Composition for improving sugar content of plant, method for producing sugar content-improved plant body, method for improving sugar content of plant, and culture medium composition having action of improving sugar content of plant

Abstract

To provide a composition for improving a sugar content of a plant, a method for producing a sugar content-improved plant body, a method for improving a sugar content of a plant, and a culture medium composition for cultivation having a sugar content-improving action of a plant.SOLUTION: A method for producing a sugar content-improved plant body including applying at least one of glycolic acid, a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof to a plant, a method for improving a sugar content of a plant including applying at least one of glycolic acid, a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof to a plant, and a culture medium composition having an action of improving a sugar content of a plant, to which at least one of glycolic acid, a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof is artificially added.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for improving the sugar content of plants. [Background technology]

[0002] Techniques for improving sugar content (Brix) are important for plants, especially for food and beverage plants. However, low-temperature treatment, moisture control, and reduced nitrogen application techniques that improve sugar content reduce growth rate and yield (e.g., Non-Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3), and no effective techniques have been found that can improve sugar content without significantly reducing these.

[0003] Incidentally, glycolic acid and its salts are known as additives for agricultural materials (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2), but their Brix-improving effect on harvested crops is not known. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-5336348 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 7-508978 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Tamura, A. (1999). "Effects of low temperature treatment under low solar radiation on sugar and ascorbic acid contents of komatsuna (Brassica campestris L.)." Journal of the Japanese Society of Horticulture, 68(2), 409-413. [Non-patent document 2] Araki, Y., Kenmochi, K., Hamano, M., and Yamada, J. (2001) "Effects of groundwater level control on the growth and quality of spinach," Journal of the National Agriculture Research Center, 34, 1-16. [Non-patent document 3] Kirimura, S., Kondo, K., Nakata, N., Yamaguchi, T., Washima, T., and Matsuzoe, N. (2015) "Effects of cessation of fertilizer supply before harvest on growth, nitrate concentration, and total sugar content of hydroponic Mizuna (L.)," Plant Environmental Engineering, 27(3), 144-151. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a composition for improving the sugar content of a plant, a method for producing a plant with an improved sugar content, a method for improving the sugar content of a plant, and a cultivation medium composition that has the effect of improving the sugar content of a plant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors have conducted extensive research into methods for improving the sugar content of plants, particularly methods for improving sugar content without significantly reducing yield, despite the conventional common technical knowledge that there is a trade-off between improving yield and improving sugar content. Specifically, as a result of conducting multi-omics analysis of plants, the inventors have found that applying glycolic acid or a salt or solvate thereof to plants improves the sugar content (Brix) of the plants without significantly reducing the yield of the plants, thereby completing the present invention.

[0008] The means for solving the above problems are as follows. [1] A composition for increasing the sugar content of a plant, comprising at least one of glycolic acid, a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof as an active ingredient. [2] The composition containing 0.005 to 10% by weight of the active ingredient. [3] The composition, wherein the plant is a plant used for food or beverage. [4] The composition, wherein the plant is a Brassicaceae plant. [5] A method for producing a plant with improved sugar content, comprising applying glycolic acid or at least one of its salts or solvates to a plant. [6] A method for increasing the sugar content of a plant, comprising applying glycolic acid or at least one of its salts or solvates to the plant. [7] A cultivation medium composition having the effect of increasing the sugar content of plants, to which glycolic acid or at least one of its salts or solvates has been artificially added. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the sugar content (Brix) of a plant can be improved without significantly reducing the yield. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a graph showing an increase in Brix (sugar content) of komatsuna to which glycolic acid was applied. [Figure 2] 1 is a graph showing the fresh weight of komatsuna to which glycolic acid was applied. [Figure 3] 1 is a graph showing the photosynthetic rate of komatsuna to which glycolic acid was applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention will be described in detail below. In this specification, the term "sugar content" is used synonymously with "Brix value."

[0012] The present invention relates to a composition for improving the sugar content of a plant, which comprises glycolic acid or at least one of its salts or solvates as an active ingredient; a method for producing a plant with an improved sugar content, which utilizes the active ingredient; a method for improving the sugar content of a plant; and a cultivation medium composition having the effect of improving the sugar content of a plant.

[0013] The glycolic acid used as an active ingredient in the present invention is a compound represented by the following structure: [ka]

[0014] The active ingredient may be a salt of glycolic acid, which includes both hydrated and anhydrous salts, and includes salts with inorganic bases such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and aluminum; salts with organic bases such as methylamine, ethylamine, and ethanolamine; salts with basic amino acids such as lysine and ornithine; and ammonium salts.

[0015] The active ingredient may be a solvate of glycolic acid. Examples of the solvent include water and alcohols such as ethanol.

[0016] The form of the composition of the present invention is not particularly limited. It may be solid or liquid. In the form of a composition containing a medium together with the active ingredient, the medium may be a solid medium (including inorganic or organic medium, natural or non-natural medium, particulate, linear or sheet-like medium, etc.), a liquid medium (including water, one or more organic solvents, mixed solvents of water and organic solvents, etc.), or any of the following. In the embodiment where the active ingredient is mixed with a medium, the state of the active ingredient in the medium is not particularly limited, and the active ingredient may be in any state such as dissolved, dispersed, or suspended.

[0017] The composition of the present invention preferably contains at least one of glycolic acid, its salt, or its solvate in an amount of 0.001% by weight or more. For example, in a composition containing glycolic acid together with a medium, The active ingredient is preferably contained in the composition in an amount of 0.005 to 10% by weight, 0.01 to 10% by weight, or 0.01 to 1% by weight. The composition of the present invention may be applied to the target plant after dilution with a medium (e.g., water), or may be applied at the time of irrigation, as described below. The dilution ratio is, for example, several times to several hundred times. As described below, it is preferable to apply the composition so that the concentration becomes 0.01 mM or more relative to the volume in which the target plant is grown. The composition is applied in multiple doses, and the active ingredient may be adjusted to an appropriate concentration.

[0018] In the method of the present invention, the active ingredient according to the present invention is applied to the soil in which the target plant is grown so that the concentration of the active ingredient according to the present invention is 0.01 mM or more relative to the volume of the soil in which the target plant is grown. It is preferable to apply 0.03 mM or more, 0.05 mM or more, 0.07 mM or more, or 0.1 mM or more. The content of the active ingredient of the present invention in the cultivation medium composition of the present invention is also preferably within the same range.

[0019] The composition of the present invention may contain one or more ingredients other than the active ingredient that can be applied to plants. The optional ingredients can be selected from known ingredients as long as they do not inhibit the action of the active ingredient of the present invention.

[0020] The production method and sugar content-improving method of the present invention include applying the active ingredient to a plant. When applied to a plant, the active ingredient may be in a solid form (including crystals, powder, or a form mixed in a solid medium) or a liquid form (including a melt, solution in a medium, dispersion, or suspension). When applied in a solid form, it may be applied simultaneously with irrigation.

[0021] The composition or active ingredient of the present invention can be applied to plants by spraying or atomizing, using a sprayer or applicator. For large-scale application over large farms, etc., aerial spraying can be performed using a helicopter or drone.

[0022] There are no particular limitations on the plants to which the composition can be applied. It is effective for leafy vegetables, such as Brassicaceae plants (such as Komatsuna). For example, the improvement of the sugar content of leafy vegetables can be confirmed by measuring the Brix of the juice squeezed from the above-ground parts using a Brix meter. The improvement of sugar content can be determined by growing a target plant using the composition, method, etc. of the present invention and a reference plant of the same species that does not use the composition, method, etc. under the same conditions (same temperature, soil, sunlight conditions, etc.), then harvesting only the above-ground parts, squeezing the juice, and measuring the Brix meter to obtain the juice, and comparing the measured values. The Brix value of the target plant is preferably improved by 0.1 or more, 0.3 or more, 0.5 or more, or 0.7 or more compared to the Brix value of the reference plant. It may also be used on plants for food or beverages. [Example]

[0023] The present invention will be specifically explained by the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0024] In the following examples: Sugar content was measured using PAL-BX|ACID3 (manufactured by Atago Co., Ltd.). Glycolic acid was obtained from Nacalai Tesque. The artificial weather instrument used was LPH-411PFDT-SP (manufactured by Nippon Medical and Chemical Instruments Co., Ltd.). The photosynthetic rate was measured using an LI-6800 (LI-COR).

[0025] 1. Evaluation of sugar content improvement and fresh weight The sugar content-increasing effect of glycolic acid on Japanese mustard spinach (Inamura) was evaluated. Specifically, Japanese mustard spinach was sowed in lowland soil and Andosol, and then irrigated. Glycolic acid solution was mixed in with the water. The glycolic acid concentration at the time of application was 0.38% by weight (50 mM), and the amount was divided into five doses to achieve a total of 0.1 or 1.0 mM per volume of soil. Cultivation was carried out for 14 days (2022 / 1 / 27 to 2 / 10), and the cultivation conditions were maintained at a temperature of 25°C using an artificial climate machine. The temperature was kept at 50°C, humidity 50%, and light period 16 hours / dark period 6 hours. The plants were grown under the same conditions, with only fresh water being given.

[0026] After 14 days of cultivation, the above-ground parts of each Komatsuna plant were collected and the fresh weight was measured, and then the juice was squeezed out and the sugar content was measured using a Brix meter. The Brix measurement results are shown in Figure 1, and the fresh weight measurement results are shown in Figure 2. From the results shown in Figure 1, it can be seen that in both the gray lowland soil and the Andosol medium, It was observed that the application of glycolic acid improved sugar content, and it can be seen that the greater the amount of glycolic acid applied, the greater the effect. Furthermore, from the results shown in Figure 2, it can be seen that the application of glycolic acid did not cause a significant decrease in fresh weight.

[0027] 2. Evaluation of photosynthetic rate Komatsuna was cultivated for 14 days in the same manner as in the above evaluation. In the case where glycolic acid was applied, the concentration of glycolic acid at the time of application was 0.38% by weight (50 mM), and the amount of glycolic acid applied was 5 times in a total amount of 1.0 mM based on the soil volume. The photosynthetic rate of the Komatsuna leaves after 14 days of cultivation was measured using the LI-6800. The results shown in Figure 3 indicate that the application of glycolic acid increased the photosynthetic rate. I can understand that. These results suggest that the sugar content-enhancing effect of the present invention may be due to an improvement in the photosynthetic rate, and therefore it is believed that the sugar content-enhancing effect was achieved without significantly reducing the fresh weight.

Claims

1. A composition for increasing the sugar content of a plant, comprising at least one of glycolic acid, a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof as an active ingredient.

2. 2. The composition according to claim 1, containing 0.005 to 10% by weight of the active ingredient.

3. 2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the plant is a plant used for food or beverage.

4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the plant is a Brassicaceae plant.

5. A method for producing a plant with an improved sugar content, comprising applying glycolic acid, a salt thereof, or at least one of a salt thereof and a solvate thereof to the plant.

6. A method for increasing the sugar content of a plant, comprising applying at least one of glycolic acid, a salt thereof, or a solvate thereof to the plant.

7. A cultivation medium composition having the effect of increasing the sugar content of plants, to which at least one of glycolic acid, its salt, or its solvate has been artificially added.

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