FUNGAL ENDOPHYTES FOR IMPROVED CROP YIELDS AND PROTECTION FROM PESTS

• US 20180177196A1
• Filed: 12/22/2017
• Published: 06/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Original Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Inventors: Sword, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 11,807,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 1/06 Coating or dressing seed
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 17/00 Symbiotic or parasitic combinations including one or more new plants, e.g. mycorrhiza lichens A01H15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/04 Dispersions, emulsions, suspoemulsions, suspension concentrates or gels foams A01N25/16
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 63/30 Microbial fungi; Substances produced thereby or obtained therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 11/08 Organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia or the like

Abstract

Synthetic compositions comprising a plant element and at least one fungal endophyte are described. The fungal endophyte is capable of improving plant tolerance to biotic stress as compared to a reference plant element not further comprising the endophyte. Examples of biotic stress include the biotic stress caused by a nematode, an aphid, a fleahopper, a lygus bug, a stink bug, a soy looper, a cabbage looper, or a fungus.

Claims

1. (canceled)

9. The synthetic composition according to claim 1, wherein the fungal endophyte comprises fungal spores.

10. The synthetic composition of claim 9, comprising about 10², 10³, 10⁴, 10⁵, 10⁶, 10⁷, 10⁸, or 10⁹ colony forming units per gram or spores per gram.

22. The synthetic composition of claim 1, wherein the fungal endophyte comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 97% identical to SEQ ID NO:

94.

24. The synthetic composition of claim 1, wherein the pest is a nematode or an Order Hemiptera insect.

2. A synthetic composition, comprising:

a) a fungal endophyte comprising at least one endophyte of the genus Purpureocillium; and

b) at least one carrier, wherein the fungal endophyte is in contact with the carrier;

wherein the fungal endophyte, when heterologously disposed to a plant element, is capable of improving pest resistance as compared to a reference plant element not further comprising the endophyte.

3. The synthetic combination of claim 2, wherein the carrier comprises alginic acid, carrageenan, dextrin, dextran, pelgel, polyethelene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, gelatin, or combinations thereof.

4. The synthetic combination of claim 2, wherein the composition further comprises water, a detergent, an insecticide, a fungicide, or combinations thereof.

11. The synthetic composition of claim 2, further comprising a plant element.

12. The synthetic composition of claim 11, wherein the plant element is a dicot.

13. The synthetic combination of claim 12, wherein the dicot is soybean or cotton.

15. The synthetic composition of claim 11, wherein the plant element is a seed, leaf tissue, or root tissue.

31. The synthetic composition of claim 2, wherein the pest is Nezara viridula, Lygus hesperus, or Aphis gossypii.

39. The synthetic composition of claim 2, wherein the improved pest resistance is demonstrated by at least increased emergence, increased stand, increased survival, increased plant height, increased shoot biomass, increased root biomass, decreased disease score, increased leaf area, decreased pest abundance, decreased pest biomass, increased yield, improved vigor, or improved resistance to pathogenic bacteria, fungi or viruses.

5-8. -8. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

16-21. -21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25-30. -30. (canceled)

32-38. -38. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

41. (canceled)

42. A method of improving one or more plant phenotypes, comprising inoculating plant elements with a formulation comprising a fungal endophyte heterologously disposed to the plant elements, wherein:

a) the fungal endophyte is of the genus Purpureocillium; and

b) the one or more plant phenotypes are improved as compared to reference plants not inoculated with the formulation; and

c) the one or more plant phenotypes comprise increased pest resistance.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more plant phenotypes additionally comprise increased yield in the presence of a pest.

56. The method of claim 42, wherein the plant element is a seed.

57. The method of claim 42, wherein the plant is a dicot.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the dicot is soybean or cotton.

62. The method of claim 42, wherein the pest is a nematode or an order Hemiptera insect.

69. The method of claim 42, wherein the pest is Nezara viridula, Lygus hesperus, or Aphis gossypii.

88. The method of claim 42, wherein the fungal endophyte comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 97% identical to SEQ ID NO:

94.

44-55. -55. (canceled)

59-61. -61. (canceled)

63-68. -68. (canceled)

70-87. -87. (canceled)