Plant immunization compositions

Details Plant immunization compositions Plant immunization compositions

1998-11-25

2001-12-04

Prats, Francisco (Department: 1651)

Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions

Preparations characterized by special physical form

Biocides; animal or insect repellents or attractants

C424S093500, C424S115000, C435S256300, C435S254100, C435S171000, C504S117000, C504S118000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06326016

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates generally to plant immunization and, more particularly, to compositions and methods for inducing resistance against phytopathogenic microorganisms, such as phytopathogenic fungi, in plants.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various studies have indicated that the susceptibility of plants to certain diseases is not synonymous with the absence of the genetic potential for resistance mechanisms to those diseases. In fact, it is known that resistance can be induced in apparently susceptible plants by inoculation with avirulent forms of plant-pathogens, hypovirulent plant-pathogens or by restricted inoculation with plant-pathogens. The resulting induced resistance is persistent and generally non-specific for a pathogen.
This defense system is a complex interaction of early pathogenic recognition events generating signals which are transduced from the site of inoculation intra- and intercellularly throughout the entire plant. These signals trigger a series of inducible defense reactions with the aim of blocking or even killing the invading pathogen. Many defense reactions are controlled at the gene transcription level.
Pathogen detection takes place as close as possible to the plant surface. Cell-wall degradation products of the attacking pathogen (glucan elicitors) as well as fragments of the plant cell under attack (oligogalacturonide elicitors) are amongst the best described alarm signals. From the site of attack, secondary signals are spread all over the plant. The most documented compound within this signal chain is salicylic acid but electrical signals have also been described as defense inducing signals.
The defense reactions which are activated by incoming alarm signals cover a broad spectrum of chemical, biochemical, and mechanical defense. In monocotyledonous plants reinforcement of cell-walls by callose-deposits opposite to the point where a pathogen tries to penetrate is often observed. Induction of hydrolytic enzymes (e.g. chitinases with lysozyme activity, &bgr;-1,3-glucanases, proteases) is observed in di- and monocotyledonous plants. Plants can also react by synthesizing toxic secondary metabolites, so-called phytoalexins, in locally highly elevated concentration, which can kill invading microorganism. One of the earliest reactions of an attacked plant cell is the generation of active oxygen radicals, often a start of the complete sacrifice of a limited number of cells surrounding an infection site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Surprisingly it has now been found that an extract of biomass from microorganisms which do not normally cause diseases on any plants (non-plant-pathogenic microorganisms) can be used for inducing resistance against phytopathogenic microorganisms in plants.
Accordingly, the invention provides an agent for inducing resistance against phytopathogenic microorganisms in plants wherein the agent is an extract of biomass from non-plant-pathogenic microorganisms obtainable by the following process:
a) suspending 50 g to 200 g (dry weight) of biomass from non-plant-pathogenic microorganisms per liter of inorganic or organic solvent;
b) stirring at room temperature for 1 to 12 hours;
c) incubating;
d) resuspending;
e) allowing to cool to room temperature; and
f) optionally filtering.
(Hereinafter “agent of the invention”)
Also provided are agricultural compositions comprising an agent obtainable by the above-described process in combination with agriculturally acceptable carrier materials (diluents) and optionally one or more plant pesticides capable of inducing resistance against phytophathological microorganisms in plants.
Also provided according to the present invention is an extract from
Penicillium chrysogenum
capable of inducing resistance against phytophathological microorganisms in plants.
The invention further provides a method of inducing resistance against phytopathogenic microorganisms in plants by applying the agent of the invention to plants, to soil or to seeds. The agent may be used as such, i.e. in un-formulated form, or in form of an agricultural composition.
The invention also provides a process for the production of an agent for inducing resistance against phytopathogenic microorganisms in plants wherein the agent is an extract of biomass from non-plant-pathogenic microorganisms which is obtained by:
a) resuspending 50 g to 200 g (dry weight) of biomass from non-plant-pathogenic microorganisms per liter of inorganic or organic solvent;
b) stirring at room temperature for 1 to 12 hours;
c) incubating;
d) resuspending;
e) allowing to coot to room temperature; and
f) optionally filtering.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
By “plants” as used herein we mean typically cultivated plants, which are grown/raised to produce a harvestible product. Target plants to be protected by introducing resistance being within the scope of the present invention comprise, for example, the following species of plants: cereals (wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice, sorghum and related crops), beet (sugar beet and fodder beet), drupes, pomes and soft fruit (apples, pears, plums, peaches, almonds, cherries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries), leguminous plants (beans, lentils, peas and soybeans), oil plants (rape, mustard, poppy, olives, sunflowers, coconuts, castor oil plants, cocoa beans and ground nuts), cucumber plants (cucumber, marrows and melons), fibre plants (cotton, flax, hemp and jute), citrus fruit (oranges, lemon, grapefruits and mandarins), vegetables (spinach, lettuce, asparagus, cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes and pepper), lauraceae (avocados, cinnamon and camphor) or plants such as maize, tobacco, nuts, coffee, sugar cane, tea, vines, hops, bananas and natural rubber plants; also ornamentals, areas of grass (turf) and embankments.
Preferred plants to be protected according to the invention include: solanaceae such as tomato and potato, beans, cucumber, pepper, tobacco, groundnut and grape vines.
Particularly preferred plants to be protected according to the invention are the solanacea.
By “phytopathogenic microorganisms” as used herein we mean fungi, bacteria and viruses that attack plants and cause damage to the plant. The agent of the invention is particularly effective in inducing resistance to phytopathogenic fungi. Such phytopathogenic fungi include e.g.
Phytophthora infestans, Cladosporium fulvum, Plasmopora viticola, Colletotrichum lagenarium, Pseudomonas lachrymans
and
Puccinia tritici.
With the agent of the invention particularly good results are achieveable in the protection of solanaceae such as tomato and potato against
Phytophthora infestans
and
Cladosporium fulvum
and in the protection of grape vines against
Plasmopora viticola
and in the protection of cucumber against
Colletotrichum lagenarium
and
Pseudomonas lachrymans.
By “non-plant-pathogenic microorganisms” as used herein we mean microorganisms of these genera and species which do not cause disease in plants. Preferably the non-plant-pathogenic microorganisms are also non-plant-specific microorganisms, i.e. they do not grow on plants.
Examples of genera of microorganisms which can be used according to the invention include the following:
Bacteria: Acetobacter, Achromobacter, Actinoplanes, Aerobacter, Alcaligenes, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Brevibacterium, Cephalosporium, Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Cryptococcus, Escherichia, Flavobacterium, Gluconobacter, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Methanobacillus, Methanomonas, Methylovibrio, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Micromonospora, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Propionibacterium, Protaminobacter, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Rhodopseudomonas, Saccharopolyspora, Sarcina, Sporotrichum, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Thermomonospora, Thiobacillus, Xanthomonas;
Fungi and Yeasts: Acremonium, Aschersonia, Ashbya, Aspergillus, Aureobasidium, Beaveria, Candida, Claviceps, Clitopilus, Curvularia, Cyclindrocarpon, Eremothecium, Enwinia, Fusarium, Fusidium, Gibberalia, Hansenula, Hirsutella, Klyveromyces, Metarhizium, Mucor, Myocandida, Neocosmospora, Phaecilomyces, Penicillium, Pericularia, Phan

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