Stable inoculant compositions comprising paraffin oils/waxes
The present disclosure provides inoculant compositions and methods for enhancing the survival and/or stability of microbial cells and/or spores in an inoculant composition. In some embodiments, inoculant compositions of the present disclosure comprise microbial cells and/or spores in a carrier comprising one or more paraffin oils and/or waxes.
1. An agrochemical inoculant composition comprising a powder or granule that comprises:
dried bacterial cells and/or spores; and
one or more paraffin oils and/or one or more paraffin waxes,
said one or more paraffin oils and/or one or more paraffin waxes comprising about 75 to about 95% of said agrochemical inoculant composition, by weight, based upon the total weight of said agrochemical inoculant composition,
wherein at least 50% of said bacterial cells and/or spores remain viable when said agrochemical inoculant composition is stored at 20-25° C. and 35-65% relative humidity for a period of 12 weeks.
2. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 , said bacterial cells and/or spores comprising about 5 to about 20% of said agrochemical inoculant composition, by weight, based upon the total weight of said agrochemical inoculant composition.
3. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 , said bacterial cells and/or spores comprising about 1×10 4 to about 1×10 15 colony-forming units per gram and/or milliliter of said agrochemical inoculant composition.
4. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more dispersants.
5. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 4 , said one or more dispersants comprising about 0.1 to about 5% of said agrochemical inoculant composition, by weight, based upon the total weight of said agrochemical inoculant composition.
6. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein at least 50% of said bacterial cells and/or spores remain viable when said agrochemical inoculant composition is coated on a seed and then stored at 20-25° C. and 35-65% relative humidity for a period of 12 weeks.
7. A method, comprising applying the agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 to a plant propagation material.
8. A method, corn rising introducing the agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 into a plant growth medium.
9. A method, comprising applying the agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 to a plant.
10. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 , said dried bacterial cells and/or spores comprising
spray-dried, freeze-dried and/or spray-freeze-dried bacterial cells and/or spores.
11. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said bacterial spores and/or cells comprise one or more Gram negative bacterial strains.
12. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said bacterial spores and/or cells comprise one or more strains of Bradyrhizobium.
13. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 , wherein said bacterial spores and/or cells comprise one or more strains of Yersinia.
14. The agrochemical inoculant composition of claim 1 , said agrochemical inoculant composition comprising more than 0.5% water, by weight, based upon the total weight of said agrochemical inoculant composition.
15. The method of claim 7 , wherein said agrochemical inoculant composition is coated on a plant seed.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein said bacterial spores and/or cells comprise one or more Gram negative bacterial strains.
17. The method of claim 9 , wherein said bacterial spores and/or cells comprise one or more strains of Yersinia.
18. An agrochemical inoculant composition comprising a powder or granule that comprises:
dried bacterial cells and/or spores; and
one or more paraffin oils and/or one or more paraffin waxes,
said one or more paraffin oils and/or one or more paraffin waxes comprising about 75 to about 95% of said agrochemical inoculant composition, by weight, based upon the total weight of said agrochemical inoculant composition,
said agrochemical inoculant composition comprising no more than 0.5% water by weight, based upon the total weight of said agrochemical inoculant composition,
wherein at least 50% of said bacterial cells and/or spores remain viable when said agrochemical inoculant composition is stored at 20-25° C. and 35-65% relative humidity for a period of 12 weeks.
19. A coated plant seed, comprising a plant seed and a coating that covers at least a portion of an outer surface of said seed, said coating comprising an agrochemical inoculant composition that comprises one or more paraffin oils and/or one or more paraffin waxes and a powder or granule comprising dried bacterial cells and/or spores, said one or more paraffin waxes comprising about 75 to about 95% of said agrochemical inoculant composition, by weight, based upon the total weight of said agrochemical inoculant composition, wherein at least 50% of said bacterial cells and/or spores remain viable when said coated plant seed is stored at 20-25° C. and 35-65% relative humidity for a period of 12 weeks.
20. A kit, comprising the coated plant seed of claim 19 and a container housing said coated plant seed.