Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Whole live micro-organism – cell – or virus containing – Intentional mixture of two or more micro-organisms – cells,...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-07
2003-07-29
Lilling, Herbert J. (Department: 1651)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Whole live micro-organism, cell, or virus containing
Intentional mixture of two or more micro-organisms, cells,...
C435S252100, C424S093400, C424S093460
Reexamination Certificate
active
06599503
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to the biological control of plant diseases caused by Fusarium species. Specially, it relates to biocontrol compositions comprising a mixture of at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens and an appropriate carrier, as well as to a process for control of the plant pathogen and to increase yield. The invention includes as a plant pathogen the pathogenic fungus
Gibberella zeae
(anamorph
Fusarium graminearum
), and as antagonist microorganisms the novel isolates of
Pantoea agglomerans
(Embr. 1494, Accession ATCC PTA 3460) and of
Bacillus megaterium
(Embr. 9790, Accession ATCC PTA 3461).
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Fruit, vegetables, and plants are all susceptible to attack by fungi, resulting in loss of crops, decreased shelf-life of produce, and ultimately higher costs for consumers. Many fungi are known pathogens in several diseases which harm or destroy crops worldwide. Examples of such fungi include those belonging to the genera Rhizoctonia, Pythium, Gaeumannomyces, and Fusarium.
For a number of years, it has been known that various microorganisms exhibit biological activity useful in controlling plant diseases. Although progress has been made in the field of identifying and developing biological pesticides for controlling plant diseases of agronomic and horticultural importance, most of the pesticides in use are still synthetic compounds. Many of the chemical fungicides are carcinogenic agents and, therefore, toxic to wildlife and other non-target species. In addition, pathogens may develop resistance to chemical pesticides. In fact, the fungicides, considered the major weapon in combating plant diseases, are often ineffective and pose hazards to humans and the environment. Biological control offers an attractive approach as compared with synthetic chemical fungicides. Biopesticides (living organisms and the compounds which are naturally produced by these organisms) can be safer, more biodegradable, and less expensive to develop. In addition, they are highly desired for integrated pest management programs in agriculture, public health, and urban settings.
The agricultural use of
Bacillus megaterium
has been reported for disease control in rice and cotton inhibition as seed treatment but not as foliar sprays. U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,583 discloses a
Bacillus megaterium,
ATCC 55000, and a method to control the fungal plant pathogen
Rhizoctonia solani
as seed treatment. Islam and Nandi also disclosed a
Bacillus megaterium
with antagonism to
Drechslera oryzae,
the causal agent of rice brown spot (Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection. 92(3): 241-246 (1985) and a
Bacillus megaterium
with in vitro antagonism against
Drechslera oryzae, Alternaria alternata
and
Fusariun roseum
(Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection. 92(3): 233-240 (1985). They mentioned three components in the culture filtrate. The most active antibiotic was highly soluble in water and methanol with a UV peak at 255 nm and a shoulder at 260 nm, which proved to be a polyoxin-like lipopeptide. And, Cook (Proceedings Beltwide Cotton Production-Mechanization Research Conference, Cotton Council, Memphis, p. 43-45 (1987) disclosed the use of a suspension of
Bacillus megaterium
to reduce the number of plants killed by
Phymatotrichum omnivorum,
a cause of cotton root rot. Antibiotic production of
B. megaterium
has also been recorded by Berdy (CRC Handbook of Antibiotic Compounds, Vols. I-XIV. CRC Press, Inc. Boca Raton. Fla. 1980-87), who reported the production of low-mammalian toxic peptide antibiotics such as ansamitocin-PDM-O, bacimethrin, megacin, pentapeptide, and homopeptides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,819 describes a pure culture of
Pantoea agglomerans
having all of the characteristics of FERM BP-3511 which is identified by growth, morphology, physiology, utilization of carbon sources and various specific enzymatic tests involving enzymes as lysine decarboxylase, arginine dihydroxylase, phenylalanine deaminase and ornithine decarboxylase. In addition, the disclosed pure culture of
Pantoea agglomerans
is characterized by the required production of lipopolysaccharides to which the inventors attribute an immunity-stimulating activity. In other words, according to this document,
Pantoea agglomerans
is used to obtain substances to be used in pharmaceuticals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,926 discloses a method comprising the steps of applying to the pulpwood or pulp substrate a bacterial inoculum of at least one of the species selected from the group consisting of
Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pantoea
(Enterobacter)
agglomerans, Bacillus cereus,
and
Xanthomonas campestris
and maintaining the substrate under conditions which allow bacterial growth for a time sufficient to effect a reduction in the resin component of the substrate by the bacteria. It is mentioned that the source of the
Pantoea
(Enterobacter)
agglomerans
isolate used in the method, identified by the NRRL Accession No.B21509, is Brazil.
It is known that the genus Fusarium contains species which may cause diseases of wither and blight that occur during the growth of plants and damages not only the host but also other kinds of plants. It is supposed that fusaric acid is the principal agent that brings about these diseases. Fusaric acid (5-n-butylpicolinic acid) is known to be a non-specific toxin which is produced by the metabolism of almost all plant pathogenic Fusarium fungi (Wood, R. K. et al. 1972. “Phytotoxins in plant diseases”. Academic Press. New York; Durbin, R. D. 1982. “Toxins in plant diseases”. Academic Press. New York). In the document EP 257 756, referring to the prevention of Fusarium diseases and microorganisms therefor, the inventors proposed to prevent such diseases by using microorganisms belonging to the genera Cladosporium and Pseudomonas which decompose fusaric acid. EP 441 520 relates also to detoxifying fusaric acid microorganisms, and
Klebsiella oxytoca
HY-1 (FERM BP-3221) is particularly mentioned.
In the document WO 92018613, it is suggested to control plant diseases caused by fungi of the genera Rhizoctonia, Pythium, and Fusarium by using a new strain of
Pseudomonas fluorenscens,
a seed or soil treatment but not foliar sprays.
WO 9905257, referring to biocontrol for plants with
Paenibacillus macerans, Pseudomonas putida,
and
Sporobolomyces roseus,
describes the use of isolates of these microorganisms to impart pathogen protection to plants, particularly against plant diseases caused by fungi, such as
Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium monilforme, Cochliobolus sativus, Collectotrichum graminicola, Stagonospora nodorum, Stagonospora avenae, Stenocarppela maydis,
and
Pyrenophora tritici-repentis.
In this case, pathogen protection was achieved by either seed treatment or foliar sprays.
Fusarium graminearum
Schw. (Teleomorph=
Gibberella zeae
Schw. Petch.) is the Fusarium species most frequently responsible for scab of wheat and barley in Brazil. This disease, also known as Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), is responsible for major losses which vary from 10% (see Luz, W. C. da. 1984. “Yield losses caused by fungal foliar wheat pathogens in Brazil”.
Phytopathology.
74:1403-1407); to 54% (Picinini, E. C. and Fernandes, J. M. C. 1994. “Controle quimico da
Gibberella zeae
em trigo pelo uso de fungicidas inibidores da sintese do ergoterol”.
Fitopatol. Brasileira
19 (Supl.):273). At present, available and affordable control measures, such as resistant varieties, cultural practices, and foliar fungicides, are only partially effective.
Only modest levels of resistance have been deployed in cultivars in commercial fields; the most widely grown cultivars are often most susceptible. Furthermore, the benefit of crop rotation as a control measure is reduced by the wide host range of the pathogen, especially on grasses (Costa Neto, J. P. da. 1976. “Lista de fungos sobre gramineas (capins e cereais) no Rio Grande do Sul”.
Revista da Faculdade de Agronomia.
UFRGS. 1:43-78; Luz, W. C. da. 1982. “Diagnose das
Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria - Embrapa
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP
Lilling Herbert J.
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