Microbial Formulation for Soil Nutrient Solubilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural practices face challenges in efficiently increasing plant nutrient availability and enhancing crop yields, particularly in broadacre crops and specialty crops, while reducing fertilizer consumption and improving drought tolerance and stress resilience.
Innovation Solution
An agricultural formulation comprising one or more bacterial cells, such as phosphate solubilizing bacteria or nitrogen fixing bacteria, combined with a compound of Formula (1) or its salts, solvates, or tautomers, which enhances nutrient availability and microbial activity in the soil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional fertilizer application methods are used, then crop yields can be maintained, but fertilizer consumption is high and nutrient availability is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a microbial intermediary (bacteria or fungi) that mediates between fertilizer application and plant nutrient uptake. These microorganisms solubilize insoluble phosphates and facilitate nitrogen fixation, acting as a biological bridge that enhances nutrient availability without requiring proportional increases in fertilizer application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical and biological parameters of the soil environment by introducing microbial agents that alter phosphate solubility and nitrogen availability. This transforms the nutrient availability parameters without changing the total fertilizer input, thereby improving efficiency and reducing waste.
2Quantity of substance
If more fertilizer is applied to increase nutrient availability, then plant growth improves, but environmental pollution and resource waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The microbial agents introduced in the patent provide self-service by naturally solubilizing phosphates and fixing nitrogen through their metabolic processes. This biological self-service mechanism increases nutrient availability without requiring additional fertilizer input, thereby avoiding the environmental pollution associated with excessive fertilizer application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of immobilized phosphates and fixed nitrogen into beneficial forms through microbial action. Insoluble phosphates are transformed into soluble forms, and atmospheric nitrogen is converted into plant-available forms, turning previously unavailable or excessive nutrients into useful resources without environmental harm.
3Productivity
If microbial inoculants are applied to enhance nutrient availability, then plant growth improves, but the formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the microbial inoculants with carrier materials or formulation adjuvants to create a unified agricultural composition. This combining approach simplifies application while maintaining the beneficial effects of the microorganisms, reducing the perceived complexity by integrating multiple functions into a single product.
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
The formulation significantly increases phosphate and nitrogen availability in the soil, leading to improved plant growth, increased crop yields, and enhanced drought tolerance and stress resilience in plants.
Implementation Method 1
one or more bacterial cells, such as phosphate solubilizing bacteria or nitrogen fixing bacteria
Implementation Method 2
one or more bacterial cells, such as phosphate solubilizing bacteria or nitrogen fixing bacteria
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are compounds, salts, solvates of Formula (1), and any formulation thereof. Also disclosed are methods of increasing soil nutrient availability to a plant by contacting a plant or soil with compounds, salts, solvates of Formula (1), or any formulation thereof. The compounds and methods disclosed herein may increase an amount of nitrogen or soluble phosphate in a soil.