Microbial Strains for Plant Growth and Pathogen Suppression

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a lack of efficient screening and selection procedures for obtaining microbial strains and consortia that enhance plant growth and yield, as well as for suppressing plant pathogens, which hinders the development and deployment of plant growth-promoting microbes in agriculture.

Innovation Solution

The development of new microbial strains and compositions, including isolated and enriched cultures of PGPMs with specific 16S rRNA gene sequences, and synthetic microbial consortia that promote plant health, growth, and yield, along with methods for treating seeds and plants to establish these microbes as endophytes, thereby enhancing plant growth and suppressing pathogens.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional screening and selection procedures are used for obtaining microbial strains, then the process is simple and familiar, but the efficiency of obtaining plant growth-promoting strains is low

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of obtaining PGPM strainsVSAvoidcomplexity of screening and selection procedures

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-characterizing microbial strains for multiple plant health benefits (growth promotion, pathogen suppression, stress tolerance) before field application. The screening procedures identify strains with confirmed multiple functionalities in advance, ensuring that selected strains are pre-validated for their intended purposes, thereby improving the efficiency of obtaining effective PGPM strains.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If microbial strains are inoculated to promote plant growth and suppress pathogens, then plant health and yield are improved, but the complexity of selecting effective strains increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeffectiveness of plant growth promotion and pathogen suppressionVSAvoidcomplexity of strain selection methods

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by selecting microbial strains that provide multiple plant health benefits simultaneously - growth promotion through phytohormone production, pathogen suppression through antibiotic production and competition, and stress tolerance enhancement. This multi-functional approach ensures reliable plant health improvement while streamlining the selection process by targeting strains with broad-spectrum effectiveness rather than single-function strains.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used to enhance plant growth and protect against pathogens, then plant yield and health are improved, but environmental contamination and food safety concerns increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplant health and yieldVSAvoidenvironmental contamination and food safety issues

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies blessing in disguise by using biological agents (microbial strains) that naturally produce substances previously obtained only through chemical synthesis. The microbes produce phytohormones for growth promotion, antibiotics for pathogen suppression, and other metabolites for stress tolerance - converting biological processes into beneficial agricultural outcomes that replace harmful chemical inputs with environmentally friendly biological alternatives.

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

These microbial strains and consortia effectively enhance plant health, growth, and yield, while providing a biological solution to reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, thereby improving agricultural practices.

Implementation Method 1

some PGPMs produce the enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, which hydrolyses 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC), the immediate precursor of ethylene in plants

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 2

production of phytohormones such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhytohormone production:

Implementation Method 3

increased mineral nutrient solubilization and nitrogen fixation (i.e., making nutrients more available for the plant)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNitrogen fixation:

Implementation Method 4

repression of soilborne pathogens (e.g., by the production of hydrogen cyanide, siderophores, antibiotics, and/or competition for nutrients)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAntibiotic production:

Data Source

PatentUS11629328B2Plant growth-promoting microbes, compositions, and uses

Publication Date: 2023.04.18 DEAD SEA WORKS LTD

AI summary

The present application relates to plant growth promoting microbes (PGPMs), compositions comprising these PGPMs and methods of using these PGPMs and/or compositions for enhancing plant health, plant growth and/or plant yield, and/or for preventing, inhibiting, or treating the development of plant pathogens or the development of phytopathogenic diseases. This application also provides non-naturally occurring plant varieties that are artificially infected with a PGPM descried herein, as well as seed, reproductive tissue, vegetative tissue, regenerative tissues, plant parts, or progeny thereof.