Stable fungal blastospores and methods for their production, stabilization and use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889798-B2
Application number	US-201514854120-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 15, 2014
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

Described herein is a method for blastospore-based insect control products of entomopathogenic fungi including either B. bassiana or I. fumosorosea that produces high concentrations of stable, effective spores by identifying nutritional and environmental conditions required for the rapid production of high concentrations of a stable and infective yeast-like blastospore composition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insecticidal composition, comprising an agronomically acceptable carrier and desiccation-tolerant blastospores of Beauveria bassiana with greater than 60% germination when rehydrated and grown in a suitable medium after storage for more than six months at 4° C., wherein said carrier and said blastospores are contained in air-tight packaging and wherein said blastospores are produced by a method comprising the steps of:
a) inoculating a liquid culture medium comprising a carbon source and a nitrogen source with fungal propagules of Beauveria basianna , wherein said nitrogen source is present in said liquid culture medium at an initial concentration of at least 1.5% (w/v);
b) incubating said propagules under liquid culture conditions providing dissolved oxygen levels above zero and osmotic pressure greater than 0.5 MPa;
c) incubating said propagules in said liquid culture for a sufficient time to produce blastospores;
d) collecting said blastospores; and
e) drying said blastospores, thereby producing desiccation-tolerant blastospores.

2. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an oxygen scavenging compound, a moisture scavenging compound, or a combination of both.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises the step of storing the blastospores at a temperature of 4° C. or lower.

4. A method for insect control comprising applying to the site of said insects an insecticidally effective amount of the composition of claim 1 .

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said carbon source is glucose and said nitrogen source is cottonseed flour or hydrolyzed casein.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said site is an agricultural crop.

7. A method of producing a composition, wherein said composition comprises desiccation-tolerant blastospores of Beauveria bassiana with greater than 60% germination when rehydrated and grown in a suitable medium after storage for more than six months at 4° C., comprising the steps of:
a) inoculating a liquid culture medium comprising a carbon source and a nitrogen source with fungal propagules of Beauveria bassiana , wherein said nitrogen source is present in said liquid culture medium at an initial concentration of at least 1.5% (w/v);
b) incubating said propagules under liquid culture conditions providing dissolved oxygen levels above zero and osmotic pressure greater than 0.5 MPa;
c) incubating said propagules in said liquid culture for a sufficient time to produce blastospores;
d) collecting said blastospores; and
e) drying said blastospores, thereby producing desiccation-tolerant blastospores.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said carbon source is present in said liquid culture medium at an initial concentration of at least 4% (w/v).

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said carbon source is glucose.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said nitrogen source is cottonseed flour or hydrolyzed casein.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein in said carbon source is glucose and said nitrogen source is cottonseed flour.

Assignees

• Us Agriculture
• Embrapa
• Empres A Brasiliera De Pesquisa Agropecuaria

Inventors

• Jackson Mark A
• Moura Mascarin Gabriel

Classifications

• A01N63/30

  Microbial fungi; Substances produced thereby or obtained therefrom · CPC title

• C12N3/00 Primary

  Spore forming or isolating processes · CPC title

• A01N25/34

  Shaped forms, e.g. sheets, not provided for in any other sub-group of this main group · CPC title

• A01N25/08

  containing solids as carriers or diluents · CPC title