Chitooligosaccharides for Non-Leguminous Plant Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for stimulating plant growth using lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs) are hindered by the difficulty and expense of synthesizing large quantities due to the presence of lipid moieties, which also reduce solubility in aqueous solutions, making it challenging for scaled-up applications on seeds or plants.
Innovation Solution
The use of chitooligosaccharides (COs) lacking a lipid moiety, such as CO4 and CO8, which can be used to promote growth and development of non-leguminous plants by contacting them with a composition containing these compounds, either on plant surfaces or seeds, facilitating increased root system development and nutrient acquisition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs) with lipid moieties are used to stimulate plant growth, then plant growth promotion effect is achieved, but synthesis difficulty and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the lipid moiety from the lipochitooligosaccharide structure, retaining only the chitooligosaccharide core. This extraction eliminates the problematic lipid component that causes synthesis difficulty and high cost, while preserving the essential plant growth promotion activity through the remaining chitooligosaccharide structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the expensive and difficult-to-synthesize LCOs with simpler, cheaper chitooligosaccharides that can be produced more readily. The simplified CO structure serves as an effective alternative that achieves the same biological function at lower cost and with easier manufacturing.
2Reliability
If lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs) with lipid moieties are used to stimulate plant growth, then plant growth promotion effect is achieved, but solubility in aqueous solutions decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The lipid moiety is removed from the LCO structure, eliminating the hydrophobic component that reduces solubility. The resulting chitooligosaccharide is inherently more soluble in aqueous solutions, facilitating easier application to seeds and plants while maintaining the plant growth promotion effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by removing the lipid component, thereby altering the solubility characteristics of the molecule. This parameter change transforms the compound from poorly soluble (due to lipid content) to highly soluble in water, enabling practical agricultural applications.
3Ease of operation
If chitooligosaccharides (COs) lacking lipid moiety are used, then solubility in aqueous solutions improves, but synthesis capability for large quantities becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes chitooligosaccharides that can be derived from naturally occurring chitin sources through relatively simple degradation processes. This self-service approach allows for easier large-scale production compared to the complex synthetic pathways required for LCOs, enabling practical quantitation for agricultural use.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
COs like CO4 and CO8 effectively stimulate plant growth by activating symbiotic signaling pathways, enhancing root system development, and increasing nutrient acquisition in non-leguminous plants like rice, wheat, and corn, without the solubility issues associated with lipid-containing LCOs.
Implementation Method 1
COs like CO4 and CO8 effectively stimulate plant growth by activating symbiotic signaling pathways
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for stimulating the growth of non-leguminous plants are disclosed. In the methods, a non-leguminous plant, a part thereof, or a seedling or seed thereof is contacted with a composition comprising a chitooligosaccharide (CO) having the formula:R1 is —H, —CH3, —COCH3, —SO3H, —SO3Na, arabinose, methylated arabinose, fucose, or methylated fucose; R2 is —H, —CH3, —COCH3, —SO3H, —SO3Na, arabinose, methylated arabinose, fucose, or methylated fucose; each R3 is independently —H or —COCH3; and n is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. As non-limiting examples, the method can be used to stimulate production and yield in a cereal grain crop plant, such as rice, wheat or corn (maize).