Biomass compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10701941-B2
Application number	US-201816185652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2018
Priority date	Nov 10, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to agriculture and, more specifically, to biomass compositions and methods for decreasing bruising, increasing plant health, increasing soil health, increasing sweetness in fruits and/or decreasing needle-drop in conifer species.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of enhancing a characteristic in a plant comprising the step of administering to the 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 amount effective to enhance at least one characteristic of a plant compared to a substantially identical untreated plant, wherein the characteristic is selected from improved shelf life, increased water retention, and diminished needle-drop, 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 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 gallons/acre.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the liquid composition is administered at an application rate between 100 g-800 g per acre of at least one of the pasteurized Chlorella cells and the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the contacting comprises a drip irrigation system and/or process.

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

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

8. 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 acetophilum HS399 cells are pasteurized at a temperature in the range of 65° C.-75° C.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the pasteurized Chlorella cells and the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells being administered are pasteurized for between 90-150 minutes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid composition is administered in an amount effective amount to improve shelf life of the fruit of the plant compared to fruit of a substantially identical untreated plant.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid composition is administered in an amount effective to increase water retention of the fruit of the plant by at least 5% compared to fruit of a substantially identical untreated plant.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid composition is administered in an effective amount to reduce needle-drop of the plant by at least 5% compared to a substantially identical untreated plant.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the liquid composition comprises the pasteurized Chlorella cells and the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells in a ratio of 25:75.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells being administered have been subjected to an extraction process to remove oils from the Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells.

15. A method of enhancing a characteristic in a plant comprising the step of administering to the 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 amount effective to enhance at least one characteristic of a plant compared to a substantially identical untreated plant, wherein the characteristic is selected from improved shelf life, increased water retention, and diminished needle-drop, and wherein the microalgae is pasteurized at a temperature ranging from 50° C. up to 90° C.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein administering comprises contacting soil in the immediate vicinity of the plant, seedling, or seed with an effective amount of the liquid composition treatment.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the liquid composition is administered at a rate in the range of 0.25-2 gallons/acre.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the liquid composition is administered at an application rate between 100 g-800 g per acre of at least one of the pasteurized Chlorella cells and the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells.

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

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the pasteurized Aurantiochytrium cells are pasteurized Aurantiochytrium acetophilum HS399 cells.

Assignees

• Heliae Dev Llc

Inventors

• Carney Laura
• Miller Michael
• Rial Amy
• Osgood Connor

Classifications

• A01N65/03 Primary

  Algae · CPC title

• A01H3/00

  Processes for modifying phenotypes {, e.g. symbiosis with bacteria} (A01H4/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01N61/00

  Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing substances of unknown or undetermined composition, e.g. substances characterised only by the mode of action · CPC title

• A01H13/00

  Algae (unicellular algae C12N1/12) · CPC title

• C05F11/08

  Organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia or the like · CPC title