Compositions and methods for improving tomato production

1. A tomato plant, tomato plant part or tomato seed that is coated or partially coated with a composition comprising Methylobacterium strain NLS0089 which has been deposited under NRRL B-50933, wherein the composition is a solid composition comprising the Methylobacterium at a titer of at least 1×10 6 CFU/gm, or a liquid composition comprising the Methylobacterium at a titer of at least 1×10 6 CFU/mL, and wherein said composition further comprises an agriculturally acceptable adjuvant and/or excipient.

2. The tomato plant, plant part, or seed of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises a population of one or more plant beneficial microorganisms other than Methylobacterium.

3. The plant, plant part, or seed of claim 1 , wherein said agriculturally acceptable adjuvant is a wetter, a sticker, a penetrant, an extender, or a humectant that enhances product efficacy or ease of product application.

4. The tomato plant, plant part, or seed of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises a pesticide.

5. The tomato plant, plant part, or seed of claim 4 , wherein said pesticide is an insecticide, a fungicide, a nematocide or a bacteriocide.

6. The tomato plant, plant part, or seed of claim 4 , wherein said pesticide does not substantially inhibit growth of the Methylobacterium by more than 50% when the composition is applied to a plant or plant part in comparison to when a composition lacking the pesticide is applied to a plant or plant part.

7. The tomato plant, plant part, or seed of claim 3 , wherein said sticker comprises a polyvinyl acetate polymer or copolymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate polymer or copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol polymer or copolymer, latex polymer, alginate, acrylic copolymer, or acrylamide polymer or copolymer.

8. The tomato plant, plant part, or seed of claim 1 , wherein said adjuvant comprises a surfactant, dispersant, anticaking-agent, foam-control agent, or a dye.

9. The tomato plant, plant part, or seed of claim 1 , wherein said composition provides for increased fruit.

10. The tomato plant, plant part or seed of claim 1 , wherein said fermentation product comprises a solid substance with adherent Methylobacterium grown thereon, or an emulsion with Methylobacterium grown therein.

11. The tomato plant, plant part, or seed of claim 1 , wherein said agriculturally acceptable adjuvant is an alginate, talc, kaolin, dextrin, malto-dextrin, polysaccharide, fat, oil, protein, or gum.

12. The tomato plant, plant part, or seed of claim 1 , wherein said composition is an essentially dry product having 5% or less water content, a mixture of the composition with an emulsion, or a suspension.

13. A method for improving tomato production, said method comprising: (i) treating a tomato plant, a part thereof, or a tomato seed by spraying, coating, partially coating, immersing, and/or imbibing the plant, plant part or seed with a composition comprising Methylobacterium strain NLS0089 which has been deposited under NRRL B-50933, wherein the composition has a Methylobacterium NLS0089 titer of at least 1×10 6 colony forming units per gram (CFU/gm) or at least 1×10 6 CFU per milliliter (CFU/mL); and (ii) growing the treated tomato plant, plant part, or the treated seed to produce a plant; wherein said tomato plant or tomato plant grown from said seed exhibits increased fruit production when compared to an untreated control tomato plant or a control tomato plant grown from an untreated seed, thereby improving tomato production.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said composition comprises Methylobacterium at a titer of about 1×10 6 CFU/gm to about 1×10 14 CFU/gm for a solid composition or at a titer of about 1×10 6 CFU/mL to about 1×10 11 CFU/mL for a liquid composition.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said composition partially coats said tomato plant or a part thereof, or said seed, wherein said partial coating is at least about 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 98%, 99%, or about 99.5% of the surface area of the tomato plant, part or seed.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises: (iii) harvesting seedlings, rootstock, scions, fruit, or seed from said tomato plant or tomato plant grown from said seed.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the composition comprises an agriculturally acceptable adjuvant and/or excipient.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein said composition is applied to said tomato plant, part thereof, or seed in a hydroponic solution.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein said composition is depleted of substances that promote growth of resident microorganisms on said plant or seed.