Biomass compositions for increasing sweetness of fruit and methods therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10645937-B2
Application number	US-201816004721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2018
Priority date	Nov 10, 2017
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

Biomass compositions and methods for increasing sweetness of fruit of a fruiting plant by administering to the fruiting plant, seedling, or seed, a liquid composition treatment comprising a culture of microalgae cells are disclosed. The liquid composition may comprise pasteurized Chlorella cells only, Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells only, or a combination of Chlorella and Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells that are pasteurized at a temperature between 65° C.-90° C. The administration may comprise contacting soil in the immediate vicinity of the fruiting plant, seedling, or seed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of increasing sweetness of fruit of a fruiting plant comprising the step of administering to the fruiting plant, seedling, or seed a liquid composition treatment comprising a culture of microalgae, the microalgae comprising at least one of pasteurized Chlorella cells and pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells in an effective amount to increase total dissolved sugars in the fruit of a population of such fruiting plants compared to a substantially identical population of untreated fruiting plants, and wherein the microalgae is pasteurized at a temperature ranging from 50° C. up to 90° C.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein administering comprises contacting soil in the immediate vicinity of the fruiting plant, seedling, or seed with an effective amount of the liquid composition treatment.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the liquid composition is administered at a rate in the range of 0.25-2 gal/acre.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the liquid composition comprises between 100 g-800 g per acre of the at least one of the pasteurized Chlorella cells and the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the liquid composition is administered at a rate in the range of 9 ml-150 ml per gallon.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the liquid composition comprises between 0.95 g-15 g per gallon of the pasteurized Chlorella cells only.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid composition treatment further comprises phosphoric acid and potassium sorbate.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid composition treatment further comprises citric acid.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the pasteurized Chlorella cells being administered are pasteurized at a temperature in the range of 65° C.-90° C. and the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells being administered are pasteurized at a temperature in the range of 65° C.-75° C.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the pasteurized Chlorella cells and the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells being administered are pasteurized for between 90-150 minutes.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the sweetness of the fruit is increased by 2-32% compared to fruit of a substantially identical population of untreated fruiting plants.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells being administered have been subjected to an extraction process to remove oils from the Aurantiochytrium cells.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid composition comprises the pasteurized Chlorella cells and the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells in a ratio of one of 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells are pasteurized Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells.

15. A method of increasing sweetness of fruit of a fruiting plant comprising the step of administering to the fruiting plant, seedling, or seed a liquid composition treatment comprising a culture of microalgae, the microalgae comprising at least one of pasteurized Chlorella cells and pasteurized Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells in an effective amount to increase total dissolved sugars in the fruit of a population of such fruiting plants by compared to fruit of a substantially identical population of untreated fruiting plants, wherein administering comprises contacting soil in the immediate vicinity of the fruiting plant, seedling, or seed with an effective amount of the liquid composition treatment by drip irrigation, and wherein the microalgae is pasteurized at a temperature ranging from 50° C. up to 90° C.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the liquid composition comprises the pasteurized Chlorella cells and the Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells in a ratio of one of 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells being administered have been subjected to an extraction process to remove oils from the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the liquid composition comprises between 0.95 g-15 g per gallon of the at least one of the pasteurized Chlorella cells and the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells.

19. A method of increasing sweetness of fruit of a fruiting plant comprising the steps of:
providing a liquid composition treatment comprising a culture of microalgae, the microalgae comprising at least one of pasteurized Chlorella cells and pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells;
diluting the liquid composition treatment to contain between 0.95 g-15 g per gallon of the at least one of pasteurized Chlorella cells and pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells; and
administering the liquid composition treatment to a fruiting plant, seedling, or seed in an effective amount to increase total dissolved sugars in the fruit of a population of such fruiting plants compared to a substantially identical population of untreated fruiting plants, and wherein the microalgae is pasteurized at a temperature ranging from 50° C. up to 90° C.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the liquid composition is administered by contacting soil in the immediate vicinity of the fruiting plant, seedling, or seed with an effective amount of the liquid composition treatment.

Assignees

• Heliae Dev Llc

Inventors

• Carney Laura
• Miller Michael
• Rial Amy
• Mcgurrin Kelsey

Classifications

• A01G7/06

  Treatment of growing trees or plants, e.g. for preventing decay of wood, for tingeing flowers or wood, for prolonging the life of plants · CPC title

• A01G22/05

  Fruit crops, e.g. strawberries, tomatoes or cucumbers · CPC title

• A01N25/02

  containing liquids as carriers, diluents or solvents · CPC title

• A01N65/03

  Algae · CPC title

• A01N63/00 Primary

  Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing microorganisms, viruses, microbial fungi, animals or substances produced by, or obtained from, microorganisms, viruses, microbial fungi or animals, e.g. enzymes or fermentates (containing compounds of determined constitution A01N27/00 - A01N59/00; unicellular algae A01N65/03) · CPC title