Microbial Inoculant Strains for Plant Productivity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional chemical fertilizers are expensive, hazardous, and environmentally damaging, while existing biofertilizers often fail to effectively promote plant growth and compete with native soil flora, requiring impractically large volumes of inoculum.

Innovation Solution

A microbial inoculant comprising strains of Lactobacillus parafarraginis, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus rapi, Lactobacillus zeae, Acetobacter fabarum, and Candida ethanolica, which can be used alone or in combination, optionally encapsulated, to enhance plant growth and soil quality, potentially combined with additional components like humic substances and nutrients.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional chemical fertilizers are used to enhance plant production, then plant productivity is improved, but environmental harm and production cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplant productivityVSAvoidenvironmental harm

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from chemical fertilizer parameters (inorganic compounds) to biological parameters (live microorganisms), fundamentally changing the mode of nutrient delivery while eliminating environmental harm associated with chemical runoff and contamination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs readily available food waste materials (fruit and vegetable scraps) as substrate for cultivating the probiotic microorganisms, converting low-value organic waste into effective biofertilizer at minimal cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If existing biofertilizers are used to promote plant growth, then environmental safety is improved, but efficacy and competitiveness with native soil flora deteriorate, requiring large inoculum volumes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental safetyVSAvoidplant growth promotion efficacy

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite biofertilizer system combining multiple probiotic bacterial strains (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus species) that work synergistically to overcome limitations of single-strain biofertilizers, enhancing both competitiveness and efficacy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses food waste-derived organic substrate as an intermediary carrier that protects and sustains the probiotic microorganisms in the soil environment, facilitating their survival and effectiveness without requiring large inoculum volumes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11858869B2Methods of increasing plant growth and/or productivity using microbial inoculants and fertilizer compositions

Publication Date: 2024.01.02 INT MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS

AI summary

Provided herein are methods for increasing plant growth, plant productivity and/or soil quality using microbial fertilizers comprising Lactobacillus parafarraginis, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus rapi, Lactobacillus zeae, Acetobacter fabarum and Candida ethanolica.