AGRICULTURAL COMPOSITIONS FOR IMPROVED CROP PRODUCTIVITY AND ENHANCED PHENOTYPES
Provided herein are agricultural compositions, kits, and methods for improving crop productivity and enhancing plant phenotypes. Generally, the compositions and kits comprise an osmoprotectant and one or both of an anti-desiccant and an anti-respirant. Additional compositions and kits are provided that comprise an anti-dessicant and an anti-respirant. Further compositions and kits are provided that comprise a first osmoprotectant and a second osmoprotectant, the first and second osmoprotectants being different from one another. The methods provided herein generally comprise exogenously applying the agricultural composition to a plant.
1 . An agricultural composition comprising an osmoprotectant, an anti-desiccant, and an anti-respirant, wherein each of the osmoprotectant, the anti-desiccant, and the anti-respirant are different from one another.
2 . An agricultural composition comprising an osmoprotectant and an anti-desiccant, wherein the osmoprotectant and the anti-desiccant are different from one another.
3 . An agricultural composition comprising an osmoprotectant and an anti-respirant, wherein the osmoprotectant and the anti-respirant are different from one another.
4 . An agricultural composition comprising a first osmoprotectant and a second osmoprotectant, the first and second osmoprotectants being different from one another.
5 . An agricultural composition comprising an anti-desiccant and an anti-respirant, wherein the anti-desiccant and the anti-respirant are different from one another.
6 . A kit comprising an osmoprotectant, an anti-desiccant, an anti-respirant, and instructions for exogenously applying the osmoprotectant, the anti-desiccant, and the anti-respirant to a plant for increasing crop productivity, wherein each of the osmoprotectant, the anti-desiccant, and the anti-respirant are different from one another.
7 .- 10 . (canceled)
11 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the osmoprotectant comprises a betaine, a proline, an analog or homolog of betaine or proline, a sugar alcohol, a carbohydrate, an amino acid, an amino acid derivative, a quaternary ammonium salt, or a combination of any thereof.
12 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the osmoprotectant comprises a betaine, a proline, or a combination, homolog, or analog of any thereof.
13 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the betaine comprises glycine betaine, glycine betaine aldehyde, β-alanine betaine, betaine hydrochloride, cetyl betaine, proline betaine, choline-O-sulfate betaine, cocaamidopropyl betaine, oleyl betaine, sulfobetaine, lauryl betaine, octyl betaine, caprylamidopropyl betaine, lauramidopropyl betaine, isostearamidopropyl betaine, or a combination, homolog, or analog of any thereof.
14 . (canceled)
15 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the betaine homolog or analog comprises ectoine, choline, phosphatidylcholine, acetylcholine, cytidine diphosphate choline, dimethylethanolamine, choline chloride, choline salicylate, glycerophosphocholine, phosphocholine, a sphingomyelin, choline bitartrate, propio betaine, deanol betaine, homodeanol betaine, homoglycerol betaine, diethanol homobetaine, triethanol homobetaine, or a combination of any thereof.
16 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the proline comprises L-proline, D-proline, hydroxyproline, proline betaine, or a combination, derivative, homolog, or analog of any thereof.
17 . (canceled)
18 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the sugar alcohol comprises D-mannitol, D-sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol, L-arabitol, xylitol, 1D-chiro-inositol, inositol, myo-inositol, galactinol, L-quebrachitol, D-pinitol, D-ononitol, D-myo-inositol-1,3-dipshophate, galactinol, or a combination of any thereof.
19 . (canceled)
20 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the amino acid or amino acid derivative comprises L-methionine, D-methionine, L-glycine, L-alanine, D-alanine, beta-alanine, L-arginine, L-serine, L-tryptophan, L-lysine, D-lysine, L-proline, D-proline, L-asparagine, D-asparagine, L-glutamate, D-glutamate, L-isoleucine, D-isoleucine, L-leucine, D-leucine, L-arginine, D-arginine, L-threonine, D-threonine, L-glutamine, D-glutamine, L-valine, D-valine, L-ornithine, D-ornithine, D-octopine, N6-acetyl-L-lysine, N-acetyl-L-glutamate, aspartate, sacrosine, S-methyl-L-methionine, a plant extract, a yeast extract, a plant hydrolysate, a seaweed extract, a seaweed hydrolysate, an animal hydrolysate, or a combination of any thereof.
21 .- 22 . (canceled)
23 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the anti-desiccant comprises a potassium salt, calcium chloride, glycerol, glycerol monosterate, or a combination of any thereof.
24 . The composition of claim 23 , wherein the potassium salt comprises potassium phosphate monobasic, potassium phosphate dibasic, potassium phosphate tribasic, potassium acetate, potassium chloride, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, dipotassium phosphate, potassium ammonium phosphate, potassium bicarbonate, or a combination of any thereof.
25 . (canceled)
26 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the anti-respirant comprises a surfactant.
27 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the anti-respirant comprises an alkylene glycol, a polyoxyalkylene or derivative thereof, an organosilicone, an alcohol ethoxylate, an alkyl aryl ethoxylate, a sulfosuccinic acid-based surfactant, an anti-transpirant, glycerol, or a combination of any thereof.
28 .- 30 . (canceled)
31 . The composition of claim 27 , wherein the anti-respirant comprises the alkylene glycol, and the alkylene glycol comprises ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, alkyl and alkyl lauryl polyoxyethylene glycol, an alkyl polysaccharide, an alkyl polyglucoside ester, polyethylene-polypropylene glycol, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene and polyethylene glycol, hexylene glycol, or a combination of any thereof; or wherein the anti-respirant comprises the polyoxyalkylene or derivative thereof, and the polyoxyalkylene or derivative thereof comprises alkyl polyoxyethylene, methoxypolyoxyethylene, octyl polyoxyethylene, nonyl polyoxyethylene, decyl polyoxyethylene, undecyl polyoxyethylene, lauryl polyoxyethylene, tridecyl polyoxyethylene, tetradecyl polyoxyethylene, pentadecyl polyoxyethylene, hexadecyl polyoxyethylene, heptadecyl polyoxyethylene, octadecyl polyoxyethylene, coco polyoxyethylene, tallow polyoxyethylene, alkyl polyoxyethoxylate ether, alkyl phenol ethoxylate, a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymer, or a combination or derivative of any thereof.
32 . The composition of claim 27 , wherein the anti-transpirant comprises atrazine, phenyl mercuric acetate, alkenyl succinic acid, succinic acid, ethyl alcohol, hydrated lime, calcium carbonate, a clay, magnesium carbonate, zinc sulfate, an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, or a combination of any thereof.
33 .- 40 . (canceled)
41 . The composition of claim 46 , wherein the concentrate composition comprises the betaine, betaine homolog, or betaine analog in a concentration of from about 5 mM to about 700 mM.
42 . (canceled)
43 . The composition of claim 46 , wherein the concentrate composition comprises the proline, proline homolog, or proline analog in a concentration of from about 5 mM to about 1700 mM.
44 . (canceled)
45 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises the anti-desiccant in a concentration of from about 50 mM to about 3 M.
46 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is in concentrate form.
47 .- 48 . (canceled)
49 . The composition of claim 46 , wherein the concentrate composition comprises the anti-respirant in an amount of from about 1.0% to about 99.8%, based on the total weight/volume (w/v) of the composition.
50 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a wetting agent, an antifoaming agent, a buffering agent, a fixing agent, a microbiostat, a preservative, an antioxidant, a surfactant, a chelating agent, or a combination thereof.
51 .- 58 . (canceled)
59 . A method for increasing crop productivity of a plant as compared with an untreated plant, wherein the method comprises optionally diluting in a suitable volume of water an effective amount of a composition of claim 1 to form an application composition, and exogenously applying the composition to the plant, the untreated plant not being treated with the composition but subject to the same conditions as the plant.
60 .- 63 . (canceled)
64 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the increased crop productivity comprises increased yield, increased plant parts or storage organs, increased water function, increased stress tolerance, increased protection against an abiotic stressor, enhanced phenotypic characteristics, increased protection against herbicide injury, increased sensitivity of a weed to an herbicide, increased efficacy of an herbicide, improved maintenance of the health and vigor of flowers, increased growth rate, or a combination of any thereof.
65 .- 126 . (canceled)
127 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a pesticide, a fertilizer, a plant growth regulator, a bio-control agent, a bio-stimulant, seaweed extract, or a combination of any thereof.
128 . The composition of claim 127 , wherein the pesticide comprises a fungicide.
129 . The composition of claim 127 , wherein the composition further comprises a fertilizer.
130 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises the anti-respirant in a concentration of from about 0.025% to about 15%, based on the total weight/volume (w/v) of the composition.
131 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the osmoprotectant comprises betaine hydrochloride, the anti-desiccant comprises potassium phosphate tribasic, and the anti-respirant comprises glycerol and an alkyl aryl ethoxylate;
the osmoprotectant comprises L-proline, the anti-desiccant comprises potassium phosphate tribasic, and the anti-respirant comprises glycerol and an alkyl aryl ethoxylate; or
the osmoprotectant comprises betaine hydrochloride and L-proline, the anti-desiccant comprises potassium phosphate tribasic, and the anti-respirant comprises glycerol and an alkyl aryl ethoxylate.
132 . The composition of claim 50 , wherein the composition further comprises a preservative and the preservative comprises 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3, 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, or a combination of any thereof.