Plant protecting and regulating compositions – Plant growth regulating compositions – Organic active compound containing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-27
2002-11-05
Clardy, S. Mark (Department: 1616)
Plant protecting and regulating compositions
Plant growth regulating compositions
Organic active compound containing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06475956
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flower-opening promoting agent for plants, more particularly to a flower-opening promoting agent for plants which comprises inosine as the effective ingredient, and a method for promoting the opening of flowers which method comprises the step of applying inosine as the effective ingredient to a plant.
2. Prior Art
Heretofore, several examples in which a nucleic acid-related substance is applied to plants are known.
For example, (a) Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 22919/1964 discloses a plant growth regulator comprising, as the effective ingredients, &bgr;-indoleacetic acid or the like and at least one substance selected from the group consisting of purine bases, pyrimidine bases, nucleosides and nucleotides obtainable by decomposing nucleic acid.
In the above plant growth regulator, however, the nucleic acid bases, nucleosides and nucleotides obtainable by decomposing a nucleic acid and different in decomposition degree are regarded as substances having the same effects (equivalents) without being distinguished from each other. As is apparent from the disclosure therein that these decomposition products of a nucleic acid except some products belonging to purine bases do not have substantial plant growth regulating action, the plant growth regulator is a composition wherein the combined use of a decomposition product of a nucleic acid and &bgr;-indoleacetic acid or the like is an essential requirement.
(b) Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 16310/1974 discloses a growth regulator for fruit vegetables comprising, as the effective ingredients, a plant hormone such as chlorophenoxyacetic acid or the like and at least one substance selected from the group consisting of non-decomposed nucleic acid, and pyrimidine bases, purine bases, nucleosides and nucleotides, the last four being obtainable by decomposing nucleic acid.
In this growth regulator for fruit vegetables, however, non-decomposed nucleic acid per se and various decomposition products thereof different in decomposition degree are put in the same category, and besides, as is apparent from the disclosure therein that these nucleic-acid related substances are used in order to reduce the generation of various physiological disorders of crops caused by the application of the aforementioned plant hormone and to increase the expected effects to be brought by the application of the plant hormone, the combined use of a plant hormone and a nucleic-acid related substance is an essential requirement.
(c) Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 17670/1979 discloses a method for improving the leaf life of a foliage plant, comprising bringing the leaves, the leaf stems, or the cut ends of petioles of a matured foliage plant into contact with one or more of nucleotides and nucleosides (inosine being given as an example).
Also in the above method for improving the leaf life of a foliage plant, however, various nucleotides and nucleosides are put in the same category and the purpose of improving the leaf life of a foliage plant is obviously different from the purpose of flower-opening promotion according to the present invention.
(d) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 26517/1973 discloses a method for promoting the germination of pollen of a fruit tree comprising the step of applying a single solution of one of nucleotides, nucleosides (inosine being given as an example) and nucleic acid bases, or a mixed solution of at least two thereof to the flower buds of the fruit tree at its bud stage.
Also in the above method for promoting the germination of pollen of a fruit tree, however, various nucleotides and nucleosides are put in the same category and, in addition, the purpose of promoting the germination of pollen of a fruit tree is obviously different from that of the present invention.
(e) Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 68848/1975 discloses a method for prolonging the life of cut flowers, comprising using a mixed solution of inosine and calcium chloride (as an aqua used for natural or fresh flowers at a flower shop or an aqua for pouring into a flower bowl or vase) for natural or fresh flowers.
In the above method for prolonging the life of cut flowers, however, the combined use of inosine and calcium chloride is an essential requirement and moreover, the purpose of prolonging the life of cut flowers is obviously different from the purpose of flower-opening promotion according to the present invention.
As has been described above, the use of nucleic-acid related substances for plants has been hitherto known, but the combined use of these substances with other substance is the essential requirement therein. Even if various nucleic-acid related substances are used singly, they are regarded as substances having the same effects (equivalents) without being distinguished from each other. In addition, the purpose of the application of the effective ingredients is obviously different from that of the present invention.
Bt the way, with regard to flower bud formation, the uracil-proline theory proposed by Tatsuji Kobayashi, a one-time assistance professor at Kyoto University, is famous. The theory is based on a result of investigating rice plants, and its content is that there is concentrated accumulation of uracil that is a pyrimidine-type nucleic acid base and proline that is a special amino acid at the flower bud formation. Nobody objects to the participation of nucleic acid components at the flower bud formation apart from proline. On the other hand, however, there still remains a question why uracil is focused. It is difficult to understand that he has paid his attention to uracil, not adenine or guanine of purine-type among nucleic acid bases.
It is, however, not the case that uracil has come into wide use as an agricultural material in the agricultural field. Only at laver cultivation, a part of laver farmers have privately used it, but the results vary widely and its use costs much owing to the high purchase unit price, so that it is not so widely used.
The description and data reported by a one-time assistance professor Mr. Kobayashi show as follows: (a) At metabolism in a rice plant, proline is accumulated in a larger amount than the other amino acids at the time of flower bud formation and the grain appearing stage; (b) Proline is remarkably taken into high molecular weight proteins at reproductive phase stage as compared with at vegetative growth stage; (c) In the nucleic acid metabolism, uracil and cytosine are taken into high molecular weight nucleic acids at a higher rate than adenine and proline are at reproductive phase stage; and (d) As a result of additional fertilization with a mixed solution of uracil and proline every five days from three weeks before the expected coming into ear of a rice plant, a grain increasing effect reaches twice as high as that in the control plot where a mineral fertilizer was alone applied.
The point to notice in connection with the description and data reported by the one-time assistance professor Mr. Kobayashi is that only nucleic acid bases were examined and any nucleoside such as inosine and the like was not an object of the examination nor analysis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]
If a fruit tree blossoms in a sound and complete state, this leads to larger fruits borne through fertilization of the blossoms and fructification, and as a result, larger and better fruits can be harvested. Also, in the case of natural or fresh flowers, formation of natural flowers capable of being promoted in the bloom-opening and that of blooming flowers of larger and better quality will afford a large profit to cultivating and shipping persons of natural flowers.
Therefore, it is desired to develop a flower-opening promoting agent for plants and a method for promoting the opening of flowers capable of answering such object, and thus, the present invention aims to provide such a flower-opening promoting agent for plants and such a method
Ajinomoto Co. Inc.
Clardy S. Mark
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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