Mulch and Potting Soil Compositions Containing Microorganisms and Related Methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016289130-A1
Application number	US-201314442510-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 15, 2013
Priority date	Nov 15, 2012
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to mulch or potting soil compositions that can enhance plant growth, water use efficiency of the plant, plant appearance, or the population of beneficial microorganisms or the content of metabolites produced by the beneficial microorganism in the mulch or soil around the plant. The compositions comprise mulch or potting soil and at least one microorganism, or a cell-free extract thereof or at least one metabolite thereof, and/or a mutant of the at least one microorganism having all the identifying characteristics of the respective microorganism or extract of the mutant.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A mulch or potting soil composition comprising:
a) mulch or potting soil as component I; and b) at least one microorganism, or a cell-free extract thereof or at least one metabolite thereof, and/or a mutant of the at least one microorganism having all the identifying characteristics of the respective microorganism or extract of the mutant, as component II.

22 . The composition of claim 21 for enhancing plant growth, water use efficiency of the plant, plant appearance, or the population of beneficial microorganisms or the content of metabolites beneficial to plant health produced by the beneficial microorganisms in the mulch or soil around the plant.

23 . The mulch composition of claim 21 comprising as component I mulch.

24 . The potting soil composition of claim 21 comprising as component I potting soil.

25 . The mulch or potting soil composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microorganism of component II is selected from the group consisting of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum, B. cereus, B. firmus, B. megaterium, B. methylotrophicus, B. mojavensis, B. mycoides, B. psychrosaccharolyticus, B. pumilus, B. safensis, B. simplex, B. solisalsi, B. stratosphericus, B. subtilis, B. subtilis subsp. subtilis, Lysinibacillus boronitolerans, Microbacterium testaceum, Paenibacillus amylolyticus, P. barcinonensis, P. glycanilyticus, P. lautus, P. peoriae, P. polymyxa, P. taichungensis, P. xylanexedens, Solibacillus silvestris, Sporosarcina globispora, Sporosarcina psychrophila, Aspergillus flavus, Ampelomyces quisqualis, Aspergillus flavus, Aureobasidium pullulans, Candida oleophila, Candida saitoana, Clonostachys rosea f. catenulata, Coniothyrium minitans, Cryphonectria parasitica, Cryptococcus albidus, Fusarium oxysporum, Metschnikowia fructicola, Microdochium, Phlebiopsis gigantea, Pseudozyma flocculosa, Pythium oligandrum, Talaromyces flavus, Trichoderma asperellum, T. atroviride, T. harzianum, T. viride, T. polysporum, T. stromaticum, T. virens, T. viride and Ulocladium oudemansii.

26 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein the at least one microorganism of component II comprises a bacilli microorganism or a Gram-positive microorganism.

27 . The composition of claim 26 , wherein the at least one microorganism of component II comprises a bacterium of the genus Bacillus selected from the group consisting of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. cereus, B. firmus, B. megaterium, B. methylotrophicus, B. mojavensis, B. pumilus, B. simplex and B. subtilis.

28 . The composition of claim 27 , wherein the at least one microorganism comprises Bacillus subtilis.

29 . The composition claim 21 , further comprising a carrier.

30 . The composition of claim 29 , further comprising at least one of a surfactant or a solvent.

31 . The composition of claim 30 , further comprising a colorant, a resin or binder and a preservative.

32 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the mulch is wood mulch.

33 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein the at least one microorganism, or a cell-free extract thereof or at least one metabolite thereof, and/or a mutant of the at least one microorganism having all the identifying characteristics of the respective microorganism or extract of the mutant are present in an amount ranging from about 0.01% to about 10% (w/w) of the composition.

34 . The composition of claim 21 , wherein the at least one microorganism and/or a mutant of the at least one microorganism having all the identifying characteristics of the respective microorganism are present in an effective amount ranging from about 1×10 1 CFU per mL of the composition to about 1×10 9 CFU per mL of the composition.

35 . A method of making the composition of claim 21 , the method comprising:
providing at least one microorganism in a dry powder spore preparation, a concentrated liquid form, or a formulated carrier; and mixing a mulch or a potting soil and the least one microorganism into the composition.

36 . The method of claim 35 , the method further comprising mixing a carrier into the mulch or the potting soil or into the composition.

37 . A method for enhancing plant growth, water use efficiency of the plant, plant appearance, or the population of beneficial microorganisms or the content of metabolites beneficial to plant health produced by the beneficial microorganisms in the mulch or soil around the plant, the method comprising:
applying a layer of the mulch composition of claim 21 to soil in the vicinity of a plant or a in the vicinity of a location where a plant is to be grown.

38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the layer of the composition has a thickness from about 0.5 cm to about 15 cm.

39 . A method for enhancing plant growth, water use efficiency of the plant, plant appearance, or the population of beneficial microorganisms or the content of metabolites beneficial to plant health produced by the beneficial microorganisms in the soil around the plant, the method comprising:
applying the potting soil composition of claim 21 to soil and/or into a container, and planting one or more growing plants or sowing one or more plant propagation materials within the potting soil composition.

Assignees

• Basf Corp

Inventors

• Innes Peter
• Lister Rebecca
• Howieson Mark

Classifications

• C05F11/00

  Other organic fertilisers · CPC title

• C05G3/80

  Soil conditioners · CPC title

• C09K17/00

  Soil-conditioning materials or soil-stabilising materials (specially adapted for boreholes or wells C09K8/00; fertilisers C05; consolidating by placing solidifying or pore-filling substances in the soil E02D3/12) · CPC title

• C09K17/52

  Mulches · CPC title

• C05F11/08 Primary

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