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SEED COATING COMPRISING A BIOCONTROL AGENT AND HOP CONES
WO21219915
The present invention is a seed coating comprising a biocontrol agent and hop cones as carbon source, and optionally a fixation agent. The invention also comprises the coated seed and the fixation process. Commercial seeds usually are coated in order to provide protection, resistance against different stresses, improve planting conditions and crop development, among other reasons. Some of these coatings are based on the use of biocontrol agents, which require carbon sources to develop and fulfill their function. Until now, the most common carbon sources used are finite and must be directly extracted from the ecosystem, which creates an environmental problem. Moreover, different carbon sources are mixed, being difficult to control how the mixture will affect the plant and biocontrol agent development. To solve these problems, researchers from the University of León have developed the use of HOPS CONES as carbon source for biocontrol agents in seed coatings. These compounds are environmentally friendly and their beneficial impact, on the plant development and germination, has been demonstrated. Furthermore, the use of one carbon source allows to better control how external conditions affect the coating.
The use of HOPS CONES as carbon source in plant coatings provides multiple benefits: - Use of environmentally friendly compounds that can be obtained as by-products of current industrial processes. - Avoids the mixture of different compounds, facilitating the homogenization of the coating’s compositions, therefore, allowing to control how external conditions affect the coating. - Provides great availability of the carbon sources to the biocontrol agents. - Coatings with these carbon sources significantly promote plant development.
Problem solved by the invention:
Seeds are usually coated with different compounds in order to provide protection, improve seed resistance against different biotic and abiotic stresses, improve planting conditions and crop development, etc. These coatings are also useful to increase seed’s weight and facilitate its handling. When seed coatings significantly modify the shape and weight of the seed, it is said that the seeds are pildorated. The coating of pildorated seeds includes different compounds that are usually chemically synthesized and are not health or environmentally friendly. One solution is the use of biocontrol agents. These are microorganisms that can help the seeds to protect against different pathogens and can improve the plant growth and development. These microorganisms need carbon sources to develop and be able to protect the plant. However, until now, the most common carbon sources used are finite and must be directly extracted from the ecosystem, which creates an environmental problem. Moreover, different carbon sources are mixed, being difficult to control how the mixture will affect the plant and biocontrol agent development. Therefore, there is a need for developing new environmentally friendly carbon sources that offer availability for the biocontrol agent and does not affect seed germination.
Technology to solve the problem:
The innovation presented here provides a new environmentally friendly carbon source to be used in seed coatings. This compound is HOPS CONES, which shows positive results by promoting the biocontrol agent growth and therefore improving plant development. This coating can be applied to different kind of crops, from tomato or pepper to wheat, tobacco or cabbage and have shown positive results with bacteria such as Agrobacterium, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces o Bacillus, and some genera of fungi (Gliocladium, Trichoderma, Ampelomyces, Candida or Coniothyrium).
Moreover, the method to apply the coating and the seeds obtained with said method are covered by the invention.