Fungal Endophytes for Improved Crop Yields and Protection from Pests

• US 20150126365A1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Original Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Inventors: Sword, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,277,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 504/100
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 63/30 Microbial fungi; Substances produced thereby or obtained therefrom

Abstract

The invention provides a synthetic combination of a crop and at least one fungal endophyte, wherein the crop is a host plant of the endophyte. Provided are also methods and compositions for producing such synthetic combinations. The endophyte reproduces and enhances the agronomic characteristics of the crop. Methods for inoculating the host plant with the endophyte, for propagating the host-endophyte combination, and for detecting the presence of the endophyte and of its metabolites within a host plant are also described.

Claims

1. A method for improving a trait in an agricultural plant, the method comprising:

a) contacting an agricultural seed of said plant with a formulation comprising purified filamentous, spore-forming, facultative fungal endophytes of at least one species, wherein the endophytes are capable of producing substances that are beneficial to plants or detrimental to pests or both, and wherein the endophytes are present in the formulation in an amount effective to modulate the colonization frequencies of the endophytes that are native to the agricultural plant grown from the seed compared to a reference seed that is planted in an agricultural environment, and to provide a benefit to the seeds or the agricultural plants grown from the seeds.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising packaging the contacted seeds in a container.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising growing a population of said agricultural plants, wherein the benefit is measured at the level of the population, as compared to a reference population of plants.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the endophytes that are native to the agricultural plant are of genus Alternaria.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the benefit is an improved agronomic property selected from the group consisting of increased biomass, increased tillering, increased root mass, increased flowering, increased yield, increased water use efficiency, reduction of yield loss, altered plant height, decreased time to emergence, increased seedling height, increased root length, increased chlorophyll levels, retention of developing flowers, retention of developing fruits, altered phytohormone levels, and enhanced resistance to environmental stress relative to a reference plant.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the benefit to agricultural plants derived from the seed is increased yield in a population of said plants by about 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 45% relative to a reference population of plants.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the benefit to agricultural plants derived from the seed is a reduction of yield loss in a population of said plants by more than 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 5%, or 1% relative to a reference population of plants.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the environmental stress is selected from the group consisting of drought stress, cold stress, heat stress, nutrient deficiency, salt toxicity, aluminum toxicity, grazing by herbivores, insect infestation, nematode infection, and fungal infection, bacterial infection and viral infection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the endophyte is present in the formulation in an amount effective to obtain at least 50% colonization of the leaves, stems or roots of an agricultural plant grown from the seed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pest comprises a nematode and/or an insect.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pest comprises a root knot nematode, a aphid, a lygus bug, a stink bug, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the synthetic combination comprises at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 strains of facultative fungal endophytes.

13. A synthetic combination of an agricultural plant seed and a composition comprising purified filamentous, spore-forming facultative fungal endophytes of at least one species, wherein the endophytes are capable of producing substances that are beneficial to plants or detrimental to pests or both, and wherein the facultative fungal endophytes are present in the synthetic combination in an amount effective to modulate the colonization frequencies of endophytes that are native to the agricultural plant grown from the seed compared to a reference seed that is planted in an agricultural environment, and to provide a benefit to the seeds or the agricultural plants grown from the seeds.

14. The synthetic combination of claim 13, wherein the facultative fungal endophytes are present in the synthetic combination in an amount effective to modulate the colonization frequencies of endophytes of genus Alternaria that are native to the agricultural plant grown from the seed compared to a reference seed that is planted in an agricultural environment.

15. The synthetic combination of claim 13, wherein the benefit is an improved agronomic property selected from the group consisting of increased biomass, increased tillering, increased root mass, increased flowering, increased yield, increased water use efficiency, reduction of yield loss, altered plant height, decreased time to emergence, increased seedling height, increased root length, increased chlorophyll levels, retention of developing flowers, retention of developing fruits, altered phytohormone levels, and enhanced resistance to environmental stress relative to a reference plant.

16. The synthetic combination of claim 15, wherein the environmental stress is selected from the group consisting of drought stress, cold stress, heat stress, nutrient deficiency, salt toxicity, aluminum toxicity, grazing by herbivores, insect infestation, nematode infection, and fungal infection, bacterial infection and viral infection.

17. The synthetic combination of claim 13, wherein the endophyte is present in the synthetic combination in an amount effective to obtain at least 50% colonization of the leaves, stems or roots of an agricultural plant grown from the seed.

18. The synthetic combination of claim 13, comprising at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20 strains of facultative endophytes.

19. The synthetic combination of claim 15, wherein the benefit to agricultural plants derived from the seed is increased yield in a population of said plants by about 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 45% relative to a reference population of plants.

20. The synthetic combination of claim 15, wherein the benefit to agricultural plants derived from the seed is a reduction of yield loss in a population of said plants by more than 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 5%, or 1% relative to a reference population of plants.