IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,439,924
Granted Patent B2
US 12,439,924 · App. 17/299,409 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Patent

Inventors: Natalie Breakfield (St. Louis, MO); Charles Michael McFatrich (St. Louis, MO)
Assignee: NewLeaf Symbiotics, Inc.
A01N63/20A01N25/04A01N25/12C12Q1/689
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,439,924
App. No.
17/299,409
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides yield enhancing compositions comprising Methylobacterium , methods for improving corn yield, and methods of making the compositions. Also provided are isolated yield enhancing Methylobacterium.

Claims (12)

1. A method for improving harvested yield of a corn plant that comprises:

(a) applying a composition to a corn plant or a corn plant part, wherein the composition comprises (i) Methylobacterium isolate NLS0807 (NRRL B-67743), NLS0662 (NRRL B-67742), or NLS0648 (NRRL B-67741); wherein said composition further comprises at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of an additional active ingredient, an agriculturally acceptable adjuvant, and an agriculturally acceptable excipient; and,

(b) growing the corn plant to maturity, thereby improving yield of the corn plant.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is applied to a corn seed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises the 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.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is applied to foliage of the corn plant.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said composition is applied by spraying, coating, partially coating, immersing, and/or imbibing the corn plant or plant part with the composition.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an additional active ingredient and the additional active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of a fungicide, insecticide, nematicide, and a second biological.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the additional active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of clothianidin, Bacillus firmus , abamectin, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, azoxystrobin, fluopyram, fluoxastrobin, ipconazole, mefenoxam, metalaxyl, penflufen, prothioconazole, pyraclostrobin, and sedaxane.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises (i) a Methylobacterium wherein the chromosomal genomic DNA has at least 99%, 99.9, 99.8, 99.7, 99.6%, or 99.5% sequence identity to chromosomal genomic DNA of NLS0807 (NRRL B-67743), NLS0662 (NRRL B-67742), or NLS0648 (NRRL B-67741).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises an agriculturally acceptable excipient and said agriculturally acceptable excipient is a clay or inorganic solid selected from the group consisting of calcium bentonite, kaolin, china clay, talc, perlite, mica, vermiculite, silicas, quartz powder, montmorillonite and mixtures thereof.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein said composition is applied to the corn seed in furrow.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2021
From: BREAKFIELD, NATALIE; MCFATRICH, CHARLES MICHAEL
To: NEWLEAF SYMBIOTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057820/0556 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62878164 · Jul 24, 2019
Provisional Application 62774640 · Dec 3, 2018
Related Publication 20220053768A1 · Feb 24, 2022
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