Fungal Endophytes for Improved Crop Yields and Protection from Pests

• US 20160316763A1
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• 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 9,756,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for improving drought tolerance in a cotton plant, the method comprising:

contacting the cotton plant or a seed of the cotton plant with a formulation comprising purified filamentous, spore-forming, facultative fungal endophytes of at least one species, wherein the facultative fungal endophytes are Hypocreomycetidae, wherein the facultative fungal endophytes are present in the formulation in an amount effective to improve drought tolerance of the cotton plant or a cotton plant grown from the seed compared to a reference cotton plant or a cotton plant grown from a reference seed.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the formulation contains at least 100 (10̂

2) spores/ml or 100,000 (10̂

5) spores/g dry weight of the fungal endophytes.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the Hypocreomycetidae comprise a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 97% identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

SEQ ID NO;

7, 53, 54, 55, 56, 73, 74 and 76.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the fungal endophytes are present in the formulation in an amount effective to reduce yield loss of the cotton plant or a cotton plant grown from the seed compared to a reference cotton plant or a cotton plant grown from a reference seed.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein yield loss is reduced by at least 5%.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the reduction in yield loss results in a yield increase of at least 5%.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein improved drought tolerance is assessed by withholding water from 7-day old seedlings of the cotton plant grown in the greenhouse, wherein the seedlings have increased time to wilt as compared to a seedling grown from a reference seed.

28. A method of treating seeds of a cotton plant, comprising contacting a plurality of seeds with a formulation comprising fungal endophytes of Hypocreomycetidae, wherein the fungal endophytes are present in the formulation in an amount effective to improve drought tolerance of a cotton plant grown from the seed compared to a reference cotton plant or a cotton plant grown from a reference seed.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the formulation contains at least 100 (10̂

2) spores/ml or 100,000 (10̂

5) spores/g dry weight of the fungal endophytes.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the Hypocreomycetidae comprise a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 97% identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

SEQ ID NO;

7, 53, 54, 55, 56, 73, 74 and 76.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the fungal endophytes are present in the formulation in an amount effective to reduce yield loss of the cotton plant grown from the seed compared to a reference cotton plant or a cotton plant grown from a reference seed.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein yield loss is reduced by at least 5%.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the reduction in yield loss results in a yield increase of at least 5%.

34. A synthetic combination of a cotton seed and purified filamentous, spore-forming, facultative fungal endophytes of at least one species, wherein the facultative fungal endophytes are Hypocreomycetidae, wherein the facultative fungal endophytes are present in the combination in an amount effective to improve drought tolerance of a cotton plant grown from the seed compared to a plant grown from a reference seed.

35. The synthetic combination of claim 34, wherein the fungal endophytes are present at a concentration of at least 100 (10̂

2) spores/seed on the surface of the seed.

36. The synthetic combination of claim 34, wherein the Hypocreomycetidae comprise a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 97% identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

SEQ ID NO;

7, 53, 54, 55, 56, 73, 74 and 76.

37. The synthetic combination of claim 34, wherein the fungal endophytes are present in the formulation in an amount effective to reduce yield loss in a cotton plant grown from the seed compared to a plant grown from a reference seed.

39. The synthetic combination of claim 37, wherein the reduction in yield loss results in a yield increase of at least 5%.

40. The synthetic combination of claim 34, wherein improved drought tolerance is assessed by withholding water from 7-day old seedlings of the cotton plant grown in the greenhouse, wherein the seedlings have increased time to wilt as compared to a seedling grown from a reference seed.

36-1. The synthetic combination of claim 37, wherein yield loss is reduced by at least 5%.