeliobaciUus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizobium, Brucella, Burkholderia, Cellulomonas, Centipeda, Chromatium, Chromobacterium, Caulobacter, Citrobacter, Chlorobium, Chloroflexus, Chloronema, Chromohalobacter, Chryseomonas, Clavibacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Corynebacterium, Cupriavidus, Curtobacterium, Cyanobacterium, Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus,
Desulfomicrobium, Desulfomonas, Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium,
Desulfobacter, Desulfobacterium, Desulfococcus, Desulfomonile, Desulfonema,
Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Erythrobacter, Fibrobacter, Flavimonas, Flavobacterium, Flexibacter, Frankia, Francisella, Frateuria, Fusobacterium, Gardenerella, Gemella, Gloeobacter, Gloeocapsa, Gloeothece, Gluconobacter, Halomonas, Haemophilus, Heliobacterium, Hydrogenophaga, Kingella, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Lampropedia,
Leuconostoc, Legionella, Listeria, Lysobacter, Malonomas, Marinobacter, Marinococcus, Marinomonas, Megamonas, Melissococcus, Mesophilobacter, Methylobacillus,
Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus,
Methylobacterium, Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter,
Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria,
Pediococcus, Pelobacter, Peptococcus, Phenylobacterium, Phyllobacterium,
Photobacterium, Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium,
Rhizomonas, Rhodobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila,
Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter,
Ruminococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Saccharococcus, Sarcina, Serpens, Serratia, Sinorhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Spirulina, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina, Staphylococcus, Starria, Stenotrophomonas, Stomatococcus,
Streptobacillus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
Thiospirillum, Thiospirillopsis, Thiothrix, Trichococcus, Trichodesmium, Variovorax, Vibrio, Volcaniella, Weeksella, Wolinella, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenococcus, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yersinia, Yokonella, Zoogloea, Zymomonas, Zymophilus, or any combination thereof.
107. The method according to claim 101, wherein the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia, Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium,
Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces,
Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof.
108. The method according to claim 107, wherein the bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus, or any combination thereof.
109. The method according to claim 101, wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of bacteria cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of bacteria cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
110. The method according to claim 101, wherein the composition is a liquid.
111. The method according to claim 101, wherein the composition is a solid.
112. The method according to claim 101, wherein the composition is in the form of a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or is granular.
113. The method according to claim 101, wherein the method does not include applying a lignosulfonate compound to the soil.
114. The method according to claim 101, wherein the composition further comprises an amount of amino acids sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
115. The method according to claim 114, wherein the minimum amount of amino acids is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of amino acids is about 75%) by weight of the composition.
116. The method according to claim 114, wherein the amino acids comprise lysine, phenylalanine, or a combination thereof.
117. The method according to claim 114, wherein at least one of the amino acids is lysine and the lysine is L-lysine.
118. The method according to claim 114, wherein at least one of the amino acids is phenylalanine and the phenylalanine is L-phenylalanine, DL-phenylalanine, or a combination thereof.
119. The method according to claim 101, wherein the composition contains no synthetic chemical compounds.
120. The method according to claim 101, wherein the pathogen is a fungus.
121. The method according to claim 101, wherein the pathogen is a nematode .
122. A composition for improving plant growth, the composition comprising:
(i) an amount of a fertilizer comprising an inorganic fertilizer, an organic fertilizer, or a combination thereof sufficient to improve growth of a plant; and one of the following;
(i) an amount of intracellular components of lysed, rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells that are beneficial to plants, wherein the amount of yeast cells is sufficient to reduce pathogens in soil; or
(ii) an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere- inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; or
(iii) a combination of the yeast cells described in (i) and the bacteria cells described in (ii).
123. The composition according to claim 122, wherein the fertilizer comprises a fertilizing effective quantity of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
124. The composition according to claim 123, wherein nitrogen is provided by an inorganic fertilizer selected from the group consisting of ammonia, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, urea, and a urea-formaldehyde reaction product.
125. The composition according to claim 123, wherein nitrogen is provided by an organic fertilizer selected from the group consisting of cornmeal, blood meal, red blood cells, cottonseed meal, ocean kelp meal, fish fertilizer, feather meal, soy meal, shrimp and crab meal, cheese and milk whey, algae, biosolids, manure based composts, landscape and yard based composts, animal cells and proteins, yeast proteins, food waste proteins, single cell proteins, guano, green manures, alfalfa, leather meal, bone meal and cocoa meal.
126. The composition according to claim 123, wherein phosphorous is provided by a compound selected from the group consisting of CaHP04, Ca(H2 P04)2 (mono- superphosphate or triple-superphosphate), ammonium phosphate, sodium nitrophosphate, potassium nitrophosphate, sodium mono-orthophosphate and potassium mono- orthophosphate.
127. The composition according to claim 123, wherein potassium is provided by a compound selected from the group consisting of potash, potassium chloride, carnallite, potassium sulfate, and potassium nitrate.
128. The composition according to claim 122, wherein the minimum amount of the fertilizer is about 0.1 % by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of fertilizer is about 85% by weight of the composition.
129. The composition according to claim 122, wherein the composition contains yeast cells, and the yeast cells are from the genera Aciculoconidium, Agaricomycotina, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Botryoascus, Brettanomyces, Bullera, Candida,
Citeromyces, Clavispora, Cryptococcus, Cystofilobasium, Debaromyces, Dioszegia, Dipodascopsis, Endomyces, Entorrhizomycetes, Erythrobasidium, Fellomyces,
Filobasidium, Geotrichum, Guilliermondella, Hanseniaspora, Hansenula, Hasegawaea, Hyphopichia, Incertae sedis, Issatchenkia, Kloeckera, Kluyveromyces, Leucosporidium, Lipomyces, Lodderomyces, Malassezia, Mastigomyces, Metschinikowia, Mrakia, Mrakiella, Nadsonia, Octosporomyces, Oosporidium, Pachytrichospora, Pachysolen, Penicillium, Pezizomomycotina, Phaffia, Pichia, Pityrospodium, Procandida, Prototheca, Pucciniomycotina, Pvhodsporidium, Rhodotorula, Rhodotorula, Saccharomycotina, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycodes, Saccharomycopsis, Schizosaccharomycetes, Schizoblastosporion, Schwanniomyces, Selenotila, Sirobasidium, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, Stephanoascus, Sterigmatomyces, Sympodiomycopsis, Syringospora, Tibicos, Torulaspora, Taphrinomycotina, Torulopsis, Tremelloid, Trichosporon, Trigonopsis, Udeniomyces, Ustilaginomycotina, Wallemiomycetes, Waltomyces, Wickerhamia, Williopsis, Wingea, Xanthophyllomyces, Yarrowia, Zygofabospora, Zygolipomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, or any combination thereof.
130. The composition according to claim 129, wherein the yeast cells are
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus or a combination thereof.
131. The composition according to claim 129, wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
132. The composition according to claim 129, wherein the composition is a liquid.
133. The composition according to claim 129, wherein the composition is a solid.
134. The composition according to claim 133, wherein the solid is in the form of a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or is granular.
135. The composition according to claim 129, wherein the composition does not include a lignosulfonate compound.
136. The composition according to claim 122, wherein the composition contains bacteria cells, and the bacteria cells are from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium, Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter, Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes,
Alteromonas, Amphibacillus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus,
Lactobacillus, BrevibaciUus, SulfobaciUus, ThermobaciUus, ThiobaciUus, Paenibacillus, Virgibacillus, Amphibacillus, Halobacillus, Heliobacillus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizobium, Brucella, Burkholderia, Cellulomonas, Centipeda, Chromatium, Chromobacterium, Caulobacter, Citrobacter, Chlorobium, Chloroflexus, Chloronema, Chromohalobacter, Chryseomonas, Clavibacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Corynebacterium, Cupriavidus, Curtobacterium, Cyanobacterium,
Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus, Desulfomicrobium, Desulfomonas, Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium, Desulfobacter, Desulfobacterium, Desulfococcus,
Desulfomonile, Desulfonema, Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Erythrobacter, Fibrobacter, Flavimonas,
Flavobacterium, Flexibacter, Frankia, Francisella, Frateuria, Fusobacterium,
Gardenerella, Gemella, Gloeobacter, Gloeocapsa, Gloeothece, Gluconobacter,
Halomonas, Haemophilus, Heliobacterium, Hydrogenophaga, Kingella, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Lampropedia, Leuconostoc, Legionella, Listeria, Lysobacter, Malonomas, Marinobacter, Marinococcus, Marinomonas, Megamonas, Melissococcus, Mesophilobacter, Methylobacillus, Methanobacterium, Methanococcus,
Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus, Methylobacterium, Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter, Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria, Pediococcus, Pelobacter, Peptococcus, Phenylobacterium, Phyllobacterium, Photobacterium, Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium, Rhizomonas, Rhodobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila, Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter,
Ruminococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Saccharococcus, Sarcina, Serpens, Serratia, Sinorhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Spirulina, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina, Staphylococcus, Starria, Stenotrophomonas, Stomatococcus,
Streptobacillus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
Thiospirillum, Thiospirillopsis, Thiothrix, Trichococcus, Trichodesmium, Variovorax, Vibrio, Volcaniella, Weeksella, Wolinella, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenococcus, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yersinia, Yokonella, Zoogloea, Zymomonas, Zymophilus, or any combination thereof.
137. The composition according to claim 136, wherein the composition contains bacteria cells, and the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia, Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium, Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter,
Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces, Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof.
138. The composition according to claim 137, wherein the bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus, or any combination thereof.
139. The composition according to claim 136, wherein the minimum amount of bacteria cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of bacteria cells is about 66%> by weight of the composition.
140. The composition according to claim 136, wherein the composition does not include a lignosulfonate compound.
141. The composition according to claim 136, wherein the composition further comprises an amount of amino acids sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
142. The composition according to claim 141 , wherein the minimum amount of amino acids is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of amino acids is about 75% by weight of the composition.
143. The composition according to claim 141, wherein the amino acids comprise lysine, phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
144. The composition according to claim 141, wherein at least one of the amino acids is lysine and the lysine is L-lysine.
145. The composition according to claim 141, wherein at least one of the amino acids is phenylalanine and the phenylalanine is L-phenylalanine, DL-phenylalanine, or a combination thereof.
146. The composition according to claim 122, wherein the composition contains no synthetic chemical compounds.
147. The composition according to claim 122, wherein the pathogen is a fungus.
148. The composition according to claim 122, wherein the pathogen is a nematode.
149. A method for improving plant growth, the method comprising applying to the rhizosphere of the plant a composition comprising:
(a) an amount of a fertilizer comprising an inorganic fertilizer, an organic fertilizer, or a combination thereof sufficient to improve growth of a plant; and one of the following; (i) an amount of intracellular components of lysed, rhizosphere-inhabiting yeast cells that are beneficial to plants, wherein the amount of yeast cells is sufficient to reduce pathogens in soil; or
(ii) an amount of whole or lysed, beneficial, crop and non-crop rhizosphere- inhabiting bacteria cells sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil; or
(iii) a combination of the yeast cells described in (i) and the bacteria cells described in (ii).
150. The method according to claim 149, wherein the compositions are applied to the soil by first contacting seeds with the compositions, and then planting the seeds in the soil along with the compositions.
151. The method according to claim 149, wherein the fertilizer comprises a fertilizing effective quantity of nitrogen, phosphorous, or potassium, or any combination thereof.
152. The method according to claim 151, wherein nitrogen is provided by an inorganic fertilizer selected from the group consisting of ammonia, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, urea, and a urea- formaldehyde reaction product.
153. The method according to claim 151, wherein nitrogen is provided by an organic fertilizer selected from the group consisting of cornmeal, blood meal, red blood cells, cottonseed meal, ocean kelp meal, fish fertilizer, feather meal, soy meal, shrimp and crab meal, cheese and milk whey, algae, biosolids, manure based composts, landscape and yard based composts, animal cells and proteins, yeast proteins, food waste proteins, single cell proteins, guano, green manures, alfalfa, leather meal, bone meal and cocoa meal.
154. The method according to claim 151, wherein phosphorous is provided by a compound selected from the group consisting of CaHP04, Ca(H2 P04)2 (single superphosphate or triple superphosphate), ammonium phosphate, sodium nitrophosphate, potassium nitrophosphate, sodium mono-orthophosphate and potassium mono- orthophosphate.
155. The method according to claim 151, wherein potassium is provided by a compound selected from the group consisting of potash, potassium chloride, carnallite, potassium sulfate, and potassium nitrate.
156. The method according to claim 149, wherein the minimum amount of the fertilizer is about 0.1 % by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of fertilizer is about 85% by weight of the composition.
157. The method according to claim 149, wherein the composition contains yeast cells, and the yeast cells are from the genera Aciculoconidium, Agaricomycotina, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Botryoascus, Brettanomyces, Bullera, Candida, Citeromyces, Clavispora, Cryptococcus, Cystofilobasium, Debaromyces, Dioszegia, Dipodascopsis, Endomyces, Entorrhizomycetes, Erythrobasidium, Fellomyces, Filobasidium, Geotrichum,
GuiUiermondella, Hanseniaspora, Hansenula, Hasegawaea, Hyphopichia, Incertae sedis, Issatchenkia, Kloeckera, Kluyveromyces, Leucosporidium, Lipomyces, Lodderomyces, Malassezia, Mastigomyces, Metschinikowia, Mrakia, Mrakiella, Nadsonia,
Octosporomyces, Oosporidium, Pachytrichospora, Pachysolen, Penicillium,
Pezizomomycotina, Phaffia, Pichia, Pityrospodium, Procandida, Prototheca,
Pucciniomycotina, Rhodsporidium, Rhodotorula, Rhodotorula, Saccharomycotina, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycodes, Saccharomycopsis, Schizosaccharomycetes,
Schizoblastosporion, Schwanniomyces, Selenotila, Sirobasidium, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, Stephanoascus, Sterigmatomyces, Sympodiomycopsis, Syringospora, Tibicos, Torulaspora, Taphrinomycotina, Torulopsis, Tremelloid, Trichosporon,
Trigonopsis, Udeniomyces, Ustilaginomycotina, Wallemiomycetes, Waltomyces, Wickerhamia, Williopsis, Wingea, Xanthophyllomyces, Yarrowia, Zygofabospora, Zygolipomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, or any combination thereof.
158. The method according to claim 157, wherein the yeast cells are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus or a combination thereof.
159. The method according to claim 157, wherein the minimum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of intracellular components of yeast cells is about 66% by weight of the composition.
160. The method according to claim 157, wherein the composition is a liquid.
161. The method according to claim 157, wherein the composition is a solid.
162. The method according to claim 157, wherein the composition is in the form of a powder, prill, pellet, or paste, or is granular.
163. The method according to claim 157, wherein the method does not include applying a lignosulfonate compound to the soil.
164. The method according to claim 149, wherein the composition contains bacteria cells, and the bacteria cells are from the genera Acetobacterium, Acetogenium,
Achromatium, Acidomonas, Acinetobacter, Acitinobacillus, Actinomyces, Actinoplanes, Aerococcus, Aeromonas, Agrobacterium, Agromonas, Agromyces, Alcaligenes,
Alteromonas, Amphibacillus, Amoebobacter, Aminobacter, Anabaena, Aquaspirillum, Arthrobacter, Azomonas, Azorhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus,
Lactobacillus, BrevibaciUus, SulfobaciUus, ThermobaciUus, ThiobaciUus, Paenibacillus, Virgibacillus, Amphibacillus, Halobacillus, Heliobacillus, Bacteroides, Beijerinckia, Bifidiobacterium, Bordetella, Bradyrhizobium, Brucella, Burkholderia, Cellulomonas, Centipeda, Chromatium, Chromobacterium, Caulobacter, Citrobacter, Chlorobium, Chloroflexus, Chloronema, Chromohalobacter, Chryseomonas, Clavibacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Corynebacterium, Cupriavidus, Curtobacterium, Cyanobacterium,
Deinobacter, Deinococcus, Deleya, Dermocarpa, Dermocarpella, Derxia, Desulfonema, Desulfotomaculum, Desulfobulbus, Desulfomicrobium, Desulfomonas, Desulfovibrio, Thermodesulfobacterium, Desulfobacter, Desulfobacterium, Desulfococcus,
Desulfomonile, Desulfonema, Desulfosarcina, Desulfurella, Desulfuromonas, Ensifer, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Erythrobacter, Fibrobacter, Flavimonas,
Flavobacterium, Flexibacter, Frankia, Francisella, Frateuria, Fusobacterium,
Gardenerella, Gemella, Gloeobacter, Gloeocapsa, Gloeothece, Gluconobacter,
Halomonas, Haemophilus, Heliobacterium, Hydrogenophaga, Kingella, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Lactococcus, Lampropedia, Leuconostoc, Legionella, Listeria, Lysobacter, Malonomas, Marinobacter, Marinococcus, Marinomonas, Megamonas, Melissococcus, Mesophilobacter, Methylobacillus, Methanobacterium, Methanococcus,
Methanomicrobium, Methanoplanus, Methylobacterium, Methylococcus, Methylomonas, Methylovorus, Microbispora, Microcossus, Microcystis, Moraxella, Morococcus, Neisseria, Nitrobacter, Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio, Nitrospina, Nitrococcus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Nocardiodes, Nodularia, Nostoc, Oceanospirillum, Ochrobacterum, Oligella, Oscillochlorosis, Paracoccus, Pasteurella, Pasteuria, Pediococcus, Pelobacter, Peptococcus, Phenylobacterium, Phyllobacterium, Photobacterium, Planococcus, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudanabaena, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Rathayibacter, Renibacteria, Rhanella, Rhizobacter, Rhizobium, Rhizomonas, Rhodobacter, Rhodocyclus, Rhodomicrobium, Rhodopila, Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodospirillum, Roseobacter, Rugamonas, Ruminobacter,
Ruminococcus, Saccharomonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Saccharococcus, Sarcina, Serpens, Serratia, Sinorhizobium, Sphingobacterium, Spirulina, Sporolactobacillus, Sporosarcina, Staphylococcus, Starria, Stenotrophomonas, Stomatococcus,
Streptobacillus, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Streptoverticillium, Syntrophobacter, Syntrophomonas, Tatunella, Taylorella, Thermoactinomycetes, Thermoleophilum, Thermomicrobium, Thermus, Thiocapsa, Thiocystis, Thiodictyon, Thiopedia,
Thiospirillum, Thiospirillopsis, Thiothrix, Trichococcus, Trichodesmium, Variovorax, Vibrio, Volcaniella, Weeksella, Wolinella, Xanthobacter, Xanthomonas, Xenococcus, Xylella, Xylophilus, Yersinia, Yokonella, Zoogloea, Zymomonas, Zymophilus, or any combination thereof.
165. The method according to claim 164, wherein the composition contains bacteria cells, and the bacteria cells are from the genera Bacillus, Zymomonas, Rhizobia,
Pseudomonas, Agrobacteria, Clostridium, Rhodopseudomonas, Arthrobacter,
Flavobacteria, Azotobacter, Actinomyces, Streptomyces, Nitrobacter or any combination thereof.
166. The method according to claim 165, wherein the bacteria cells are from the species Zymomonas mobilis, Bacillus chitinosporus, Bacillus laterosporus, or any combination thereof.
167. The method according to claim 164, wherein the minimum amount of bacteria cells is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of bacteria cells is about 66%> by weight of the composition.
168. The method according to claim 164, wherein the method does not include applying a lignosulfonate compound to the soil.
169. The method according to claim 149, wherein the composition further comprises an amount of amino acids sufficient to reduce pathogens in the soil.
170. The method according to claim 169, wherein the minimum amount of amino acids is about 0.001% by weight of the composition and the maximum amount of amino acids is about 75%) by weight of the composition.
171. The method according to claim 169, wherein the amino acids comprise lysine, phenylalanine, or any combination thereof.
172. The method according to claim 169, wherein at least one of the amino acids is lysine and the lysine is L-lysine.
173. The method according to claim 169, wherein at least one of the amino acids is phenylalanine and the phenylalanine is L-phenylalanine, DL-phenylalanine, or a combination thereof.
174. The method according to claim 149, wherein the method contains no synthetic chemical compounds.
175. The method according to claim 149, wherein the pathogen is a fungus.
176. The method according to claim 149, wherein the pathogen is a nematode.
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