Stable liquid formulations for nitrogen-fixing microorganisms
Inventors
Rezaei, Farzaneh • MOHITI-ASLI, Mahsa • KREAMER, Naomi • JOHNSON, Allison Nicole • AMENDOLARA, Tabitha
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12478068-B2
Publication Date
2025-11-25
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present disclosure provides agronomically stable liquid agricultural compositions, methods of formulation thereof, and methods of application thereof. The agricultural compositions comprise nitrogen-fixing microorganisms and one or more of a buffering agent, a microbial stabilizer, and a physical stabilizer. The disclosed liquid agricultural compositions have a longer shelf life and greater ease of application than other existing dry and liquid formulations. The disclosed liquid agricultural compositions are stable for a period of thirty days or longer with low toxin accumulation and high microbial stability. The compositions are suitable for use on agricultural plant tissues or the environs thereof for providing a source of fixed atmospheric nitrogen to the agricultural plant. The compositions are used to increase crop yield and decrease yield variance.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an agronomically stable liquid agricultural composition that delivers diazotrophic bacteria. The composition includes diazotrophic bacteria together with a buffering agent, a microbial stabilizer, and a physical stabilizer, and is defined by room temperature shelf stability of at least 30 days with a decay rate of less than 1.0 log loss of colony forming units of viable bacterium per mL over 30 days.
A further aspect defines a composition having a room temperature shelf life of at least 3 months while maintaining diazotrophic bacteria viability. The composition includes a buffering agent that maintains the pH of the composition around pH 6.7 over the shelf life, a microbial stabilizer that slows the doubling rate of the diazotrophic bacteria, and a physical stabilizer that decreases the local density of the diazotrophic bacteria within the composition.
Another aspect defines a method of preparing the agronomically stable liquid agricultural composition. The method selects for inclusion a cellular density of the diazotrophic bacteria that provides a decay rate of less than 1.0 log loss of colony forming units of viable bacterium per mL over 30 days, and selects a buffering agent, a microbial stabilizer, and a physical stabilizer such that the resulting composition is stable at room temperature for more than 30 days and has greater stability than a composition absent one or more stabilizer components.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims center on room-temperature shelf-life criteria expressed as log loss of CFU, inclusion of a buffering agent, a microbial stabilizer, and a physical stabilizer, and pH and stabilization functions tied to slowing doubling and decreasing local density, optionally supported by selecting bacterial cellular density during preparation.
Room-temperature agronomically stable liquid composition with four components and CFU decay constraint
An agronomically stable liquid agricultural composition comprising diazotrophic bacteria, a buffering agent, a microbial stabilizer, and a physical stabilizer, wherein the composition has a room temperature shelf life of at least 30 days and the bacteria are present at a cellular density that provides a decay rate of less than 1.0 log loss of colony forming units of viable bacterium per mL over 30 days.
Extended shelf life composition with controlled pH near 6.7 and stabilization functions
An agronomically stable liquid agricultural composition with a room temperature shelf life of at least 3 months comprising diazotrophic bacteria present at a cellular density providing a decay rate of less than 0.2 log loss of colony forming units of viable bacterium per mL over the shelf life; a buffering agent that maintains the pH of the composition around pH 6.7; a microbial stabilizer that slows the doubling rate of the diazotrophic bacteria; and a physical stabilizer that decreases the local density of the diazotrophic bacteria within the composition.
Preparation method by selecting cellular density and selecting stabilization components
A method of preparing an agronomically stable liquid agricultural composition comprising diazotrophic bacteria, comprising providing diazotrophic bacteria; selecting for inclusion a cellular density providing a decay rate of less than 1.0 log loss of colony forming units of viable bacterium per mL over 30 days; selecting a buffering agent; selecting a microbial stabilizer; and selecting a physical stabilizer, wherein the composition is stable at room temperature for more than 30 days and has greater stability than a composition absent one or more of the buffering agent, microbial stabilizer, and physical stabilizer.
The independent claims collectively require a room-temperature stable liquid agricultural composition containing diazotrophic bacteria and three stabilization elements: a buffering agent, a microbial stabilizer, and a physical stabilizer. Shelf life and viability are defined by CFU log-loss decay limits, and the longer-life embodiment further specifies pH maintenance around pH 6.7 plus functional stabilization effects of slowing doubling and decreasing local density. The method claim adds selecting bacterial cellular density and choosing the three stabilizers to achieve enhanced stability compared with compositions lacking one or more components.
Stated Advantages
Room temperature shelf life of at least 30 days with less than 1.0 log CFU loss per mL over 30 days.
Room temperature shelf life of at least 3 months with stability greater than a composition absent one or more of the buffering agent, microbial stabilizer, and physical stabilizer.
Presence of toxic byproducts is less than in a composition absent one or more of the buffering agent, microbial stabilizer, and physical stabilizer.
Greater composition stability than a composition absent one or more of the buffering agent, microbial stabilizer, and physical stabilizer.
Documented Applications
Agronomic use of the agronomically stable liquid agricultural composition delivering diazotrophic bacteria, including conditions where the composition is applied as a plant treatment.
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