Increasing plant yield with bacterial/fungal combinations
A seed treated with a fungal/bacterial antagonist combination and a seed assembly comprising a seed and a fungal/bacterial antagonist combination. The fungal/bacterial antagonist combination comprises a Trichoderma virens fungal antagonist and a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens bacterial antagonist for controlling plant pathogens as a biocontrol agent, bio-pesticide or bio-fungicide. In preferred embodiments, the invention produces an increase in plant yield. Control of early and late season stalk and root rot caused by fungi such as Fusarium, Phythium, Phytophthora and Penicillium in tomatoes, peppers, turf grass, soybeans, sunflower, wheat and corn is achieved.
1. A seed assembly, comprising:
spores from a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain ATCC BAA-390 bacterium and spores from a Trichoderma virens isolate ATCC 58678 fungus adhered to a plant seed, the bacterial and fungal spores selected based on results from field trials that indicate the spores from the bacterium and the spores from the fungus act synergistically to produce an increased yield in plants grown from the plant seed.
2. The seed assembly of claim 1 , where the spores from the bacterium and the spores from the fungus are adhered to the plant seed by an adhesive.
3. The seed assembly of claim 2 , where the number of spores adhered to the plant seed is at least 10 5 .
4. The seed assembly of claim 1 , where the plant seed includes corn, sunflower, soybean and wheat.
5. The seed assembly of claim 1 , including one or more of a fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, acaricide and nematicide.
6. A seed assembly, comprising:
a plant seed;
spores from a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens bacterium strain ATCC BAA-390, strain FZB24, or mutants thereof, adhered to the plant seed by an adhesive; and
spores from a Trichoderma virens fungus isolate ATCC 58678, isolate G1-21, or mutants thereof, adhered to the plant seed by the adhesive;
the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens bacterium and Trichoderma virens fungus selected based on results from field trials that indicate the spores from the bacterium and the spores from the fungus act synergistically to produce an increased yield in plants grown from the plant seed; and
the seed assembly not containing additional nutrients.
7. The seed assembly of claim 6 , where the number of spores adhered to the plant seed is at least 10 5 .
8. The seed assembly of claim 6 , where the plant seed includes corn, sunflower, soybean or wheat.
9. The seed assembly of claim 6 , including one or more of a fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, acaricide and nematicide.
10. A seed assembly, comprising:
a plant seed;
spores from a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens bacterium, the bacterium including one of strain ATCC BAA-390, strain FZB24, or mutants thereof;
spores from a Trichoderma virens fungus, the fungus including one of isolate ATCC 58678, isolate G1-21, or mutants thereof; and
an adhesive that adheres the spores to the plant seed;
the seed assembly not containing additional nutrients.
11. The seed assembly of claim 10 , where the number of spores adhered to the plant seed is at least 10 5 .
12. The seed assembly of claim 10 , where the where the plant seed includes corn, sunflower, soybean and wheat.
13. The seed assembly of claim 10 , including one or more of a fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, acaricide and nematicide.