Microbial Root Colonization for Herbicide Tolerance in Non-GMO Crops

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for imbuing herbicide resistance in plants, such as GMO crops, face challenges with reduced efficacy due to gene transfer to weed populations and the development of resistant weed species, and require the use of paired herbicides, which can lead to inefficiencies in chemical weed control.

Innovation Solution

The use of microbial agents like Trichoderma and Bacillus strains to colonize plant roots, upregulating the Reactive Oxygen Cycling pathway, allowing plants to mitigate the effects of herbicides like paraquat without genetic modification, thereby enhancing herbicide tolerance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If GMO crops are used to achieve herbicide resistance, then plant resistance to herbicides is improved, but gene transfer to weed populations occurs leading to reduced efficacy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveherbicide resistanceVSAvoidgene transfer to weeds

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses microbial agents (Trichoderma and Bacillus strains) as intermediaries to induce herbicide resistance in plants. These microbes colonize plant roots and upregulate the ROS cycling pathway, creating a protective effect against herbicides without requiring genetic modification of the plant itself. This mediator approach transfers the resistance mechanism from the plant genome to a microbial-plant interaction system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the genetic engineering mechanism (GMO) with a biochemical mechanism. Instead of inserting resistance genes into plant DNA, the invention uses microbial colonization to upregulate endogenous ROS cycling genes, substituting a mechanical/genetic system with a biochemical signaling system that achieves the same protective effect.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If paired herbicides are used to maintain herbicide efficacy, then weed control effectiveness is improved, but chemical weed control efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweed control effectivenessVSAvoidchemical weed control efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of plant physiology by upregulating the ROS cycling pathway through microbial colonization. This physiological change allows plants to tolerate herbicides that would normally be effective against weeds, enabling the use of single herbicides to maintain efficacy against weed populations while treated crops remain protected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If microbial agents upregulate ROS cycling pathway, then herbicide tolerance is improved, but plant susceptibility to oxidative stress worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveherbicide toleranceVSAvoidoxidative damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of ROS (reactive oxygen species) into a beneficial protective mechanism. By upregulating the ROS cycling pathway through microbial colonization, plants develop enhanced capacity to manage and cycle ROS, transforming what would be damaging oxidative stress into a controlled physiological process that provides herbicide tolerance while protecting against oxidative damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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

This approach enables non-GMO plants to develop herbicide tolerance, reducing the transfer of resistance genes to weeds and improving the effectiveness of herbicides, while also enhancing plant performance and stress resistance.

Implementation Method 1

microbial agents like Trichoderma and Bacillus strains to colonize plant roots, upregulating the Reactive Oxygen Cycling pathway

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGene expression upregulation:

Implementation Method 2

upregulating the Reactive Oxygen Cycling pathway, allowing plants to mitigate the effects of herbicides like paraquat

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectROS cycling: Oxidation

Data Source

PatentUS20200345002A1Compositions and methods for inducing crop changes by leveraging the effects of an applied agricultural chemical

Publication Date: 2020.11.05 AGRAUXINE CORP

AI summary

The present disclosure relates generally to compositions, methods and systems entailing one or more microbial agents' or their derivatives being applied to crop plants such that changes in. plant gene expression are induced that either mitigate or leverage the effects of an applied agricultural chemical including induction of herbicide resistance on an otherwise herbicide susceptible plant. The present disclosure allows for the use of. non-GMO plants in combination with microbial agents or derivatives that signal the plant to combat the effects of the herbicide. Thus, possible transfer of herbicide. resistance genes to weed populations is. elini&tated. and the use of different microbe-herbicide combinations an sequential crops, resulting in the ability to improve the usefulness of a given herbicide.