Biologicals and their use in plants
Entomopathogenic fungal strains, compositions, and methods of using the strains for reducing overall insect damage.
1. A composition comprising an agriculturally acceptable carrier, a plant or a plant part, and a fungal entomopathogen selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium robertsii 15013-1 (deposited under NRRL accession number 67073), Metarhizium robertsii 23013-3 (deposited under NRRL accession number 67075), and Metarhizium anisopliae 3213-1 (deposited under NRRL accession number 67074), wherein the fungal entomopathogen is applied to the plant or plant part, and wherein the composition comprises at least 1×10 2 CFUs of the fungal entomopathogen.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a biocontrol agent selected from the group consisting of a bacteria, a fungus, a yeast, a protozoa, a virus, an entomopathogenic nematode, a botanical extract, a protein, a nucleic acid, a secondary metabolite, and an inoculant.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an agrochemically active compound selected from the group consisting of an insecticide, a fungicide, a bactericide, and a nematicide.
4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the agrochemically active compound is a fungicide.
5. The composition of claim 4 , wherein the fungicide comprises a fungicide composition selected from the group consisting of azoxystrobin, thiabendazole, fludioxonil, metalaxyl, tebuconazole, prothioconazole, ipconazole, penflufen, and sedaxane.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of a safener, a lipo-chitooligosaccharide, a triglucosamine lipoglycine salt, an isoflavone, and a ryanodine receptor modulator.
7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plant or the plant part is genetically modified or transgenic.
8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the genetically modified plant part is a seed.
9. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the genetically modified plant part is a leaf.
10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen retains insecticidal activity in the presence of a fungicide or is resistant to a fungicide.
11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen comprises a spore.
12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen comprises a conidia.
13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen comprises a microsclerotia.
14. A method of increasing resistance of a plant to a plant pathogen, a pest, or an insect comprising inoculating a plant, a plant part, or an environment of a plant or a plant part with a composition comprising a fungal entomopathogen selected from the group consisting of Metarhizium robertsii 15013-1 (deposited under NRRL accession number 67073), Metarhizium robertsii 23013-3 (deposited under NRRL accession number 67075), and Metarhizium anisopliae 3213-1 (deposited under NRRL accession number 67074), and wherein the composition comprises at least 1×10 2 CFUs of the fungal entomopathogen.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the composition further comprises a biocontrol agent selected from the group consisting of a bacteria, a fungus, a yeast, a protozoa, a virus, an entomopathogenic nematode, a botanical extract, a protein, a nucleic acid, a secondary metabolite, and an inoculant.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the composition further comprises an agrochemically active compound selected from the group consisting of an insecticide, a fungicide, a bactericide, and a nematicide.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the agrochemically active compound is a fungicide.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the fungicide comprises a fungicide composition selected from the group consisting of azoxystrobin, thiabendazole, fludioxonil, metalaxyl, tebuconazole, prothioconazole, ipconazole, penflufen, and sedaxane.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the composition further comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of a safener, a lipo-chitooligosaccharide, a triglucosamine lipoglycine salt, an isoflavone, and a ryanodine receptor modulator.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plant, the plant part, or the environment of the plant or the plant part further comprises a genetically modified or transgenic plant or plant part, or an environment of a genetically modified or transgenic plant or plant part.
21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the genetically modified plant part is a seed.
22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the genetically modified plant part is a leaf.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the genetically modified or transgenic plant or plant part comprises a Coleopteran insecticidal trait.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the Coleopteran insecticidal trait comprises a Bt trait, a silencing element or a non-Bt insecticidal protein.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the non-Bt insecticidal protein is selected from the group consisting of a plant-derived insecticidal protein, non-Bt bacterial/archeal-derived insecticidal protein, an animal-derived insecticidal protein, an AfIP-1A and/or AfIP-1B polypeptide, a PHI-4 polypeptide, a PIP-47 polypeptide, a PIP-72 polypeptide, a PtIP-50 polypeptide and a PtIP-65 polypeptide, a PtIP-83 polypeptide, and a PtIP-96 polypeptide.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the silencing element targets a gene selected from the group consisting of PAT3, RyanR, Sec23, Snf7, vATPase, a COPI α, β, or γ coatomer subunit, and RPS10.
27. The method of claim 24 , wherein the Bt trait comprises an event selected from the group consisting of event MON863, event MIR604, event 5307, event DAS-59122, event DP-4114, event MON 87411, and event MON88017.
28. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen comprises a spore.
29. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen comprises a conidia.
30. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen comprises a microsclerotia.