Agricultural microbial inoculant compositions and uses thereof
The present disclosure provides novel agricultural microbial inoculant compositions for uses in promoting plant growth, plant productivity and/or soil quality. The novel microbial inoculant compositions comprise one or more microbial species, one or more urease inhibitors and/or one or more nitrification inhibitors. The present disclosure also provides fertilizer compositions comprising said microbial inoculant compositions.
1. A carrier-based agricultural microbial inoculant composition comprising:
i. at least one agriculturally beneficial Bacillus species selected from the group consisting of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus pumilus , and any combination thereof;
ii. at least one organic solvent selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol (PG), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, glycerol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and any combination thereof, wherein the at least one organic solvent is present in an amount of 20-99 weight percent, based on the total weight of the microbial inoculant composition; and
iii a urease inhibitor selected from the group consisting of N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), N-(n-butyl)phosphoric triamide, thiophosphoryl triamide, phenyl phosphorodiamidate, N-cyclohexyl phosphoric triamide, N-cyclohexyl thiophosphoric triamide, phosphoric triamide, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, hexamidocyclotriphosphazene, thiopyridines, thiopyrimidines, thiopyridine-N-oxides, N,N-dihalo-2-imidazolidinone, N-halo-2-oxazolidinone, N-(2-nitrophenyl)thiophosphoric triamide, N-(2-nitrophenyl)phosphoric triamide, and any combination thereof.
2. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein the agriculturally beneficial Bacillus species is selected from the group consisting of Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus thuringiensis , and any combination thereof.
3. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein the agriculturally beneficial Bacillus species is selected from the group of strains consisting of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (ATCC 23842), Bacillus licheniformis (ATCC 14580), Bacillus licheniformis (B-642), Bacillus licheniformis (B-14368), Bacillus thuringiensis (ATCC 10792), Bacillus thuringiensis (HD-17), Bacillus thuringiensis (HD-1), Bacillus pumilus (NRS-272), and any combination thereof.
4. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein the urease inhibitor is N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT).
5. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 , further comprising a nitrification inhibitor selected from the group consisting of 2-chloro-6-trichloromethylpyridine, 5-ethoxy-3-trichloromethyl-1,2,4-thiadiazol, dicyandiamide, 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methyl-pyrimidine, 1,3-benzothiazole-2-thiol, 4-amino-N-1,3-thiazol-2-ylbenzene sulfonamide, thiourea, guanidine, 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate, 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyl-5-triazine, poly etherionophores, 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole, 3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, potassium azide, carbon bisulfide, sodium trithiocarbonate, ammonium dithiocarbamate, 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranol methylcarbamate, N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-N-(methoxyacetyl)-alanine methyl ester, ammonium thiosulfate, 1-hydroxypyrazole, 3-methylpyrazole-1-carboxamide, 3-methylpyrazole, 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, 1,2,4-triazole, G77 Nitrification Inhibitor (CAS Registration No. 1373256-33-7), and any combination thereof.
6. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 5 , wherein the nitrification inhibitor is dicyandiamide, G77 Nitrification Inhibitor (CAS Registration No. 1373256-33-7) or a combination thereof.
7. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein the weight percentage of the urease inhibitor is in the range of 0.02-80% based on the total weight of the agricultural microbial inoculant composition.
8. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 7 , wherein the weight percentage of the urease inhibitor is in the range of 10-60%.
9. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein the agriculturally beneficial Bacillus species has at least 2 hours of viability from the time when said agriculturally beneficial Bacillus species contacts said organic solvent.
10. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein the agriculturally beneficial Bacillus species concentration is in the range of 1.0×10 2 -1.0×10 12 spores/mL.
11. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 , further comprising a dye.
12. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 , comprising propylene glycol and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.
13. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 12 , wherein the weight percentage of propylene glycol is in the range of 40-70% based on the total weight of the agricultural microbial inoculant composition, the weight percentage of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is in the range of 15-40% based on the total weight of the agricultural microbial inoculant composition, the urease inhibitor is NBPT, and the weight percentage of NBPT is in the range of 10-30% based on the total weight of the microbial inoculant composition.
14. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 1 comprising propylene glycol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and triethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
15. The agricultural microbial inoculant composition of claim 14 , wherein the weight percentage of propylene glycol is in the range of 10-30% based on the total weight of the agricultural microbial inoculant composition, the weight percentage of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is in the range of 30-60% based on the total weight of the agricultural microbial inoculant composition, the weight percentage of triethylene glycol monobutyl ether is in the range of 1-5% based on the total weight of the agricultural microbial inoculant composition, the urease inhibitor is NBPT, and the weight percentage of NBPT is in the range of 15-40% based on the total weight of the agricultural microbial inoculant composition.
16. A fertilizer composition comprising the agricultural microbial inoculant composition according to claim 1 .
17. A method for promoting plant growth, plant productivity and/or soil quality, wherein the method comprises applying an effective amount of the agricultural microbial inoculant composition according to claim 1 to a plant, plant part, plant seed or soil.
18. An agricultural microbial inoculant kit comprising:
Part A, wherein Part A comprises a urease inhibitor and at least one organic solvent,
wherein said urease inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), N-(n-butyl)phosphoric triamide, thiophosphoryl triamide, phenyl phosphorodiamidate, N-cyclohexyl phosphoric triamide, N-cyclohexyl thiophosphoric triamide, phosphoric triamide, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, hexamidocyclotriphosphazene, thiopyridines, thiopyrimidines, thiopyridine-N-oxides, N,N-dihalo-2-imidazolidinone, N-halo-2-oxazolidinone, N-(2-nitrophenyl)thiophosphoric triamide, N-(2-nitrophenyl)phosphoric triamide, and any combination thereof; and
wherein said organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol (PG), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, glycerol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and any combination thereof; and
Part B, wherein Part B comprises at least one Bacillus species selected from the group consisting of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus pumilus , and any combination thereof,
wherein each of Part A and Part B is contained in a separate container, and
wherein the at least one organic solvent is present in an amount of 20-99 weight percent, based on the combined weight of Part A and Part B.
19. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 18 , wherein Part B comprises at least one Bacillus species selected from the group consisting of Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus thuringiensis , and any combination thereof.
20. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 18 , wherein Part B comprises at least one agriculturally beneficial Bacillus strain selected from the group consisting of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (ATCC 23842), Bacillus licheniformis (ATCC 14580), Bacillus licheniformis (B-642), Bacillus licheniformis (B-14368), Bacillus thuringiensis (ATCC 10792), Bacillus thuringiensis (HD-17), Bacillus thuringiensis (HD-1), Bacillus pumilus (NRS-272), and any combination thereof.
21. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 18 , wherein the urease inhibitor is N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT).
22. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 21 , wherein Part A comprises propylene glycol and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.
23. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 22 , wherein the weight percentage of propylene glycol is in the range of 40-70% based on the total weight of Part A, the weight percentage of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is in the range of 15-40% based on the total weight of Part A, and the weight percentage of NBPT is in the range of 10-30% based on the total weight of Part A.
24. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 21 , wherein Part A comprises propylene glycol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and triethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
25. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 24 , wherein the weight percentage of propylene glycol is in the range of 10-30% based on the total weight of Part A, the weight percentage of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone is in the range of 30-60% based on the total weight of Part A, the weight percentage of triethylene glycol monobutyl ether is in the range of 1-5% based on the total weight of Part A, and the weight percentage of NBPT is in the range of 15-40% based on the total weight of Part A.
26. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 18 , wherein the agriculturally beneficial Bacillus species has at least 2 hours of viability from the time when said agriculturally beneficial Bacillus species in Part A contacts said organic solvent in Part B.
27. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 18 , wherein the weight percentage of the urease inhibitor is in the range of 0.02-80% based on the total weight of Part A.
28. The agricultural microbial inoculant kit of claim 18 , wherein the agriculturally beneficial Bacillus species concentration is in the range of 1.0×10 2 to 1.0×10 12 spores/mL after Part A is mixed with Part B.