Plant protecting and regulating compositions – Plant growth regulating compositions – Organic active compound containing
Patent
1996-04-25
1998-04-14
Clardy, S. Mark
Plant protecting and regulating compositions
Plant growth regulating compositions
Organic active compound containing
A01N 5720
Patent
active
057390827
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The compound glufosinate (glufosinate-ammonium, ammonium DL-homoalanin-4-yl(methyl)phosphinate, Schwerdtle et al, Z. Pflanzenkr. Pflanzenschutz., 1981, Special Edition IX, page 431) acts as a glutamine synthetase (GS) inhibitor since it is a structural analog of glutamic acid. GS plays a central role in the metabolism of all plants. It is responsible for the detoxification of NH.sub.3 is, and, as a consequence, all terrestrial plants are damaged severely or destroyed after application of glufosinate since the assimilation of ammonia is inhibited.
Plants which are resistant to the herbicidal activity of GS inhibitors were successfully produced by transferring and expressing a glufosinate acetyltransferase gene isolated from from strains of Streptomycetes which produce bialaphos (phosphinothricin-alanyl-alanine) (EP-B1-0 242 236 and EP-B1-0 257 542). Stands of such transgenic, herbicide-tolerant crop plants can be kept weed-free in an efficient manner by post-emergence treatment with glucosinate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Unexpectedly, field trials with such transgenic plants showed that the glufosinate-treated plants give a measurably higher yield than untreated plant stands. This higher yield is not a result of the excellent weed control by glufosinate and its complete compatibility with the stands of transgenic crop plants, but a positive effect of the herbicide treatment on growth and yield.
The invention therefore relates to a method of improving the yield of crop plants which are resistant to glutamine synthetase inhibitors, which comprises treating the plants with glutamine synthetase inhibitors at application rates which are not harmful to the plants.
In particular, the invention relates to a method in which glutamine synthetase inhibitors are employed for a yield-improving treatment of plants which are protected against the herbicidal activity of the glutamine synthetase inhibitors by expression of an N-acetyltransferase gene.
The invention furthermore relates to the use of a glutamine synthetase inhibitor for improving the yield of crop plants which are resistant to this inhibitor. In particular, it relates to the use of glutamine synthetase inhibitors for improving the yield of transgenic crop plants.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The glutamine synthetase inhibitor used is preferably the compound glufosinate or bialaphos (Tachibana et al, Abstr. 5th Int. Congr. Pestic. Chem., IVa, Abstract 19; Mase, Jpn. Pestic. Inf., 1984, No. 45, p. 27). In this context, the term glufosinate embraces the racemate (DL-homoalanin-4-yl(methyl)phosphinic acid as well as the biologically active L isomer and the corresponding salts. The herbicide can be employed in the commercially available formulations. A further example of a GS inhibitor is the compound phosalacin (Omura et al., J. of Antibiotics, Vol. 37, 8, pages 939-940, 1984).
The yield-improving effect of the treatment with glufosinate is particularly pronounced when the herbicidal treatment is carried out in the 2 to 8-, preferably the 3 to 6-leaf stage of the crop plants before flowering or, in the case of perennial plants, at any desired point in time.
In the method according to the invention, the plants are treated at least once with the herbicide at application rates as they are also employed for weed control, for example 150 g-1000 g of glufosinate/ha.
However, the application rate required may vary as a function of the plants, their height and the climatic conditions.
It is particularly advantageous to carry out the process using application rates of 350-700 g of glufosinate/ha. Within this range of application rates, the effect achieved is proportional to the application rate of glufosinate, but not based on differences in the level of weed control. It is possible to achieve a weed control effect which is similar to the effect which can be achieved at higher application rates even when the application rate of PTC is low.
It is particularly advantageous to treat the plants repeatedly with low dosages in the lowe
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Clardy S. Mark
Hoechst Schering AgrEvo GmbH
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