Dried chlorella based compositions and methods for plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11197474-B2
Application number	US-201716064094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

Compositions suitable for application to plants and seeds comprising dried Chlorella cells are disclosed. Methods of preparing and applying compositions of dried Chlorella cells to plants and seeds to enhance at least one characteristic of a plant are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of plant enhancement comprising administering to a plant, seedling, or seed a composition comprising 0.1-1% solids by weight of dried Chlorella cells to enhance at least one plant characteristic,
wherein the dried Chlorella cells are pasteurized and the at least one plant characteristic is seedling size, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, leaf production, leaf formation, leaf size, leaf area index, root length, or root mass.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Chlorella cells are dried by at least one method selected from the group consisting of: freeze drying, spray drying, drum drying, crossflow air drying, solar drying, thin film convection oven drying, vacuum shelf drying, pulse combustion drying, flash drying, furnace drying, belt conveyor drying, and refractance window drying.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Chlorella cells are cultured in mixotrophic conditions, wherein the mixotrophic conditions comprise culturing Chlorella cells in a suitable culture medium for a culture length of 7-14 days, at a temperature between 20 and 30° C., at a pH between 6.5 and 8.5, and a dissolved oxygen concentration between 0.1 and 4 mg/L.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the Chlorella cells are cultured in non-axenic mixotrophic conditions and are cultured with acetic acid or acetate as the organic carbon source.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the administering step is selected from the group consisting of: coating a seed with the composition prior to planting; soaking a seed in a solution of water and the composition prior to planting; contacting a solid growth medium in an immediate vicinity of a planted seed with an effective amount of the composition; contacting roots of a plant with an effective amount of the composition hydroponically; administering an effective amount to a solid growth medium prior to or after the planting of a seed, seedling, or plant; and mixing an effective amount of the composition in a suitable solid growth medium prior to planting a seed, seedling, or plant, wherein the solid growth medium comprises at least one from the group consisting of: soil, potting mix, compost, or inert hydroponic material.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the composition is administered to the solid growth medium by mixing the composition with water and distributing through a system selected from a low volume irrigation system, a soil drench application, and an aerial spraying system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant is a member of a plant family selected from: Solanaceae, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), Poaceae, Roasaceae, Vitaceae, Brassicaeae (Cruciferae), Caricaceae, Malvaceae, Sapindaceae, Anacardiaceae, Rutaceae, Moraceae, Convolvulaceae, Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae, Pedaliaceae, Asteraceae (Compositae), Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), Araliaceae, Oleaceae, Ericaceae, Actinidaceae, Cactaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Polygonaceae, Theaceae, Lecythidaceae, Rubiaceae, Paveraceae, Illiciaceae, Grossulariaceae, Myrtaceae, Juglandaceae, Bertulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Asparagaceae (Liliaceae), Alliaceae (Liliceae), Bromeliaceae, Zingieraceae, Muscaceae, Areaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Myristicaceae, Annonaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lauraceae, Peperaceae, and Proteaceae.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises water and at least one stabilizer suitable for plants selected from the group consisting of: potassium sorbate, phosphoric acid, ascorbic acid, sodium benzoate, and citric acid.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, chlorine, sodium, aluminum, vanadium, nickel, cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium, and yttrium.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant characteristic is seedling size.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dried Chlorella cells comprise 1-8% moisture on a wet basis.

12. A method of enhancing at least one plant characteristic comprising administering an effective amount of a composition comprising 1-5% solids by weight of dried Chlorella cells to a plant, seedling, or seed,
wherein the presence of the dried Chlorella cells in the composition enhances the at least one plant characteristic of the plant compared to a composition lacking the dried Chlorella cells, the dried Chlorella cells are pasteurized, and the at least one plant characteristic is seedling size, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, leaf production, leaf formation, leaf size, leaf area index, root length, or root mass.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the composition comprises 3-5% solids by weight of dried Chlorella cells.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the administering step comprises:
mixing the dried Chlorella cells with water to make a liquid composition; and
contacting soil in the immediate vicinity of a planted seed, seedling, or plant with the liquid composition.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the liquid composition was pasteurized at a temperature in the range of 50-90° C. for a period of time in the range of 90-150 minutes.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the administering step comprises:
mixing the dried Chlorella cells with at least one of a binder, filler, solvent, thickener, colouring agent, anti-foaming agent biocide, surfactant, and pigment to make a seed coating; and
coating a seed with the seed coating prior to planting the seed.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the administering step comprises:
mixing the dried Chlorella cells with a solid growth medium to make a mixture, wherein the solid growth medium comprises at least one from the group consisting of: soil, potting mix, compost, or inert hydroponic material; and
planting a seed, seedling, or plant within the mixture.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the Chlorella cells are dried by at least one method selected from the group consisting of: freeze drying, spray drying, drum drying, crossflow air drying, solar drying, thin film convection oven drying, vacuum shelf drying, pulse combustion drying, flash drying, furnace drying, belt conveyor drying, and refractance window drying.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plant is a member of a plant family selected from: Solanaceae, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), Poaceae, Roasaceae, Vitaceae, Brassicaeae (Cruciferae), Caricaceae, Malvaceae, Sapindaceae, Anacardiaceae, Rutaceae, Moraceae, Convolvulaceae, Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae, Pedaliaceae, Asteraceae (Compositae), Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), Araliaceae, Oleaceae, Ericaceae, Actinidaceae, Cactaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Polygonaceae, Theaceae, Lecythidaceae, Rubiaceae, Paveraceae, Illiciaceae, Grossulariaceae, Myrtaceae, Juglandaceae, Bertulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Asparagaceae (Liliaceae), Alliaceae (Liliceae), Bromeliaceae, Zingieraceae, Muscaceae, Areaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Myristicaceae, Annonaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lauraceae, Peperaceae, and Proteaceae.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, chlorine, sodium, aluminum, vanadium, nickel, cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, sama

Assignees

• Heliae Dev Llc

Inventors

• Shinde Sandip
• Carney Laura
• Ventre Stephen

Classifications

• A01N25/00 Primary

  Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators, characterised by their forms, or by their non-active ingredients or by their methods of application {, e.g. seed treatment or sequential application}; Substances for reducing the noxious effect of the active ingredients to organisms other than pests · CPC title

• C12N1/12

  Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor (as new plants A01H13/00) · CPC title

• A01N65/03

  Algae · CPC title

• A01H5/10

  Seeds · CPC title