COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS RELATED TO ISOLATED ENDOPHYTES

• US 20150033420A1
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Craft3
• Original Assignee: Adaptive Symbiotic Technologies Llc
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Russell John, Redman, Regina Soon
• Granted Patent: US 9,961,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/323
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 63/38 Trichoderma
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/14 Fungi culture of mushrooms A01G18/00; as new plants A01H15/00; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/145 Fungal isolates
• CPC Class Codes: C12R 2001/885 Trichoderma

Abstract

Described herein are compositions and methods related to isolated Trichoderma harzianum and strains thereof.

Claims

1. An isolated Trichoderma harzianum strain ThLm1 fungus, deposited at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Culture Collection under Patent Deposit Designation number NRRL 50846, or a progeny or spore thereof.

2. A composition comprising the Trichoderma harzianum strain ThLm1 fungus of claim 1 and/or a progeny and/or a spore thereof.

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the composition is a liquid or a powder.

4. A method for promoting stress tolerance and/or enhancing plant growth or seed germination, the method comprising:

inoculating a plant or a plant seed with the isolated Trichoderma harzianum strain ThLm1 fungus of claim 1, or a spore or progeny thereof.

7. The method claim 4, wherein inoculating the plant comprises colonizing a root and/or stem of the plant with a Trichoderma harzianum strain ThLm1 fungus or a spore or progeny thereof.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises growing the plant or plant seed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plant or plant seed is grown in soil characterized by high salinity, low moisture, and/or low nutrient content, or wherein the plant or plant seed is grown in water characterized by high salinity and/or low nutrient content, or wherein the plant or plant seed is grown or germinated at an average temperature at or above 35 degrees Celsius or at or below 15 degrees Celsius.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the plant or plant seed is a crop plant or crop plant seed, or an ornamental plant or ornamental plant seed.

15. A plant or plant seed inoculated with the isolated Trichoderma harzianum strain ThLm1 fungus of claim 1, or a spore or progeny thereof.

16. The plant or plant seed of claim 15, wherein the plant or plant seed is a crop plant or crop plant seed, or an ornamental plant or ornamental plant seed.

5. The method of 4, wherein the stress tolerance is drought tolerance, salt tolerance, reduced nutrient tolerance, fungal tolerance, and/or temperature tolerance.

6. The method of 4, wherein the enhanced plant growth or seed germination comprises an increase in size, extent of root development, germination rate of seeds, chlorophyll content/level, photosynthetic efficiency, yield or mass.

10-11. -11. (canceled)

13-14. -14. (canceled)

17-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method for increasing stress tolerance, the method comprising:

inoculating a plant or a plant seed with an isolated Trichoderma harzianum fungus or a spore thereof;

or a composition comprising the isolated Trichoderma harzianum fungus or a spore thereof, thereby increasing stress tolerance of the inoculated plant.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein inoculating the plant comprises colonizing a root, stem and/or leaf of the plant with a Trichoderma harzianum strain fungus or a spore or progeny thereof.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the Trichoderma harzianum strain fungus is not strain TSTh20-1 or strain T-22.

20. The method of 19, wherein the stress is drought, elevated salt, reduced nutrients and/or temperature stress, or wherein the stress is not the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, napthenic acids, or high pH.

21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the plant or plant seed is grown in soil characterized by high salinity, low moisture, and/or low nutrient content.

25-32. -32. (canceled)

34. A method for increasing germination of seeds, the method comprising:

inoculating a plant seed with an isolated Trichoderma harzianum fungus or a spore thereof;

or a composition comprising the isolated Trichoderma harzianum fungus or a spore thereof, thereby increasing germination of the inoculated seeds.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the plant seed is previously, concurrently and/or subsequently treated with a fungicide and/or insecticide.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the Trichoderma harzianum strain fungus is not strain TSTh20-1 or strain T-22.

36-38. -38. (canceled)

40-44. -44. (canceled)