Edible coating used as plant biostimulant

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of natural biofilms used as plant biostimulants. Specifically, the applicant surprisingly provides an edible coating composition in the form of an oil-in-water (O / W) emulsion and its use as a biostimulant for pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants selected from the list comprising cereals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, grass and seeds.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of natural biofilms used as plant biostimulants. Specifically, the applicant surprisingly provides an edible coating composition in the form of an oil-in-water (O / W) emulsion and its use as a biostimulant for pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants selected from the list consisting of cereals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, grasses, and seeds. Background Art

[0002] The applicant, who has expertise in agricultural technology development, identified the need to improve the yield of certain crops and the growth of ornamental plants from a qualitative, quantitative and time-related perspective, taking into account that target crops are inevitably affected by biotic and / or abiotic factors.

[0003] The quality perspective can be understood as the need to obtain higher quality fruits, vegetables or grains, for example, as expressed in the size of the fruit on the plant or the nutritional quality of the fruit or grain, thus producing a high-value agricultural commodity crop.

[0004] The quantitative perspective can be understood as, for example, more fruit, vegetables or cereals produced per hectare, or in other words, a higher crop yield, while also providing better control of organisms that damage the target crops.

[0005] The angle in relation to time means that the harvest time can be significantly shortened, thus enabling earlier row closure and earlier flowering. In this way, the fruit or grain can be harvested earlier and at the optimal time.

[0006] The economic perspective implies obtaining optimized results from the harvest of a given crop in terms of quality, quantity and time-related aspects and should be considered as a pressing desire to minimize the economic risks for agricultural producers.

[0007] Biostimulants are usually applied to plants or the rhizosphere to stimulate natural processes and in this way improve nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stresses and plant quality.

[0008] EP 2 735 232 A1 discloses a biostimulant containing 79.3 to 83.4% hydrolyzed algal protein and 2.0 to 2.1% betaine. However, compared to standard products, this biostimulant shows little improvement under stress conditions, such as drought stress. Therefore, in EP 2 735 232 A1, selenium is additionally added to the biostimulant mixture. The addition of selenium can improve plant responses to drought stress, particularly by increasing fruit yield. However, the use of selenium has several disadvantages. While selenium is an essential trace element for humans in minimal amounts, excessive intake can have toxic effects. This is problematic because treating plants with the composition proposed in EP 2 735 232 A1 has been shown to significantly increase the selenium content in the edible parts of the treated plants. Higher selenium concentrations can also be toxic to bees and other insects.

[0009] US 2022 / 274893 A1 (ALEXANDER ALVIN [DE]) discloses a biostimulant suitable for treating plants and / or plant seeds with a protein hydrolysate and betaine ratio in a mass ratio of 10:1 to 1:10. A composition having a protein hydrolysate and betaine ratio in a mass ratio of 10:1 to 1:10 can be provided as a biostimulant for treating plants and / or plant seeds.

[0010] WO 2019 / 058211 A1 (DECCO WORLDWIDE POST HARVEST HOLDINGS BV [NL]) describes a method for treating and controlling physiological disorders arising in the post-harvest process of fruit, the method comprising applying an aqueous solution which is an edible coating and which comprises at least one phospholipid, or at least one polysorbate, or at least one sorbitol ester, or at least one sucrose ester of a fatty acid or at least one sucrose glyceride of a fatty acid, or a combination thereof, during any stage of the post-harvest process up to its transportation and sale at its final destination.

[0011] WO 2021 / 094552 A1 (UNIV GENT [BE]; UNIV LEUVEN KATH [BE] et al.) relates to plant extracts and their use as biostimulants and biocontrol agents. More specifically, the document provides extracts from plants of the genus Helianthus that are capable of altering the root architecture and stimulating root development. Thus, the extracts can be used to control plant development, for example, by improving general root architecture, nutrient uptake, and drought tolerance. Furthermore, these extracts can be used to control plant diseases.

[0012] GODLEWSKA KATARZYNA et al.: "Plant extracts - importance in sustainable agriculture", ITALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY, Vol. 16, No. 2, June 17, 2021 (2021-06-17), pp. 1-22, XP055886631, IT ISSN: 1125-4718, DOI: 10.4081 / ija.2021.1851 provides an overview of the literature describing the effects of plant-derived extracts / biostimulants (PDBs) on crops grown under controlled and real conditions and under various abiotic and biotic stresses; the extraction methods used to obtain PDBs, as well as the specific components responsible for their biostimulant activity. The application of these bioproducts may be beneficial for sustainable production due to several advantages, such as low toxicity to humans and the environment, enhanced resistance of cultivated plants to biotic and abiotic stresses, improved crop yield and quality, and reduced use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides. However, deeper collaboration between industry and academic research is needed to accelerate the development of new environmentally safe solutions for future agriculture.

[0013] BEN-JABEUR MAISSA et al.: "A Novel Aspect of Essential Oils: Coating Seeds with Thyme Essential Oil induces Drought Resistance in Wheat", PLANTS, Vol. 8, No. 10, September 25, 2019 (2019-09-25), pp. 371-1, XP093058926, ISSN: 2223-7747, DOI: 10.3390 / plants 8100371 discloses the use of thyme oil as a biostimulant for plants and a method for coating seeds to promote germination and reduce abiotic stress.

[0014] HARA MASAKAZU: "Potential use of essential oils to enhance heat tolerance in plants", ZEITSCHRIFT FUER NATURFORSCHUNG.C, A JOURNAL OF BIOSCIENCES, Vol. 75, No. 7-8, April 28, 2020 (2020-04-28), pp. 225-231, XP093059133, DE ISSN: 0939-5075, DOI: 10.1515 / znc-2019-0233 discloses that isothiocyanates, monoterpenes, and leaf volatiles are essential oil components that induce heat shock protein gene expression in plant systems. The heat shock response pattern caused by essential oil compounds and their heat tolerance enhancing activity are described herein. Traditionally, green manures produced from plants containing essential oils are used because they are believed to have beneficial effects in terms of fertilization, allelopathic, antibacterial, and animal repellent activities. In addition to these effects, stress tolerance (particularly heat stress) enhancement activities are also expected. Biostimulants containing these essential oils may be able to maintain crop yield and quality under increasing environmental temperatures. In this review, chemicals that enhance plant heat tolerance are referred to as heat tolerance enhancers (HTLEs). Some essential oil compounds can be classified as HTLEs that can be used in biostimulants.

[0015] RAO DORAJEE et al.: "Effect of crude edible and non-edible oils on plants growth, yield and quality: A review", JOURNAL OF PHARMACOGNOSY AND PHYTOCHEMISTRY, Vol. 8, No. 4, January 1, 2019 (2019-01-01), pp. 2024-2029, XP093059274 discloses the use of vegetable oils to improve the yield and quality of plants (especially fruit crops). Today, organic edible and non-edible oils are traditionally used as agricultural fertilizers to obtain high-quality yields at low costs. Methods: Crude edible and non-edible oils were extracted from some seeds, nuts, grains and fruits using traditional solvent extraction and machine extraction methods. Results: The oils contained sufficient macroelements and trace elements, making them suitable for agroindustrial applications. In order to reduce production costs, reduce environmental harm, improve soil structure, promote agricultural leverage and obtain high-yield and high-quality crops by reducing or completely eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers. Some vegetable oils, neem oil and mustard oil are very effective in reducing the incidence of diseases.Conclusion: In recent years, farmers have adopted the practice of using crude edible and non-edible oils from groundnut, rice bran, cotton, neem, mustard and pongamia in some horticultural and agricultural crops to obtain good growth and high quality yield.

[0016] The present invention is directed to providing an improved, easily manufactured edible coating for pre-harvest cultivated plants that is made strictly from food grade compounds and that does not suffer from one or more of the disadvantages of prior art methods and products.

[0017] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved biostimulant. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a biostimulant with reduced toxicity. Summary of the Invention

[0018] Specifically, the present invention aims to provide a cost-effective and robust natural biofilm for use as a biostimulant for pre-harvest cultivated plants or crops. It consists of a coating in the form of an oil-in-water microemulsion that can be easily applied to plants or seeds.

[0019] In the present invention, the applicant has surprisingly developed an edible coating composition for use as a biostimulant for pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants selected from the list consisting of: cereals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, grasses and seeds; said composition consisting of a mixture of vegetable oil, water, and an emulsifier, said emulsifier being a non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester.

[0020] An object of the present invention is to provide a use of an edible coating emulsion in the combination consisting in:

[0021] a natural vegetable oil selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, canola, safflower, castor, coconut, grape seed, hazelnut, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut or mixtures thereof;

[0022] a mixture of two non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of sucrose monoesters and sucrose polyesters, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoesters to sucrose polyesters is from 25 to 70% by weight of each of the non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers of 5 to 15;

[0023] and the rest is water;

[0024] as a bio-stimulant for pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants selected from the list comprising cereals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, grasses and seeds, wherein the plant bio-stimulant for pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants consists in promoting: sexual or asexual reproduction; improved stress resistance consisting of drought stress, salt stress; plant growth, wherein plant growth comprises increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturation and combinations thereof.

[0025] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for treating pre-harvest cultivated plants and / or plant seeds, said method comprising the step of applying a biofilm of a plant bio-stimulant in the combination consisting in:

[0026] a natural vegetable oil selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, canola, safflower, castor, coconut, grape seed, hazelnut, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut or mixtures thereof;

[0027] a mixture of two non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of sucrose monoesters and sucrose polyesters, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoesters to sucrose polyesters is from 25 to 70% by weight of each of the non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers of 5 to 15;

[0028] and the rest is water, wherein the treatment with the plant bio-stimulant consists in promoting:

[0029] Sexual or asexual reproduction; improved stress resistance consisting of drought stress, salt stress; plant growth, wherein the plant growth can be increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturity, and combinations thereof, compared to plants not receiving an agriculturally effective amount of a plant biostimulant.

[0030] Another object of the present invention is to provide a plant non-biological biostimulant for pre-harvest treatment of crops or cultivated plants, wherein the plant biostimulant is an edible coating emulsion in the form of oil-in-water (O / W), which is a combination of the following ingredients:

[0031] - a natural or non-synthetic vegetable oil selected from the group consisting of rapeseed and sunflower, wherein the natural vegetable oil represents 6% w / w to 12% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion;

[0032] a mixture of two non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of a sucrose monoester and a sucrose polyester, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoester to sucrose polyester is from 25% to 70% by weight of each of the non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers of from 5 to 15 and wherein the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers represents from 7% w / w to 15% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion;

[0033] The relative percentages of the ingredients are selected within respective ranges with the remainder being water such that their sum totals 100% of the edible coating emulsion.

[0034] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and appended claims, which is taken with reference to the following illustrative drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 : represents the difference in the number of leaves and buds of strawberry plants coated with the biostimulant of the present application compared to uncoated plants (control). The graph shows that in the 10-week experiment, the coated plants grew faster (i.e., had more leaves and buds).

[0036] Figure 2 : represents the difference in total weight of strawberry plants coated with our biostimulant compared to uncoated plants (control) at the end of the experiment (week 10).

[0037] Figure 3 : represents the difference in developmental stage of runners coated with our biostimulant compared to uncoated plants (control) at the end of the experiment (week 10). The graph shows that the coated plants have more developed runners than the uncoated plants.

[0038] Figure 4 : represents the difference in shoot and root biomass of lentil seedlings treated with our biostimulants compared to untreated crops (control) after 4 weeks of the experiment.

[0039] Figure 5 : Represents the differences in (i) shoot biomass and seedling height of spring wheat seedlings, (ii) shoot biomass of rapeseed and (iii) shoot biomass of linseed treated with the applicant's biostimulant compared to untreated crops (control) after 4 weeks of experiment.

[0040] Figure 6 : Indicates the differences in height and shoot and root biomass of buckwheat and lentil seedlings treated with our biostimulants compared to untreated crops (control) after 4 weeks of the experiment.

[0041] Figure 7 : indicates that the classical biological treatment ( The difference in yield between plants treated with the applicant's biostimulants compared to plants treated with Opti and Thiovit Jet.

[0042] Figure 8 : Indicates the difference in growth of plants treated with our biostimulants compared to untreated plants one week after the second cut of simulated lawn mowing.

[0043] Figure 9 : Represents the difference in growth (leaf size) between coated and uncoated banana trees.

[0044] Figure 10 : represents the difference in relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) between plants treated with the biostimulant of the present invention and those not treated with the biostimulant of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 11 : represents the yield difference between strawberry plants treated with the biostimulant of the present invention and untreated strawberry plants under salt stress.

[0046] Figure 12 : represents the difference in shoot-to-root ratio between coated and uncoated plants.

[0047] Figure 13 : represents the difference in relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) in leaves of treated and untreated plants at 5 and 6 weeks under salt stress.

[0048] Figure 14: represents the difference in photosystem 2 efficiency (percentage of light used for photochemistry; Phi2) in leaves of treated and untreated plants at 5 and 6 weeks under salt stress.

[0049] Figure 15 : Indicates the yield difference between treated and untreated plants under salt stress.

[0050] Figure 16 : shows that after 6 weeks of treatment, the coated plants had a higher photochemical light utilization efficiency (Phi2; useful light used by the plant to obtain food).

[0051] Figure 17 : represents the difference in ABA levels in leaves of treated and untreated plants.

[0052] Figure 18 : Indicates the yield change between treated and untreated plants under standard conditions.

[0053] Figure 19 : Indicates the difference in concentrations of salicylic acid, abscisic acid, and jasmonic acid in new and old leaves between plants treated with our biostimulants and the control.

[0054] Figure 20 : represents the difference in productivity (in kg of grape weight) between the plots treated with our biostimulants and the control

[0055] Figure 21 : represents the difference in SPAD levels in plants treated with the biostimulant of the present invention and the Decco product.

[0056] Figure 22: shows the difference in the number of flowers on plants treated with the biostimulant of the present invention, sucrose esters and Decco products. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention or in testing, suitable methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are all incorporated herein by reference. The publications and applications discussed herein are only intended to provide disclosures prior to the filing date of this application. Anything herein should not be construed as admitting that the present invention has no right to disclose earlier than this type of disclosure due to prior inventions. In addition, the materials, methods and examples are merely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting.

[0058] In the event of a conflict, the present specification (including definitions) will control. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter herein belongs. As used herein, the following definitions are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention.

[0059] The term "comprising" is generally used in an inclusive sense, that is, allowing for the presence of one or more features or components. Therefore, claim forms such as "consisting in or consisting of..." are generally understood by case law to indicate closed claims that exclude any items not explicitly listed in the claim.

[0060] As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0061] In some cases, the presence of expansion words and phrases such as "one or more," "at least," "but not limited to," or other similar phrases should not be understood as intending or requiring a narrower case where such expansion phrases may not be present.

[0062] The terms "coating" and "biofilm" refer to the product and result of a process covering pre-harvest cultivated plants selected from the list consisting of cereals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, grasses and seeds.

[0063] The term "oil" refers to oils / butter extracted from other fruit and / or seed contents such as solid material and liquids, but also includes any other lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds from the plant that may end up in the oil / butter through the extraction process.

[0064] "Natural vegetable oils" or, in general, natural oils are obtained from various parts of oleaginous plants. Depending on the type of plant, different plant parts, such as seeds, fruits, leaves, flowers, stems, bark, trees (including their resins) or roots may be used for this purpose. The term "natural" is used to refer to non-synthetic materials. Natural vegetable oils include, for example, argan, avocado, rapeseed, safflower, castor, coconut, grapeseed, hazelnut, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut oils or mixtures thereof.

[0065] For the purposes of this invention, "plants" refers to a class of living organisms, exemplified by trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, ferns, and mosses, that typically grow in a fixed location, absorb water and inorganic substances through their roots, and synthesize nutrients in their leaves through photosynthesis using the green pigment chlorophyll. Plants include germinating seeds, seedlings, unearthed seedlings, and mature vegetation, including roots and parts above the soil, such as leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, branches, structures, roots, etc.

[0066] Low-growing vegetation is a member of the grass family, growing naturally or planted in fields and used as fodder; it is also cultivated in gardens, parks, pastures, and lawns. A lawn is a ground cover consisting of a top layer of grasses and grass roots.

[0067] Plants of agricultural interest are any plant species, edible or inedible, grown for commercial consumption; these may be trees, flowering or non-flowering plants, grasses, lawns, etc.

[0068] For the purposes of this application, a fruit or grain is considered to be the result of a harvested crop.

[0069] The terms "vegetables" and "veggies" refer to plants or parts of plants used as food, including, for example, some fruits, leaves, stems, roots, and tubers.

[0070] A "seed" is a plant embryo enclosed in a protective husk. Seed formation is part of the reproductive process of seed plants (including gymnosperms and angiosperms). A seed is the product of a mature ovule fertilized by pollen, which then grows inside the mother plant. The term "seed" predates this definition and has a more general meaning: anything that can be sown, such as a potato "seed," a corn "seed," or a sunflower "seed." In the case of sunflower and corn "seeds," it's the seed enclosed in a husk or skin that's sown, while in potatoes, it's the tuber.

[0071] Many structures commonly referred to as "seeds" are actually dried fruits. Plants that produce berries are called berry-bearing. Sunflower seeds are sometimes sold commercially still encased in a hard berry wall that must be cut open to remove the seeds. Other variations exist in different plant species; so-called drupes (such as peaches) have a hardened fruit layer (endocarp) fused to and surrounding the actual seed. Nuts are the single, hard-shelled fruits of some plants whose seeds do not crack open, such as acorns or hazelnuts. Coffee beans and green coffee are also included in this term.

[0072] The terms "apply," "treat," and "apply" refer to applying the compositions disclosed herein to seeds, seedlings, plants, or plant parts. The compositions can be applied to seeds, seedlings, plants, or plant parts by spraying, pouring, using a watering / sprinkler system, or soaking. For example, seeds can be soaked, sprayed, or washed with the compositions disclosed herein prior to packaging or planting.

[0073] The terms "about," "approximately," and "approximately" are used in this patent application to describe certain quantitative aspects of the present invention. It should be understood that absolute accuracy is not required for the operation of these aspects of the present invention. When these terms are used to describe quantitative aspects of the present invention, the relevant aspects can vary by up to ±10%. Thus, the terms "about," "approximately," "approximately," and "approximately" allow for variations of ±1%, ±2%, ±3%, ±4%, ±5%, ±6%, ±7%, ±8%, ±9%, or up to ±10% for the various disclosed quantitative aspects of the present invention. For example, a 10% plant extract may contain 9% to 11% plant extract.

[0074] As used herein, the term "extract" refers to an active agent derived from a plant material. In the context of this specification, "active" means that the extract is capable of producing the desired effect disclosed herein. The extract is obtained by an "extraction" process, and those skilled in the art will understand that extraction is a method of extracting the active ingredient. The extraction process can include treating the plant material with a liquid or supercritical fluid to dissolve the active agent and separate it from the residual unwanted plant material. The extract can be in liquid form (e.g., as a decoction, solution, granule, or tincture) or solid form (e.g., as a powder or granule). Exemplary extraction processes include treatment with food-grade solvents (including hexane, acetone, ethanol, water, or mixtures thereof), mechanical extraction by grinding the plant (e.g., vegetable oil), mixing with the oil, then heating, stirring, and filter pressing, multi-step supercritical carbon dioxide extraction using pressurized hot water and a small amount of ethanol, ultrasonic-assisted methanol extraction, and water distillation and maceration with ethanol.

[0075] A "natural composition" or natural product is a compound or substance found in nature and produced by living organisms. In its broadest sense, a natural product or composition includes any substance produced by life. The term natural product is also used commercially to refer to foods, cosmetics, and dietary supplements that are derived from natural sources and have no artificial ingredients added.

[0076] Synergy: Generally speaking, synergy can be defined as the combination of two elements that results in a greater effect than the sum of the individual effects. Therefore, synergy is simply the sum of factors working towards the same goal. A composition containing "synergistic activity" or a "synergistic composition" is a combination of compounds that exhibits a biological or functional activity that is nonlinearly multiplicative of the biological or functional activity of the individual compounds.

[0077] A blend is a mixture of two or more simple or complex substances. Blends can be solid or liquid, homogeneous or heterogeneous.

[0078] Homogeneous blend: is a blend of substances that, as a result of the blending, can no longer be individually identified as they were at the start. The appearance of a homogeneous blend is uniform to the naked eye and the blend is also monophasic.

[0079] A "biostimulant" is a substance applied to plants to increase nutrient efficiency, increase resistance to stress caused by abiotic factors, increase productivity and / or improve commodity quality. According to EU Fertilizer Regulation Article 22, a plant biostimulant shall be a fertilizer product whose function is to stimulate plant nutrition processes, not dependent on its content of nutrients, whose sole purpose is to improve one or more of the following characteristics of plants or the plant rhizosphere: (a) nutrient use efficiency, (b) tolerance to abiotic stress, (c) quality traits, or (d) availability of limited nutrients in the soil or rhizosphere. This Regulation Article 23 distinguishes between fertilizers and plant protection products in Regulation (EC) No 1107 / 2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 on placing plant protection products on the market and repeals Council Directives 79 / 117 / EEC and 91 / 414 / EEC (OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p. 1).

[0080] On the other hand, plant protection products (PPP) are defined in EU 1107 / 2009 Regulation Article 2, 1. This EU Regulation applies to products that are provided to the user in the form of active substances, safeners or synergists, or that contain active substances, safeners or synergists, and are intended for one of the following uses: (a) to protect plants or plant products from all harmful organisms or prevent the action of these organisms, unless the primary purpose of these products is considered to be for hygiene reasons and not for the protection of plants or plant products; (b) to affect the life processes of plants, such as substances that affect plant growth, but not as nutrients or plant biostimulants; (c) to preserve plant products, as long as such substances or products are not subject to special provisions of the European Union on preservatives; (d) to destroy unwanted plants or parts of plants, with the exception of algae, unless the product is used in soil or water to protect plants; (e) to inspect or prevent the growth of unwanted plants, with the exception of algae, unless the product is used in soil or water to protect plants. These products are referred to as "plant protection products" (PPP).

[0081] The Regulation applies to substances known as "active substances", including microorganisms that have a general or specific effect on harmful organisms or on plants, plant parts or plant products.

[0082] Substances or preparations used or intended for use in plant protection products or adjuvants, but neither active substances nor safeners or synergists, are referred to as "co-formulants".

[0083] The term "substantially" is a relative term, and in the context of this patent claim, it is used to define the main component of the claimed plant biostimulant. Here, the term "substantially" means "mostly" or "mainly" or "approximately," so that the claim composition includes "mostly, but not entirely," as other substances may also be present.

[0084] “Abiotic factors” can be understood as the sum of all influences to which living organisms in an ecosystem may be exposed, whether physical, chemical or physicochemical, in the environment (such as light, solar radiation, temperature, time, water, soil composition and pressure).

[0085] "Biotic factors" are the living parts of an ecosystem. Because of the way ecosystems function—as complex systems of competition and cooperation, where the activities of each life form affect all other life forms—any organism in an ecosystem can be considered a biotic factor. Biological factors, such as soil bacteria, plant life, top predators, and pollutants, can profoundly influence which organisms can survive in an ecosystem and what survival strategies they use. Scientists classify biotic factors into three main categories, defining their role in the energy flow necessary for all organisms in an ecosystem to survive. These categories are producers or autotrophs, consumers or heterotrophs, and decomposers or detritus eaters.

[0086] Biological factors, along with inanimate abiotic factors such as temperature, sunlight, geography, and chemistry, determine the appearance of an ecosystem and the available niches.

[0087] There are two basic types of water-oil emulsions. A relatively low oil content creates an oil-in-water (O / W) emulsion, while a relatively low water content creates a water-in-oil (W / O) emulsion. In an O / W emulsion, very fine oil droplets are suspended in the water, while in a W / O emulsion, water droplets are suspended in the oil. Emulsifiers are substances that are attracted to both water and oil. Therefore, the emulsifier is attracted to the interface of the suspended droplets, where it tends to maintain the emulsified state of the mixture.

[0088] Oil-in-water emulsions are preferred over water-in-oil emulsions for two reasons: First, they produce thinner, easier-to-apply coating materials. Second, their characteristics are superior when it comes to preventing mold growth. Mold forms and grows best in water, which is free of air. In oil-in-water emulsions, the aqueous phase is exposed to air, while in water-in-oil emulsions (which are typically creams rather than liquids), the suspended water droplets are enclosed by a surrounding oil body, creating an anaerobic environment for organisms typically found in the aqueous phase.

[0089] Emulsifier:

[0090] An emulsifier is an additive that helps two liquids mix. For example, water and oil will separate in a glass, but adding an emulsifier helps the liquids mix together. An emulsifier consists of a hydrophilic head and a lipophilic, hydrophobic tail. The hydrophilic head points toward the water phase, while the hydrophobic tail points toward the oil phase. Emulsifiers reside at the oil / water or air / water interface and stabilize the emulsion by reducing surface tension. Emulsifiers are surfactants, typically having both a lipophilic (lipophilic) and a hydrophilic (water-loving) portion, which can nestle around the boundary layer between the aqueous and oily components. Oil and water repel each other, making emulsions easily break without emulsifiers. Emulsifiers prevent this repulsion by projecting the hydrophilic side toward the water and the lipophilic side toward the fat. The degree to which the hydrophilic or lipophilic nature predominates is indicated by the surfactant's HLB value (HLB = hydrophilic-lipophilic balance). A high HLB value (10 to 18) indicates a hydrophilic substance, suitable for emulsifying fats or oils in water. Materials with low HLB (3 to 8) are lipophilic and suitable for use in water-in-oil emulsions.

[0091] An "ionic emulsifier" is an emulsifier that carries one (or more) electrical charges. There are three types of ionic surfactants:

[0092] ■Anions (negatively charged)

[0093] ■Cations (positively charged)

[0094] ■ Zwitterions (containing both positive and negative charges)

[0095] "Nonionic emulsifiers" do not contain an electrical charge. Structurally, nonionic emulsifiers combine uncharged hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups, enabling them to effectively wetting and spreading, and act as foaming agents.

[0096] Sucrose esters:

[0097] Sucrose ester emulsifiers are a class of synthetic emulsifiers obtained by chemical esterification of sucrose molecules with one or more fatty acids (or glycerides).

[0098] Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose subunits linked together by ether bonds. It has the molecular formula C 11 H 22 O 11 It has the IUPAC name β-D-fructofuranosyl α-D-glucopyranoside. It has 8 hydroxyl groups (-OH) and can be esterified like sucrose ester emulsifiers.

[0099] Fatty acids are molecules composed of a carboxylic acid (-COOH) and an aliphatic chain, which can be saturated (no carbon-carbon double bonds in the chain) or unsaturated (one or more carbon-carbon double bonds). In nature, the carbon chain usually has an even number of carbons, ranging from 4 to 28. They also exist in the form of esters, such as triglycerides or phospholipids, in which a carboxylic acid reacts with an alcohol to form an ester bond.

[0100] For sucrose ester emulsifiers, the length of the fatty acid carbon chain (usually C 12 with C 22 The number of fatty acid chains per sucrose molecule (primarily monoesters, diesters, and triesters) can cover a wide range of hydrophilic-lipophilic balance values ​​from 2 to 18. These molecules are approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and registered in the EU under the number E473. They are typically produced by the transesterification reaction between sucrose and fatty acid methyl esters. As emulsifiers, they are used in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food applications due to their broad emulsifying properties.

[0101] The "hydrophile-lipophile balance" (HLB) is a numerical value used to characterize how hydrophilic or lipophilic an emulsifier is and ranges from 0 to 20. The lower the HLB value, the more hydrophobic the molecule. For nonionic emulsifiers, this method was first described by Griffin in 1949 for molecules such as polyethylene oxide (PEO) (Griffin, William C. (1949), "Classification of Surface-Active Agents by 'HLB'" (PDF), Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, 1(5):311–26) and has been adapted for sucrose esters.

[0102] The HLB of commercially available sucrose ester emulsifiers can be adjusted by varying the degree of re-esterification or by changing the carbon chain length of the fatty acids. For a given carbon chain length, monoesters (one fatty acid ester per sucrose unit) are more hydrophilic than diesters (two fatty acid esters per sucrose molecule), while triesters (three fatty acid esters per sucrose molecule) are the most hydrophobic.

[0103] "Sucrose monoesters" consist of sucrose molecules with one fatty acid ester, while "sucrose polyesters" include all sucrose molecules with more than one fatty acid ester (including diesters, triesters, etc.).

[0104] Alternatively, for a given number of fatty acid esters per sucrose molecule, the longer the carbon chain of the fatty acid, the more hydrophobic (lower HLB) the sucrose ester emulsifier.

[0105] However, even with these two methods of adjusting HLB, the degree of esterification has a more important effect on HLB than the length of the fatty acid carbon chain. To prepare hydrophobic sucrose esters, reducing the weight percentage of sucrose monoester (relative to sucrose polyester) is more effective than shortening the length of the fatty acid carbon chain.

[0106] is a company that manufactures and sells sucrose ester emulsifiers for cosmetic and food applications with an HLB range of 1 to 16. They use stearic acid (C 18 ) and palmitic acid (C 16 ) mixtures are transesterified and the HLB of the final product is adjusted by varying the percentage of monoester; the more monoester in the blend, the more hydrophilic (high HLB). These products can be found at https: / / www.sisterna.com / food / product-range / .

[0107] Another company, Mitsubishi Chemical Also known as Ryoto Sugar similar products are sold under the name Differently, they use fatty acids of different chain lengths instead of the same palmitic / stearic acid mix. For example, they use lauric acid (C 12 ) or behenic acid (C 22 They also used unsaturated carbon chain fatty acids, such as oleic acid (C 18 -monounsaturated) or erucic acid (C 22 - monounsaturated). These products can be found at https: / / www.mfc.co.jp / english / ryoto_se / seihin.htm.

[0108] An object of the present invention is to provide a use of an edible coating emulsion, wherein the edible coating emulsion is a combination of:

[0109] natural vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, rapeseed, safflower, castor, coconut, grapeseed, hazelnut, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut, or mixtures thereof;

[0110] a mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of sucrose monoesters and sucrose polyesters, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoesters to sucrose polyesters is from 25% to 70% by weight of each of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers of 5 to 15;

[0111] and the rest is water;

[0112] As a biostimulant for pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants, the crops or cultivated plants are selected from the following list: cereals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, grasses and seeds, characterized in that the plant biostimulant for pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants is to promote: sexual or asexual reproduction; improved stress resistance consisting of drought stress and salt stress; plant growth, wherein plant growth includes increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturity and combinations thereof.

[0113] Pre-harvest crops are preferably plants of agricultural value, i.e. any type of edible or inedible plant grown for commercial consumption; these may be trees, flowering or non-flowering plants, grasses, lawns etc. as well as seeds, or fruits / grains obtained from harvesting crops as well as "vegetables" and "veggies", including for example some fruits, leaves, stems, roots and tubers.

[0114] Surprisingly, the plant biostimulant for use in pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants promotes: sexual or asexual reproduction; improved stress resistance consisting of drought stress, salt stress; plant growth, wherein plant growth includes increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturity and combinations thereof.

[0115] Preferably, the natural vegetable oil is a cold pressed oil selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, rapeseed, safflower, castor, coconut, grapeseed, hazelnut, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut or a mixture thereof.

[0116] More preferably, the natural vegetable oil corresponds to a mixture of two natural vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of rapeseed, olive and sunflower.

[0117] Natural vegetable oils are used in the present invention because it is important that the coating be edible, but mineral oils could also be used instead. These mineral oils have been shown to work well on pre-harvest crops when tested under the same conditions; however, the fact that the coating according to the present invention is edible is an important consumer requirement.

[0118] Mineral oils are typically obtained as a byproduct of crude oil refining to produce gasoline or petroleum. They are primarily composed of alkanes, cycloalkanes, and decalins (polycyclic hydrocarbons). They are less dense and less viscous than edible oils. Mineral oils do not contain antioxidants, but antioxidants are often added.

[0119] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the percentage of sucrose monoester to sucrose polyester is 60% of the total weight of the mixture of sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of 13.

[0120] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the percentage of sucrose monoesters and sucrose polyesters is 25% of the total weight of the mixture of sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of 5.

[0121] According to another embodiment, the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifier comprises 7% w / w to 15% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion before dilution. Preferably, the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifier comprises about 10% w / w or about 13% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion before any dilution.

[0122] The edible coating emulsion of the present invention comprises a mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers having different hydrophilic-lipophilic balance values. As mentioned above, the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value is given by HLB, and the HLB of commercially available sucrose ester emulsifiers can be adjusted by changing the degree of transesterification or changing the length of the fatty acid carbon chain.

[0123] Preferably, the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers having different hydrophilic-lipophilic balances are selected from the group consisting of sucrose monostearate and di-, tri-, or polystearate α-D-pyranoglucoside, β-D-fructofuranosyl, mixed palmitate and stearate, i.e., SP70 and SP30. According to one embodiment, the mixture corresponds to two nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers. Preferably, the two nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers are mixed palmitate and stearate, i.e., SP70 and SP30.

[0124] More preferably, the fatty acids of the two non-ionic sucrose fatty acid esters are selected from the group consisting of stearic acid (C18) and palmitic acid (C16) or a mixture thereof.

[0125] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifier is selected from the list consisting of sucrose (α-D-pyranoglucoside, β-D-fructofuranosyl) monostearate, distearate, tristearate, or polystearate, and sucrose (α-D-pyranoglucoside, β-D-fructofuranosyl) palmitate, dipalmitate, tripalmitate, or polypalmitate. Preferably, the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifier is HABO MX T050 (https: / / www.compassfoods.com / habo-sucrose-esters.html).

[0126] According to this embodiment, the mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consists of a mixture of 25 wt% monoester and 75 wt% polyester, has a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of 5, and wherein the fatty acid consists primarily of stearic acid (C18).

[0127] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the edible coating emulsion is a microemulsion, and the average particle size distribution of the oil droplets in the coating emulsion is about 20 microns in diameter and preferably 2 to 5 microns.

[0128] Preferably, the natural vegetable oil comprises 6% w / w to 12% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion before dilution.Most preferably, the natural vegetable oil comprises about 9% of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion before any dilution.

[0129] All given concentrations or percentages correspond to the pure, undiluted plant biostimulant product.

[0130] In addition, common adjuvants used in agriculture can be added to the edible coating emulsion of the present invention. Adjuvants are chemicals or mixtures of chemicals that can enhance the efficacy of the biostimulant product. These adjuvants include but are not limited to adhesives (e.g., https: / / www.agrileader.fr / adjuvants / 1148-0377200-sticman.html), dispersants (such as, for example, Silwet™ L-77: https: / / www.momentive.com / en-us / categories / agriculture / silwet-l-77-ag-spray-ad juvant), defoamers (such as, for example, https: / / www.interagro.co.uk / product / abate / ) and wetting agents (such as https: / / www.cerience.fr / en / solutions / presto). Preservatives such as citric acid, benzoic acid or sorbic acid may also be added to the edible coating emulsion of the present invention.

[0131] Advantageously, a natural fungicide or a formulation containing a natural fungicide can be added or combined to the edible coating emulsion of the present application. For example, this can be an extract of algae and blue algae. A preferred natural fungicide is the isothiocyanate derivative described in WO2020011750(A1) (UNIV DE LAUSANNE [CH]). Other non-natural fungicides can also be used, such as fungicides selected from the group comprising azoxystrobin, cyproconazole, mandipropamide, ziram, copper oxychloride, cymoxanil, fenpropidine, difenoconazole, captan, cyprodinil, copper oxychloride, fosetyl-aluminum, folpet, dithianon, potassium phosphite, mancozeb, cyflufenamide, difenoconazole, benzovindiflucy, prothioconazole, metalaxyl, fluazinam, boscalid, tebuconazole, ethirim, epoxiconazole, fenpropimorph, fluazinam, boscalid, fludioxonil, trifloxystrobine, sulfurmetrafenone, hydrogen peroxide, peroxyacetic acid, chlorothalonil, iprodione, liquid hydrocarbons, flutolanil, propamocarb hydrochloride, pyrimethanil, dodine, copper octanoate, triadimefon, copper hydroxide, tiophanate-methyl, triflumizole, mancozeb, picoxystrobine, cyproconazole, tridemorph, quinoxylen, famoxadone, metiram, potassium phosphite, fenbuconazole, bixafen, kresoxim-methyl, thiophanate-methyl, zineb, polyoxin-D zinc salt, chlorothalonil, fentin hydroxide, ethaboxam, mandestrobin, clothianidin, pconazole, proquinazide, strobilurin and triazole, dimetnamine, thiram, cyazofamid, isofetamide, fluazinam, spiroxamine, propamocarb, flutriafol, ametoctradine, dimethomorph, fenpyrazamine, Xemium, penthiopyrad.

[0132] The coating, i.e., the plant biostimulant of the present invention, can also form an inert physical barrier on the plant to resist fungal pathogens, thereby slowing their development by preventing them from accessing the plant resources they need for growth, without the presence of any fungal toxic compounds in the coating. In this particular embodiment, the coating of the present invention can serve as a plant protection product (PPP).

[0133] Another object of the present invention is to provide a plant non-biological biostimulant for pre-harvest treatment of crops or cultivated plants, wherein the plant biostimulant is an edible coating emulsion in the form of oil-in-water (O / W), which is a combination of the following ingredients:

[0134] - a natural or non-synthetic vegetable oil selected from the group consisting of rapeseed and sunflower, wherein the natural vegetable oil represents 6% w / w to 12% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion;

[0135] a mixture of two non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of a sucrose monoester and a sucrose polyester, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoester to sucrose polyester is from 25% to 70% by weight of each of the non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers of from 5 to 15 and wherein the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers represents from 7% w / w to 15% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion;

[0136] The relative percentages of the ingredients are selected within respective ranges with the remainder being water such that their sum totals 100% of the edible coating emulsion.

[0137] The concentrations or percentages given correspond to the pure, undiluted plant biostimulant product. The plant biostimulant product of the present invention consists only of the three specified ingredients, namely, vegetable oil, non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester and water.

[0138] Preferably, the plants are plants of agricultural value, i.e. any type of plant, edible or inedible, grown for commercial consumption; these may be trees, flowering or non-flowering plants, grasses, lawns etc. as well as seeds, or fruits / grains obtained from harvesting crops as well as "vegetables" and "veggies", including for example some fruits, leaves, stems, roots and tubers.

[0139] Preferably, the natural vegetable oil is a cold-pressed oil selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, rapeseed, safflower, castor, coconut, grapeseed, hazelnut, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut, or a mixture thereof. More preferably, the natural vegetable oil corresponds to a mixture of two natural vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of rapeseed, olive and sunflower.

[0140] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the percentage of sucrose monoester to sucrose polyester is 60% of the total weight of the two sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of 13.

[0141] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the percentage of sucrose monoester and sucrose polyester is 25% of the total weight of the sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifier, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of 5.

[0142] According to yet another embodiment, the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifier comprises 7% w / w to 15% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion before dilution. Preferably, the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifier comprises about 10% w / w or about 13% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion before any dilution.

[0143] According to one embodiment, the edible coating emulsion, ie, plant biostimulant, of the present invention comprises two non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers having different lipophilic balances.

[0144] Preferably, the two nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers having different lipophilic balances are selected from the list comprising sucrose monostearate and di-, tri- or polystearate α-D-pyranoglucoside, β-D-fructofuranosyl, mixed palmitate and stearate, i.e., SP70 and SP30. Preferably, the two nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers are mixed palmitate and stearate, SP70 and SP30.

[0145] More preferably, the fatty acids of the two non-ionic sucrose fatty acid esters are selected from the group consisting of stearic acid (C18) and palmitic acid (C16) or a mixture thereof.

[0146] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifier is selected from the list comprising sucrose (α-D-pyranoglucoside, β-D-fructofuranosyl) monostearate and distearate or tristearate or polystearate, and sucrose (α-D-pyranoglucoside, β-D-fructofuranosyl) palmitate and dipalmitate or tripalmitate or polypalmitate. Preferably, the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifier is HABO MX T050

[0147] According to this embodiment, the mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consists of a mixture of 25 wt% monoester and 75 wt% polyester and has a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of 5, and wherein the fatty acid consists primarily of stearic acid (C18).

[0148] Advantageously, the plant biostimulant is in the form of a microemulsion, the average particle size distribution of the oil droplets in the coating emulsion being about 20 microns in diameter and preferably 2 to 5 microns.

[0149] Preferably, the natural vegetable oil comprises 6% w / w to 12% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion before dilution.Most preferably, the natural vegetable oil comprises about 9% of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion before any dilution.

[0150] According to a preferred embodiment, the natural fungicides as exemplified above may be added to or combined with the edible coating emulsion of the present invention.

[0151] In addition, common adjuvants used in agriculture can be added to the edible coating emulsion of the present invention. Adjuvants are chemicals or mixtures of chemicals that can enhance the efficacy of the biostimulant product. These adjuvants include but are not limited to adhesives (e.g., https: / / www.agrileader.fr / adjuvants / 1148-0377200-sticman.html), dispersants (such as, for example, Silwet™ L-77: https: / / www.momentive.com / en-us / categories / agriculture / silwet-l-77-ag-spray-ad juvant), defoamers (such as, for example, https: / / www.interagro.co.uk / product / abate / ) and wetting agents (such as https: / / www.cerience.fr / en / solutions / presto). Preservatives such as citric acid, benzoic acid or sorbic acid may also be added to the edible coating emulsion of the present invention.

[0152] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for treating cultivated plants and / or plant seeds before harvest, comprising the step of applying a biofilm of a plant biostimulant in combination with:

[0153] natural vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, rapeseed, safflower, castor, coconut, grapeseed, hazelnut, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut, or mixtures thereof;

[0154] a mixture of two nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of a sucrose monoester and a sucrose polyester, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoester to sucrose polyester is from 25% to 70% by weight of each of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the mixture of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers of 5 to 15;

[0155] and the remainder is water, characterized in that the treatment with the plant biostimulant is to promote:

[0156] Sexual or asexual reproduction; improved stress resistance consisting of drought stress, salt stress; plant growth, wherein the plant growth can be increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturity, and combinations thereof, compared to plants not receiving an agriculturally effective amount of a plant biostimulant.

[0157] According to one embodiment of the invention, the treatment comprises contacting at least a part of the pre-harvest cultivated plants and / or plant seeds with a plant biostimulant.

[0158] Advantageously, the cultivated plants and / or plant seeds are contacted with the plant biostimulant for at least 10 hours and / or at most 14 hours before harvest.

[0159] According to another embodiment, the treatment is carried out before a stress event occurs in the cultivated plants and / or plant seeds before harvest. Preferably, the stress event is drought stress, salt stress and / or treatment with herbicides, fungicides and / or insecticides.

[0160] According to yet another embodiment, the treatment is performed at least 24 hours and at most 48 hours before the stress event.

[0161] Preferably, the treatment with the plant biostimulant promotes: sexual or asexual reproduction; improved stress resistance consisting of drought stress, salt stress; plant growth, wherein the plant growth can be increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturity and combinations thereof compared to plants not receiving an agriculturally effective amount of the plant biostimulant.

[0162] According to other embodiments, the treatment with the biostimulant of the invention is applied to:

[0163] - increasing the plant biomass of said plant, wherein plant biomass comprises root mass, shoot mass, total plant mass, root length, shoot length, stem diameter, wet weight or any combination thereof;

[0164] - Increasing nutrient uptake by the plant, wherein nutrient uptake of nickel, copper, zinc, manganese, iron, molybdenum, boron, calcium, sulfur, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, nitrogen, carbon, or a combination thereof is increased, compared to a plant not receiving an agriculturally effective amount of the composition.

[0165] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the obtained mixture, i.e. the plant biostimulant of the present invention, is diluted from 2% to 20% by weight in water (i.e. this corresponds to a final product diluted 5 to 50 times) to prepare a sprayable or dippable edible coating composition in the form of an oil-in-water (O / W) emulsion.

[0166] The coating emulsion, i.e., the biostimulant, as described above, can be applied by various techniques, preferably by spraying or immersion. When the coating emulsion used has a high viscosity, it is preferred to apply the emulsion using a dilution of the emulsion, while for emulsions with low viscosity, spraying / immersion techniques are preferred. After application, the coating is allowed to dry or allowed to dry.

[0167] In the case of concentrated compositions with low water content, the composition is diluted before use.

[0168] The preparation method described enables coatings to be applied at thicknesses of 5-20 microns. This can be achieved in a single coating step, for example by dipping or spraying.

[0169] It is also possible to adopt multiple coating steps, for example in two steps. In this case, the first coating step produces the base coat, while the second step produces the "finishing" layer. However, for greater efficiency, it is preferred to complete the coating in a single step.

[0170] The emulsion of the coating composition according to the present invention can be applied directly to the plant article once or multiple times. The emulsion is preferably applied only once. The emulsion of the coating composition according to the present invention is applied directly to the plant before harvest and is edible.

[0171] According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for treating plants and / or plant seeds, wherein the treatment is carried out with a biostimulant according to the invention.

[0172] In a preferred embodiment of the method, the treatment comprises contacting at least a portion of a plant and / or plant seed with the biostimulant. Preferably, the plant part comprises one or more leaves of the plant. In particular, the biostimulant can be applied to the plant part and / or plant seed by spraying, for example, in the form of a solution, an aerosol, and / or a gaseous mixture.

[0173] When treating plant seeds, these are preferably placed in a biostimulant and / or washed with it before the sowing process. For this purpose, the biostimulant can again be present in the form of a solution, an aerosol (preferably in the form of a mist), and / or a gaseous mixture. In a preferred method embodiment, the plant seeds are inoculated with a diluted biostimulant in an aerated aqueous solution at a concentration of 2% to 20% by weight. This achieves particularly effective seed germination promotion under stress conditions, such as cold stress.

[0174] In another preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the plants and / or plant seeds are contacted with the biostimulant mixture for at least 10 hours and / or at most 14 hours. It has been found that the stress resistance of the plants and / or plant seeds is most improved during this period of contact with the biostimulant mixture.

[0175] Of course, the beneficial effects of the biostimulant mixture can also be achieved with shorter or longer contact times. In certain method embodiments, the plants and / or plant seeds are contacted with the biostimulant mixture for at least 1 hour, at least 2 hours, at least 3 hours, at least 4 hours, at least 5 hours, at least 6 hours, at least 7 hours, at least 8 hours, at least 9 hours, at least 10 hours, at least 11 hours, at least 12 hours, at least 13 hours, at least 14 hours, at least 15 hours, at least 16 hours, at least 17 hours, at least 18 hours, at least 19 hours, at least 20 hours, at least 24 hours, at least 36 hours, at least 48 hours, or at least 72 hours.

[0176] Additionally or alternatively, the plants and / or plant seeds may be contacted with the biostimulant mixture for up to 1 hour, up to 2 hours, up to 3 hours, up to 4 hours, up to 5 hours, up to 6 hours, up to 7 hours, up to 8 hours, up to 9 hours, up to 10 hours, up to 11 hours, up to 12 hours, up to 13 hours, up to 14 hours, up to 15 hours, up to 16 hours, up to 17 hours, up to 18 hours, up to 19 hours, up to 20 hours, up to 24 hours, up to 36 hours, up to 48 hours, or up to 72 hours.

[0177] In a preferred embodiment of the method, the plants and / or plant seeds are treated with the biostimulant prior to the stress event. In this way, the stimulating function is at least partially or completely in play at the time of the stress event and ensures a reliable improvement in stress tolerance. In other words, by treatment with the biostimulant according to the application, the plants or plant seeds are improved in stress tolerance prior to the stress event, thus preparing for a planned and / or expected stress event. In addition or as an alternative to the treatment prior to the stress event, it is also possible to treat the plants and / or plant seeds with the biostimulant after the stress event. Surprisingly, it has been found that even those plants which have been damaged by a stress event can be largely revitalized by treatment with the biostimulant of the application. In this way, crop losses can be greatly reduced, even after, for example, an unforeseeable period of high temperatures or drought.

[0178] The inventors have found that the method of the application is suitable for promoting plant growth and increasing the tolerance of plants or plant seeds to a variety of stress events. In particular, the stress event can be a drought stress and / or a salt stress. In general, plants are subjected to drought stress if they are not sufficiently supplied with water. The cause of this can be a dry soil, soil frost, a lack of permeable water retention or an insufficient root expansion. An example of a drought stress is a soil moisture below 50% or below 30% of the available field capacity (%nFK).

[0179] The stress event can also be a herbicide, fungicide and / or insecticide treatment, which is also generally associated with a stress for the plants. In particular, the application of herbicides sometimes causes significant stress to useful plants, so that even selective herbicides reduce the productivity of the plants. For example, even with the use of selective sugar beet herbicides, a significant reduction in sugar yield usually occurs. The method of the application effectively and reliably counteracts the effects of these stresses, since there are sufficient internal resources to allow the crop to be extended in life while the grower determines the correct treatment against the current biological stress.

[0180] In this case, the herbicide, fungicide and / or insecticide treatment is an example of a stress event which is planned. The expected stress event can be predicted, for example, using weather data, in particular with the aid of precipitation and / or temperature forecasts. The respective parameters characterizing the stress event, such as temperature patterns, water retention capacity and / or salt concentration of the soil, precipitation patterns, air humidity patterns, etc., are fully known to the skilled person for the respective plant species or plant variety.

[0181] In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the application, the treatment is carried out 24 to 48 hours prior to the stress event. This is advantageous because it provides sufficient time for the absorption and metabolism of the biostimulant by the plants or plant seeds, thus leading to a particularly pronounced and reliable improvement in stress tolerance.

[0182] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method, the treatment is carried out at least 1 hour, at least 2 hours, at least 3 hours, at least 4 hours, at least 5 hours, at least 6 hours, at least 7 hours, at least 8 hours, at least 9 hours, at least 10 hours, at least 11 hours, at least 12 hours, at least 13 hours, at least 14 hours, at least 15 hours, at least 16 hours, at least 17 hours, at least 10 hours, at least 19 hours, at least 20 hours, at least 24 hours, at least 36 hours, at least 48 hours or at least 72 hours before and / or after the stress event.

[0183] Additionally or alternatively, the treatment may be performed up to 1 hour, up to 2 hours, up to 3 hours, up to 4 hours, up to 5 hours, up to 6 hours, up to 7 hours, up to 8 hours, up to 9 hours, up to 10 hours, up to 11 hours, up to 12 hours, up to 13 hours, up to 14 hours, up to 15 hours, up to 16 hours, up to 17 hours, up to 18 hours, up to 19 hours, up to 20 hours, up to 24 hours, up to 36 hours, up to 48 hours or up to 72 hours before and / or after the stress event.

[0184] The method according to the invention can in principle be used to treat all known plant species or plant varieties and / or their seeds, for example in the case of cultivated plants, garden plants, ornamental plants, grasses, trees, shrubs and / or lawns. Preferably, the method according to the invention comprises the treatment of one or more of the following plant species or plant varieties and / or their seeds: cereals, corn, wheat, barley, rye, rice, sunflower, oilseed plants, rapeseed, soybeans, cotton, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuce, melons, watermelons, onions, peas, spices, herbs, peppers, spinach, tomatoes and / or tea.

[0185] It goes without saying that the method according to the invention and / or the biostimulant according to the invention can, in principle, be used to treat a single plant. This application is particularly suitable for the ornamental plant sector. However, preferably, the method and / or biostimulant is applied to a large number of plants, and in particular for large-scale agriculture.

[0186] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The invention also includes all steps, features, compositions and compounds mentioned or indicated in this specification, whether singly or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features or said steps or features. Therefore, this disclosure should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.

[0187] The above description can be more fully understood by reference to the following examples. However, these examples are exemplary methods of practicing the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0188] Example 1:

[0189] The applicant has developed a coating for use as a biostimulant for pre-harvest cultivated plants. Unless otherwise stated, emulsion preparation was performed on a Kenwood Cooking Chef Gourmet KC9040S robot with a K-Haken blender.

[0190] 1a Preparation of emulsions using Sisterna sucrose ester emulsifiers SP30 and SP70

[0191] The aqueous phase was prepared by mixing 367 g of MilliQ water with 35 g of SP70 sucrose ester emulsifier and 10 g of SP30 sucrose ester emulsifier (stirring speed set to level 1) and heating the solution to 80°C.

[0192] 40 g of vegetable oil, containing a 50 / 50 w / w% mixture of sunflower oil and canola oil, were heated to 75°C on an IKA Basic hotplate with stirring at 300 rpm. The oil was then added to the aqueous phase. The emulsion was stored at 80°C for 25 minutes with stirring set to minimum speed. After emulsification, a steam mixer was used for 2 minutes to produce the final emulsion. Heating was then stopped and the emulsion was cooled to room temperature while stirring. During the cooling process, the steam mixer was used twice more for 2 minutes each time to ensure a homogeneous emulsion. An overview of the preparation is shown in Table 1.

[0193] 1b Preparation of emulsions using CompassFood sucrose ester emulsifier HaboMX

[0194] An aqueous phase was prepared by mixing 367 g of MilliQ water with 45 g of HABO MX T050 sucrose ester emulsifier (stir speed setting 1) and heating the solution to 80°C.

[0195] 40 g of vegetable oil, containing a 50 / 50 w / w% mixture of sunflower and canola oils, was heated to 75°C on an IKA Basic hotplate with stirring at 300 rpm. The oil was then added to the aqueous phase. The emulsion was maintained at 80°C for 25 minutes with stirring set to minimum speed. After emulsification, a steam mixer was used for 2 minutes to produce the final emulsion. Heating was then removed and the emulsion was allowed to cool to room temperature while stirring. During the cooling process, the steam mixer was used twice more for 2 minutes each to ensure a homogeneous emulsion. An overview of the preparation is provided in Table 1.

[0196] 1c Dilution and application of the final emulsion

[0197] The original emulsion was further diluted with MilliQ water to 2%, 5%, 10% or 15% by weight (e.g. 15g original emulsion + 85g MilliQ water to obtain a 15% emulsion). This diluted emulsion was transferred to a sprayer or bath for application to plants.

[0198]

[0199]

[0200] Table 1

[0201] Example 2:

[0202] The applicant's biostimulant was diluted to a 5% concentration and sprayed onto six strawberry seedlings once weekly for 10 weeks under standard greenhouse conditions. From week 0 to week 10, the number of leaves and buds on the treated plants was measured and compared to a control (six untreated plants sprayed once weekly). At the end of the experiment (week 10), the total root weight and the stage of runner development were recorded for each plant. The stages were divided into eight categories (category 1: starting from one runner; category 2: one runner + one connected seedling; category 3: starting from one seedling + the second seedling; category 4: two seedlings + the third seedling; category 5: three seedlings + the first branch [a runner starting from a seedling]; category 6: three seedlings + a branch and the seedlings starting from it; category 7: three seedlings + two branches + one seedling on the first branch + the seedling starting from the second branch; category 8: four seedlings + three branches + two seedlings on the first branch + one seedling on the second branch).

[0203] Conclusion: The applicants indicate that their biostimulant improves the growth of strawberry plants, based on the analysis of several parameters. In more detail, Figure 1 It was shown that during the 10-week experiment, the number of leaves and shoots was always higher in the coated strawberry plants than in the uncoated plants (control). Figure 2It was shown that at the end of the experiment (week 10), the root biomass of the coated plants was also higher than that of the uncoated plants. Finally, we noted that the vegetative reproductive system (stolon) of the coated plants developed faster than that of the uncoated plants (cf. Figure 3 ).

[0204] Example 3:

[0205] The applicant's biostimulant was tested under normal conditions (i.e., without water stress) on four different agronomically important crop species (spring wheat, rapeseed, green lentils, and linseed). The seeds were sown in seed trays and placed in a climate chamber with a constant humidity (45%) and a 12-hour daytime cycle of 25°C / 12-hour nighttime cycle of 23°C. The plants were watered by adding water from the bottom of the trays. After one week, the plants were sprayed with 15% (w / w) paint or water (control). This treatment was repeated weekly to cover the newly produced leaves. Starting one week after the first treatment, the height of the plants and the number and / or size of the leaves were assessed weekly. After one month, the plants were harvested. Root biomass and shoot biomass were measured.

[0206] Conclusion: Applicants indicate that lentil seedlings coated with our biostimulant showed higher biomass (shoots and roots) and more leaves ( Figure 4 For spring wheat, the biomass (sprouts) and height of the coated seedlings were higher than those of the uncoated seedlings ( Figure 5 Finally, both rapeseed and linseed seedlings showed higher shoot biomass after coating ( Figure 5 ).

[0207] Example 4:

[0208] The applicant's biostimulant was tested on two different agronomically important crop species (buckwheat and lentil) under water stress. Seeds were sown in seed trays and placed in a climate chamber with a constant humidity (45%) and a 12-hour daytime cycle of 25°C / 12-hour nighttime cycle of 23°C. The plants were watered by adding water from the bottom of the tray. One week later (after germination), drought stress was applied by reducing the amount of water the plants received. One week later, the plants were sprayed with 15% (w / w) paint or water (control). This treatment was repeated weekly to cover the newly produced leaves. Starting one week after the first treatment, the height of the plants and the number and / or size of the leaves were assessed weekly. After one month, the plants were harvested. Root biomass and shoot biomass were measured.

[0209] Conclusion: Applicants indicate that at the end of the experiment (4 weeks), the coated seedlings of both species showed a higher height under water stress compared to the uncoated seedlings (control). The shoot biomass of the coated lentils was also higher than that of the uncoated lentils ( Figure 6 ).

[0210] Example 5:

[0211] From May to August 2022, the applicant's biostimulant was applied to grapevines (variety: Chasselas) in the field (Nyon; western Switzerland) for a total of eight treatments (the first three treatments: 15% concentration, the last five treatments: 7%). The test was carried out on 40 plants distributed in four plots. The grape yield (weight / vine) was then compared with that of 40 plants distributed in four plots and subjected to a conventional biological treatment. From May to August 2022, the following insecticides were applied to the plants: Opti (Bayer) and Thiovit Jet (Syngenta) were used for 8 treatments.

[0212] Conclusion: Applicants showed that plants treated with biostimulants showed higher yield (weight / vine) than plants treated with biologicals ( Figure 7 ).

[0213] Example 6:

[0214] Example of Monoester Percentage Calculation - Blending Different Products

[0215] use Calculation Examples

[0216] Sucrose ester emulsifiers are mixtures of palmitate (C16) and stearate (C18) esters, and their HLB ratio is adjusted by the percentage of monoester in the blend. For example, SP30 contains 30% monoester and 70% polyester by weight and has an HLB of 6. Another product, SP50, contains 50% monoester and 50% polyester by weight and has an HLB of 11. For a 50 / 50 w / w mixture of these two products, the final blend contains (0.5*30%) + (0.5*50%) = 40% monoester and (0.5*70%) + (0.5*50%) = 60% polyester. Therefore, the HLB value of this mixture is (0.5*6) + (0.5*11) = 8.5.

[0217] In another example, Sucrose ester emulsifiers SP30 (30% monoester and 70% polyester, HLB 6) and SP70 (30% monoester and 70% polyester, HLB 15) were mixed in a 23 / 77 w / w ratio of SP30 / SP70. The final blend weight percentages were (0.23*30%) + (0.77*70%) = 60.8% monoester and (0.23*70%) + (0.0.77*30%) = 39.2% polyester. Therefore, the HLB value of this mixture was (0.23*6) + (0.77*15) = 12.93.

[0218] use Calculation Examples

[0219] Sugar ester S-370 consists of 20 wt% monoester and 80 wt% polyester and has an HLB of 3. P-1670 consists of 80 wt% monoester and 20 wt% polyester and has an HLB of 16. A blend containing 30 / 70 w / w S-370 / S-1670 has (0.3*20%) + (0.7*80%) = 62 wt% monoester and (0.7*80%) + (0.3*20%) = 38 wt% polyester and an HLB of (0.3*3) + (0.7*16) = 12.1.

[0220] Example of calculation using CompassFood HABO MX

[0221] HABO MX T050 is composed of 25 wt% monoester and 75 wt% polyester and has an HLB of 5. HABO MXT150 is composed of 65 wt% monoester and 35 wt% polyester and has an HLB of 15. A blend containing 20 / 80 w / w MX T050 / MXT150 has (0.2*25%) + (0.8*65%) = 57 wt% monoester and (0.2*75%) + (0.8*35%) = 43 wt% polyester and an HLB of (0.2*5) + (0.8*15) = 13.

[0222] Example 7:

[0223] Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), commonly used for lawns, was sown in seed trays and placed in a climate chamber with a constant humidity (45%) and a 12-hour daytime cycle of 25°C / 12-hour nighttime cycle of 23°C. The plants were watered by adding water from the bottom of the tray. After one week, the plants were sprayed with either 5% or 15% (w / w) biostimulant or water (control). This treatment was repeated weekly to cover newly emerged leaves. Starting one week after the first treatment, plant height was assessed weekly. After 5 and 7 weeks, the plants were clipped before the coating application to simulate lawn mowing.

[0224] Conclusion: Applicants show that perennial ryegrass treated with our biostimulant grew faster than untreated plants one week after the second cut of simulated lawn mowing ( Figure 8 ).

[0225] Example 8

[0226] This test involved 18 banana plants, nine of which served as controls and nine were treated with the biostimulant according to the present invention at a 7% dilution. At the start of the experiment, all plants were of similar size, ranging from 15-20 cm in height, and randomly distributed within the treatment groups. The test was conducted in a greenhouse under controlled conditions (temperature 28°C and humidity above 80%). The biostimulant according to the present invention was applied only once to the treated plants, and the size of the new leaves was measured one week after application.

[0227] Conclusion: The applicants showed that banana trees coated with the biostimulant of the present invention grew larger leaves ( Figure 9 ).

[0228] Example 9:

[0229] The applicant's biostimulant was diluted to a 10% concentration and then sprayed onto eight strawberry seedlings under standard greenhouse conditions once a week for six weeks. From week 0 to week 6, the relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) of the coated plants was measured and compared to that of eight uncoated plants sprayed once a week. All plants were water-stressed (they were watered at half their normal water requirement). Measurements were performed using a Photosynq device.

[0230] Conclusion: The applicants showed that the biostimulant of the present invention improves the overall health of strawberry plants under water stress and the relative chlorophyll content in leaves ( Figure 10 ).

[0231] Example 10:

[0232] The applicant's biostimulant was diluted at concentrations of 5% and 10% and then sprayed on strawberry plants once a week (8 plants per treatment) for 6 weeks. The plants were grown under standard conditions in a greenhouse. From week 0 to week 6, the number of strawberries on the coated plants was measured and compared with the control plants (8 uncoated plants sprayed once a week). At the end of the experiment (week 6), the total weight of the strawberries was recorded. All plants were subjected to salt stress (watering with saline; the salt concentration was 3-4g / L).

[0233] Conclusion: The applicant showed that the biostimulant of the present invention improves the total yield of strawberry plants under salt stress conditions. In more detail, Figure 11 It was shown that at the end of the experiment (6 weeks), the total yield of the coated strawberry plants was higher than that of the uncoated plants (control).

[0234] Strawberries coated with a 5% concentration of the biostimulant weighed 26% more than the control treated with water. For plants coated with a 10% concentration of the biostimulant, the weight difference compared to the control was 20% ( Figure 11 ).

[0235] Example 11:

[0236] The applicant's biostimulant was diluted to a 10% concentration and then sprayed on strawberry seedlings (8 plants) under standard greenhouse conditions once a week for 12 weeks. At the end of the experiment (week 12), the total weight of roots and shoots (the above-ground parts of the plants) was recorded to calculate the shoot-to-root ratio for each plant and compared with the control plants (8 uncoated plants, sprayed with water once a week).

[0237] Conclusion: The applicant indicated that, by analyzing the shoot-to-root ratio, it was found that the biostimulant of the present invention promoted the growth of strawberry plants. Figure 12 The coated plants showed a higher shoot-to-root ratio than the uncoated plants (control).

[0238] Example 12:

[0239] The applicant's biostimulant was diluted to a concentration of 15% and then sprayed on potato plants (8 plants) once a week for 6 weeks, cultivated under standard conditions in the greenhouse. From week 0 to week 6, several parameters of the coated plants were measured and compared with control plants (8 uncoated plants, sprayed with water once a week). These parameters were the relative chlorophyll content of the leaves (SPAD) and the efficiency of photosystem 2 (the percentage of light used for photochemistry; Phi2). At the end of the experiment, the total weight of the potato yield was recorded. The parameters were measured using a Photosynq device. All plants were subjected to salt stress (watering with saline water with a salt concentration of 3-4 g / L).

[0240] Conclusion: The applicants showed that the biostimulants of the present invention improve the overall health and yield of potato plants under salt stress. In more detail, Figure 13 The leaves of the coated plants showed a higher relative content of chlorophyll than those of the uncoated plants; Figure 14 The coated plants were shown to use light more efficiently for photochemistry (light used by plants to obtain food). Figure 15 The results showed that at the end of the experiment, the coated potato plants had a higher yield than the uncoated plants (control). The potatoes coated with a 15% concentration of biostimulant were 20% heavier than the uncoated potatoes (control).

[0241] Example 13:

[0242] The applicant's biostimulant was diluted at 5% and 7% concentrations and sprayed on grapevine plants (8 plants per treatment) grown under standard greenhouse conditions once a week for 6 weeks. From week 0 to week 6, the efficiency of photosystem 2 (the percentage of light used for photochemistry; Phi2 determination) was measured and compared with control plants (8 uncoated plants sprayed once a week). All plants were subjected to salt stress (watering with saline at a concentration of 3-4 g / L).

[0243] Conclusion: Applicants indicate that the biostimulants of the present invention promote the overall health of potato plants as determined by analysis of the efficiency of photosystem 2. In more detail, Figure 16 It showed that after six weeks of treatment, the coated plants used light for photochemistry (useful light for the plant to make food) more efficiently.

[0244] Example 14:

[0245] From May to August 2023, grapevines (variety: Chasselas) were treated with the applicant's biostimulant in the field (Nyon; western Switzerland) a total of eight times (eight treatments at a 7% concentration). The test was conducted on 40 plants distributed across four plots. The experiment compared the amount of abscisic acid (a plant hormone) in the treated leaves with that in untreated leaves (control, untreated). Abscisic acid (ABA) is responsible for plant developmental processes, controlling organ size and stomatal closure; it is particularly important for plant responses to environmental stresses such as water stress (see Encyclopedia of Hormones, 2003; Finkelstein, 2013). More information about ABA: ABA is synthesized in mesophyll and guard cells, usually in small amounts. The ABA hormone appears to constitute a first line of defense against water loss. Under moderate water stress, ABA stored in chloroplasts is released into guard cells, causing them to close. During drought periods, vineyards respond to soil drying by producing the hormone ABA in the roots and transporting it to the leaves via xylem vessels (see Anatomie et Physiologie, Lavigne, Zufferey et al., 2022).

[0246] Conclusion: The applicants showed that plants treated with the biostimulants of the present invention showed lower amounts of ABA ( Figure 17 This means that the coated plants need to produce less ABA than uncoated plants; therefore, they are more tolerant to moments of water stress.

[0247] Example 15:

[0248] Applicant's biostimulant was diluted at 5% and 15% concentrations and then sprayed on tomato plants cultivated under standard conditions in a greenhouse (24 plants for 5% and 24 plants for 15% biostimulant solution), once a week for 15 weeks. At the end of the experiment (15thweek), the total weight of the tomato production was recorded.

[0249] Conclusion: Applicant notes that the biostimulant of the invention increases the total production of tomato plants. In more detail, Figure 17 It appears that at the end of the experiment (15thweek), the total production of the coated tomato plants is higher than the uncoated plants (control).

[0250] Strawberries coated with a biostimulant at a concentration of 5% weighed 17% more than the control with water. Those coated with a biostimulant at a concentration of 15% weighed 15% more than the control.

[0251] Example 16:

[0252] From May to September 2023, Applicant used 8 plots in total in the field (Nyon; western Switzerland) to test its biostimulant on grapevines (variety: Chasselas) (8 treatments at a concentration of 7%). The test was performed on 40 plants distributed over 4 plots. This experiment compared the amount of different plant hormones (salicylic acid, abscisic acid and jasmonic acid) in coated leaves versus uncoated leaves (control, untreated). All these hormones play a role in combating abiotic and biotic stress. Two types of leaves were chosen, namely young leaves and old leaves. In addition, the productivity of the plants treated with the biostimulant was compared to the control plants.

[0253] Conclusion: Applicant notes that the plants treated with the biostimulant of the invention show a lower amount of plant hormones Figure 19 ) than the uncoated plants (control). This means that the coated plants are overall less stressed and therefore need to produce less plant hormones and can better cope with water stress compared to the uncoated plants. In addition, the productivity of the treated plants is higher than the untreated plants (average grape production per plot of 17.0 kg for the treated plants versus 5.6 kg for the untreated plants; Figure 20 ).

[0254] Example 17:

[0255] Nine strawberry plants were sprayed with the applicant's biostimulant and grown under standard greenhouse conditions once a week for four weeks. The relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) of the leaves of the coated plants was measured from week 0 to week 4 and compared to plants treated with a Decco solution (nine plants, sprayed weekly with Decco paint) and a sucrose ester. The Decco solution is disclosed in WO 2019 / 058211 A1 (DECCO WORLDWIDE POST HARVEST HOLDINGS BV [NL]).

[0256] Preparation of formulations according to WO 2019 / 058211 A1 – Decco

[0257] To compare the applicant's formulation with the formulation described in Decco's patent application WO 2019 / 058211 A1, the applicant followed the formulation described in Table 4 of that patent application.

[0258] Soy lecithin………………………………10%

[0259] Polysorbate 80……………………………………4%

[0260] Sorbitan ester 80………………………………0.5%

[0261] Water……………………………………………………qs

[0262] Briefly, 20 g of polysorbate 80 (from Sigma Aldrich) was added to 80) and 2.5 g sorbitan ester 80 (from Sigma Aldrich 80) was dissolved in 427.5 g of distilled water to prepare the formulation. The solution was stirred evenly at room temperature using a magnetic stirrer. Then, 50 g of soy lecithin (from SoleilVie) was added and the formulation was further stirred until a final uniform solution was obtained. This formulation is referred to as a "Decco product" in the examples. Subsequently, all plants were subjected to salt stress (watering the plants with saline solutions having a salt concentration of 3-4 g / L). At the end of the four weeks, the total number of strawberry flowers was counted and the differences between the different treatments were compared.

[0263] Conclusion: The applicant showed that the biostimulant of the present invention improves the overall health of strawberry plants and the number of flowers under salt stress. In more detail, Figure 21 The results show that the leaves of the plants coated with the biostimulant had a higher relative content of chlorophyll than the leaves of the plants coated with the Decco solution. Figure 22 shows that the average number of flowers of the plants coated with the biostimulant was higher than that of the Decco solution and the solution containing only sucrose esters.

[0264] 参考文献

[0265] Schindelin,J.;Arganda-Carreras,I.&Frise,E.et al.(2012)Fiji:an open-source platform for biological-image analysis,Nature methods 9(7):676-682.

Claims

1. A use of an edible coating emulsion, wherein the edible coating emulsion is a combination of: natural vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, rapeseed, safflower, castor, coconut, grapeseed, hazelnut, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut, or mixtures thereof; a mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of sucrose monoesters and sucrose polyesters, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoesters to sucrose polyesters is from 25% to 70% by weight of each of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the mixture of nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers of 5 to 15; and the rest is water; As a biostimulant for pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants, the crops or cultivated plants are selected from the list consisting of cereals, fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, grasses and seeds, characterized in that, The plant biostimulant for pre-harvest crops or cultivated plants is to promote: sexual or asexual reproduction; improved stress resistance consisting of drought stress and salt stress; plant growth, wherein plant growth includes increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturity and combinations thereof.

2. The use of the edible coating emulsion according to claim 1, characterized in that The natural vegetable oil is a cold pressed oil and corresponds to a mixture of two natural vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of rapeseed and sunflower.

3. The use of the edible coating emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that The percentage of sucrose monoester to sucrose polyester was 60% of the total weight of the mixture of sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of 13.

4. Use of an edible coating emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers constitutes 7% w / w to 15% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion.

5. Use of the edible coating emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consists of two non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, which are mixed palmitic acid ester and stearic acid ester SP70 and SP30.

6. Use of an edible coating emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consists of a mixture of 25 wt% monoester and 75 wt% polyester and has a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of 5, and wherein the fatty acid consists essentially of stearic acid (C18).

7. Use of the edible coating emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the edible coating emulsion is a microemulsion having an average particle size distribution of oil droplets in the coating emulsion of about 20 microns in diameter and preferably 2 to 5 microns.

8. Use of an edible coating emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the natural vegetable oil comprises 6% w / w to 12% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion.

9. The use of the edible coating emulsion according to claim 8, wherein the natural vegetable oil accounts for 9% of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion.

10. Use of the edible coating emulsion according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that A natural fungicide is combined with the edible coating emulsion.

11. A method for treating pre-harvest cultivated plants and / or plant seeds, said method comprising the step of applying a biofilm of a plant biostimulant in combination with: natural vegetable oils selected from the group consisting of argan, avocado, rapeseed, safflower, castor, coconut, grapeseed, hazelnut, linseed, olive, palm, peanut, pumpkin seed, sesame, sunflower and walnut, or mixtures thereof; a mixture of two nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of a sucrose monoester and a sucrose polyester, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoester to sucrose polyester is from 25% to 70% by weight of each of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the mixture of the nonionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers of 5 to 15; and the rest is water, characterized in that, The treatment with the plant biostimulant is intended to promote: Sexual or asexual reproduction; improved stress resistance consisting of drought stress, salt stress; plant growth, wherein the plant growth can be increased yield, increased root length, increased shoot growth, early maturity and combinations thereof compared to plants not receiving an agriculturally effective amount of said plant biostimulant.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the treating comprises contacting at least a portion of the pre-harvest cultivated plants and / or plant seeds with the plant biostimulant.

13. The method according to any one of claims 11-12, wherein the pre-harvest cultivated plants and / or plant seeds are contacted with the plant biostimulant for at least 10 hours and / or at most 14 hours.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the treatment is performed before a stress event occurs to the pre-harvest cultivated plants and / or plant seeds.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the stress event is cold stress, heat stress, drought stress and salt stress.

16. The method according to any one of claims 14-15, wherein the treatment is performed at least 24 hours and at most 48 hours before the stress event.

17. A plant non-biological biostimulant for pre-harvest treatment of crops or cultivated plants, the plant biostimulant being an edible coating emulsion in the form of oil-in-water (O / W), which is a combination of the following ingredients: - a natural or non-synthetic vegetable oil selected from the group consisting of rapeseed and sunflower, wherein the natural vegetable oil represents from 6% w / w to 12% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion; a mixture of two non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers consisting of a sucrose monoester and a sucrose polyester, wherein the percentage of sucrose monoester to sucrose polyester is from 25% to 70% by weight of each of the non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers, corresponding to a final hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers of from 5 to 15 and wherein the mixture of non-ionic sucrose fatty acid ester emulsifiers represents from 7% w / w to 15% w / w of the total weight of the edible coating emulsion; The relative percentages of the ingredients are selected within respective ranges with the remainder being water such that their sum totals 100% of the edible coating emulsion.

18. The plant biostimulant for pre-harvest abiotic treatment according to claim 17, wherein the fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of stearic acid (C18) and palmitic acid (C16) or a mixture thereof.

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