IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,421,489
Granted Patent B2
US 12,421,489 · App. 17/408,169 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Biological control of plant pathogenic microorganisms

Inventors: Philip Elmer (Hamilton, NZ); Stephen Hoyte (Hamilton, NZ)
Assignee: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited
C12N1/145A01N63/32C12R2001/645
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,421,489
App. No.
17/408,169
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of an isolated Aureobasidium pullulans yeast strain YBCA5 as a biological control agent. Processes and compositions for the biological control of phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi using YBCA5 are also provided.

Claims (21)

1. A method of controlling phytopathogenic bacteria and/or phytopathogenic fungi on a plant or plant part, the method comprising contacting the plant or part thereof with Aureobasidium pullulans yeast strain YBCA5, which is on deposit under CBS Accession #141880, or a composition comprising said yeast.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an agriculturally acceptable carrier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the YBCA5 is present in the composition in the form of reproductively viable cells.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the YBCA5 is present in the composition at a concentration ranging from about 1×10 5 to about 1×10 11 CFU per gram for solid compositions, and about 1×10 7 to about 1×10 8 CFU per millilitre for liquid compositions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the YBCA5 is present in the composition at a concentration ranging from about 2×10 7 to about 2×10 8 CFU per gram for solid compositions, and about 1×10 7 to about 1×10 8 CFU per millilitre for liquid compositions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the YBCA5 is present in the composition at a concentration ranging from about 2×10 9 to about 2×10 10 CFU per gram for solid compositions, and about 1×10 7 to about 1×10 8 CFU per millilitre for liquid compositions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one agriculturally acceptable adjuvant.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an effective amount of a stabilizer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phytopathogenic bacteria is a Pseudomonas spp. bacteria.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the Pseudomonas spp. bacteria is selected from P. syringae, P. amygdalia, P. avellanae, P. caricapapayae, P. cichorii, P. coronafaciens, P. ficuserectae, P. helianthi, P. lemiae, P. savastanoi, P. viridiflava , a pathovar thereof, and a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the Pseudomonas spp. bacteria is P. syringae or a pathovar thereof.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the Pseudomonas spp. bacteria is P. syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa).

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phytopathogenic fungi is selected from Botrytis spp., Alternaria spp., Colletotrichum spp., Penicillium spp., Phomopsis spp., Cryptosporiopsis spp., Monilinia spp., Sclerotinia spp., and a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the phytopathogenic fungus is a Monilinia spp. fungus.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the phytopathogenic is Monilinia fruticola.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant or part thereof is an agriculturally important plant, cultivar thereof, or product thereof, selected from olive trees, apple trees, pear trees, citrus fruit trees, banana trees, pineapple trees, peach trees, apricot trees, cherry trees, walnut trees and hazelnut trees, wherein the products thereof are olives, apples, pears, citrus fruits, bananas, pineapples, peaches, apricots, cherries, walnuts, and hazelnuts, respectively.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant or part thereof is an agriculturally important plant, cultivar thereof, or product thereof, selected from potato vines, beetroot vines, bean vines, pea vines, tomato vines, cucumber vines, melon vines, berry vines, grape vines and kiwifruit vines, and the products thereof are potatoes, beetroots, beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, berries, grapes and kiwifruits, respectively.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the agriculturally important plant, cultivar thereof, or product thereof, is a kiwifruit vine or cultivar thereof, and the product is kiwifruit.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the kiwifruit vine is selected from the group consisting of species of green-fleshed kiwifruit ( Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa ), golden kiwifruit ( A. chinensis var. chinensis ), Chinese egg gooseberry ( A. coriacea ), baby kiwifruit ( A. arguta ), Arctic kiwifruit ( A. kolomikta ), red kiwifruit ( A. melanandra, A. chinensis var. chinensis ), silver vine ( A. polygama ), purple kiwifruit ( A. purpurea ) and a cultivar thereof.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the kiwifruit vine is selected from the group consisting of A. chinensis var. deliciosa A. chinensis var. chinensis species and a cultivar thereof.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the kiwifruit is a ‘Hayward’, ‘Hort16A’, or ‘Hongyang’ variety cultivar.

Assignments (3)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 24, 2026
From: THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE FOR PLANT AND FOOD RESEARCH LIMITED; NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE FOR BIOECONOMY SCIENCE LIMITED
To: NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE FOR BIOECONOMY SCIENCE LIMITED
Reel/Frame 075069/0306 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR IN THE SPELLING OF INVENTOR ELMER'S FIRST NAME FROM "PHILLIP" TO "PHILIP" PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 057462 FRAME: 0756. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 16, 2022
From: ELMER, PHILIP; HOYTE, STEPHEN
To: THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE FOR PLANT AND FOOD RESEARCH LIMITED
Reel/Frame 059126/0586 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2021
From: ELMER, PHILLIP; HOYTE, STEPHEN
To: THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE FOR PLANT AND FOOD RESEARCH LIMITED
Reel/Frame 057462/0756 →
Priority Claims (2)
NZ 724271 · Sep 13, 2016 · national
NZ 725641 · Oct 28, 2016 · national
Continuity (3)
Division 16331938
Provisional Application 62393641 · Sep 12, 2016
Related Publication 20210380931A1 · Dec 9, 2021
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