Enhanced shelf life and on seed stabilization of liquid bacterium inoculants

1. A method for preparing a partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, the method comprising:

providing a liquid inoculant comprising bacteria from one or more of genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas or Serratia grown to a substantially stationary phase;

adding to the liquid inoculant, in an amount sufficient to partially desiccate the liquid inoculant, a desiccant treatment comprising a desiccant to form a partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, wherein the desiccant comprises from about 5% to about 50% by weight/volume of the partially desiccated liquid product and wherein the desiccant comprises one or more of trehalose, sucrose, glycerol or sorbitol; and

allowing the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to enter a conditioning phase, wherein the conditioning phase is about 1 day to about 10 days.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the conditioning phase is about 2 to about 3 days.

3. A method for preparing a partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, the method comprising:

providing a liquid inoculant comprising bacteria from one or more of the genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas or Serratia , said bacteria grown to a substantially stationary phase;

adding to the liquid inoculant, in an amount sufficient to partially desiccate the liquid inoculant, a desiccant treatment comprising a desiccant to form a partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, wherein the desiccant comprises from about 5% to about 50% by weight/volume of the partially desiccated liquid product, and wherein the desiccant comprises one or more of trehalose, sucrose, glycerol or sorbitol; and

allowing the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to enter a conditioning phase, wherein the conditioning phase is about 1 day to about 10 days; and

packaging the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the method further comprises storing the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product.

5. A method of applying a partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to a seed, the method comprising:

providing a liquid inoculant comprising bacteria from one or more of genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas or Serratia , said bacteria grown to a substantially stationary phase;

adding to the liquid inoculant a desiccant treatment comprising a desiccant to form the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, wherein the desiccant comprises from about 5% to about 50% by weight/volume of the partially desiccated liquid product, and wherein the desiccant comprises one or more of trehalose, sucrose, glycerol or sorbitol; and

allowing the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to enter a conditioning phase, wherein the conditioning phase is about 1 day to about 10 days; and

applying the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to the seed at a rate of about 1.5 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed to about 4.0 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product is applied to the seed as a mixture, the mixture comprising the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product and one or more of water and a cidal compound.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product and water are applied to the seed at a combined rate of about 3.5 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed to about 6.0 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed.

8. The method according to claim 5 wherein the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product is applied at a rate of 2.0 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed to about 3.2 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed.

9. The method according to claim 6 wherein the mixture comprises the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product and at least one cidal compound.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the at least one cidal compound comprises one or more of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, bactericides, pesticides, virucides, acaracides, miticides, nematicides, rodenticides, or combinations thereof.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product is applied at a rate of 2.0 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed to about 3.2 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed.

12. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the desiccant consists of trehalose and one or more of sucrose, glycerol and sorbitol.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the trehalose is from about 10% to about 40% by weight/volume of the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the trehalose is from about 20% to about 30% by weight/volume of the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product.

15. The method according to claim 5 wherein the seed comprises a seed for a leguminous plant.

16. The method according to claim 5 wherein the number of bacteria on the seed after about 10 weeks on the seed exceeds about 1×10 5 .

17. The method according to claim 5 wherein the method further comprises applying an extender to the seed after the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product is applied.

18. A method of applying a partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to a seed, the method comprising:

providing a liquid inoculant comprising bacteria from one or more of genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas or Serratia , said bacteria grown to a substantially stationary phase;

adding to the liquid inoculant, in an amount sufficient to partially desiccate the liquid inoculant, a desiccant treatment comprising a desiccant to form the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product, wherein the desiccant comprises from about 5% to about 50% by weight/volume of the partially desiccated liquid product and wherein the desiccant is one or more of trehalose, sucrose, glycerol or sorbitol; and

allowing the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to enter a conditioning phase, wherein the conditioning phase is about 1 day to about 10 days; and

applying a conditioner and the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product to the seed, wherein the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product comprises at least 1×10 11 cfu/ml of bacteria.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the conditioner comprises at least one polymer comprising one or more of polyvinyl pyrrolidone, alkylated vinyl pyrrolidone polymers, vinyl pyrrolidone and vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl pyrrolidone and styrene copolymers, and polyvinyl alcohol polymers.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the bacteria concentration in the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product is 1×10 11 cfu/ml to about 1×10 12 cfu/ml.

21. The method according to claim 19 wherein the conditioner further comprises at least one desiccant.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the conditioner further comprises water.

23. The method according to claim 18 wherein the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product is applied at an application rate of about 0.1 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed to about 0.5 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed and the conditioner is applied at an application rate of about 1.2 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed to about 2.5 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the partially desiccated liquid inoculant product is applied at an application rate of about 0.2 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed and the conditioner is applied at an application rate of about 1.8 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed.

25. A method of treating seeds, the method comprising: administering a partially desiccated liquid inoculant product prepared according to claim 1 onto the seeds;

and

administering a cidal compound onto the seeds;

wherein the application rate of the liquid inoculant product and the cidal compound together is less than 9.2 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein the cidal compound comprises one or more of an one or more of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, bactericides, pesticides, virucides, acaracides, miticides, nematicides, rodenticides, or combinations thereof.

27. A method according to claim 25 wherein the seeds are selected from the group consisting of seeds from soybean, lucerne, peanut, peas, lentils, and beans.

28. A method according to claim 25 wherein the application rate of the liquid inoculant product and the cidal compound together is less than 5.0 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed.

29. A method according to claim 25 wherein the liquid inoculant product is applied at an application rate of less than 3.2 fluid ounces/hundred pounds of seed.