MTU–Nitrogen Enhancer Combinations for Nitrogen-Efficient Plant Growth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural practices face challenges in maximizing nitrogen utilization by plants while minimizing environmental leakage and enhancing plant growth, stress resistance, and yield with reduced agrochemical use.
Innovation Solution
A combination of 1-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-(1,2,3-thiadiazol-5yl)urea (MTU) with selected nitrogen utilization enhancers such as phosphite, glutamine, or microorganisms like Azotobacter vinelandii, applied synergistically to enhance plant growth and yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If nitrogen fertilizer is extensively applied to achieve rapid plant growth and yield maximization, then plant growth and yield are improved, but production costs increase and environmental pollution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines MTU (a plant growth regulator) with nitrogen utilization enhancers (such as amino acids, nucleotides, or microorganisms) into a single composition. This merging allows the composition to both stimulate plant growth through MTU and improve nitrogen uptake efficiency through the enhancers, thereby reducing the need for excessive nitrogen fertilizer application while maintaining high productivity and minimizing environmental pollution.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite formulation integrating multiple functional components: MTU as the active growth-regulating agent, nitrogen utilization enhancers (such as pyroglutamic acid, proline, γ-PGA, or nitrogen-fixing microorganisms), and auxiliary substances. This composite material works synergistically to enhance both growth rate and nitrogen use efficiency, allowing reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates while achieving target yields and reducing nitrogen loss to the environment.
2Loss of substance
If nitrogen fertilizer application is reduced to minimize environmental pollution and production costs, then environmental impact and costs decrease, but plant growth speed and yield may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges MTU's growth-promoting action with nitrogen utilization enhancers' ability to improve nitrogen uptake and metabolism. This combination compensates for reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates by enhancing the plant's efficiency in utilizing available nitrogen, thereby maintaining growth speed and yield while reducing nitrogen leakage to the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physiological parameters of nitrogen metabolism in plants through the action of nitrogen utilization enhancers. These enhancers modify enzyme activities, transport mechanisms, and metabolic pathways related to nitrogen assimilation, thereby improving nitrogen use efficiency and maintaining productivity even when external nitrogen supply is reduced.
3Ease of operation
If conventional single-substance treatments are used to simplify application, then ease of operation is improved, but the synergistic effect on nitrogen utilization and growth is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple active ingredients (MTU and nitrogen utilization enhancers) into a single integrated composition that can be applied in one treatment. This merging maintains ease of operation comparable to single-substance applications while delivering synergistic effects that significantly enhance nitrogen utilization efficiency and plant growth beyond what either substance could achieve alone.
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 combination demonstrates enhanced plant growth, stress resistance, improved quality traits, and increased yield, with a synergistic effect beyond the sum of individual components.
Implementation Method 1
The nitrogen absorption by plants is limited by the capacity of the plant nitrogen-metabolism cycle
Implementation Method 2
PCA can be converted to glutamate (Mazelis M, Pratt HM. 1976. In vivo conversion of 5-oxoproline to glutamate by higher plants. Plant Physiology 57: 85-87)
Implementation Method 3
Proline can also be converted to glutamine in plants thus improving nitrogen utilization
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
AI summary
The present invention relates to a combination for improving plant growth and/or yield comprising 1-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-(1,2,3-thiadiazol-5yl)urea and at least one nitrogen assimilation enhancer, selected from the group consisting of phosphite, glutamine, glutamate, glycine, glycine betaine, 2-oxoglutarate, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, aspartate, proline, pyroglutamic acid, γ-aminobutyric acid, poly-γ-(glutamic acid), poly(aspartic acid), poly(glutamic acid), diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate, N-acetyl thiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid, thiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid, microorganisms selected from the group comprising Azotobacter vinelandii, Azospirillum brasilense, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus polymyxa, Bacillus megaterium, Azorhizobium caulinodens, Azoarcus indigens, and Bacillus sp., phosphobacteria, Streptomyces spp. The invention further relates to formulations comprising such combination and to methods of increasing plant growth, stress resistance, and yields.