United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Alma Mater Studiorum-Universitá Di Bologna

Consorzio Patata Italiana Di Qualita'

Cesare Accinelli

Hamed K Abbas

Robert Zablotowicz

Jeff Wilkinson

Maria L Sacca

A sprayable liquid biodegradable formulation comprising biocontrol microorganisms imbedded in a dispersed starch-based bioplastic is effective for delivering biocontrol microorganisms and bioactive compounds to soil, crops and seeds and facilitating positioning of biocontrol agents in close proximity to target pests. After application with conventional spray equipment, water evaporates rapidly and the dispersed bioplastic formula remains, serving as a prolonged growth substrate for the biocontrol microorganisms. Application of the bioplastic dispersion formulation comprisingsignificantly reduced damages caused by the European Corn Borer in corn and the Tarnished Plant Bug in cotton. Applying a formulation of spores of a non-aflatoxigenicisolate resulted in a 97% reduction of aflatoxin contamination of corn. The bioplastic dispersion formulation is effective in delivering crystalendotoxins to European Corn Borer larvae, causing 72% mortality. The sprayable bioplastic formulation protects seeds from soil-borne pathogens, thereby reducing damping-off in tomato plants by up to 85%.

Sprayable dispersed starch-based bioplastic formulation to control pests

Previous research demonstrated that aflatoxin contamination in corn is reduced by field application of wheat grains pre-inoculated with the non-aflatoxigenicstrain NRRL 30797. We evaluated the reliability and efficiency of replacing wheat grains with the novel bioplastic formulation Mater-Bi&#xae; to serve as a carrier matrix to formulate strain NRRL 30797. Mater-Bi&#xae; granules were inoculated with a conidial suspension of NRRL 30797 to achieve a final cell density of &#x2dc;log 7 conidia/granule. Incubation of 20-g soil samples receiving a single Mater-Bi&#xae; granule for 60-days resulted in log 4.2 to 5.3 propagules of/g soil for microbiologically active and sterilized soil, respectively. The bioplastic formulation was highly stable; Mater-Bi&#xae; is a suitable substitute for biocontrol applications ofNRRL 30797.

Granular bioplastic biocontrol composition

Previous research demonstrated that aflatoxin contamination in corn is reduced by field application of wheat grains pre-inoculated with the non-aflatoxigenicstrain NRRL 30797. To facilitate field applications of the biocontrol isolate, a series of laboratory studies were conducted on the reliability and efficiency of replacing wheat grains with the novel bioplastic formulation Mater-Bi&#xae; to serve as a carrier matrix to formulate this fungus. Mater-Bi&#xae; granules were inoculated with a conidial suspension of NRRL 30797 to achieve a final cell density of &#x2dc;log 7 conidia/granule. Incubation of 20-g soil samples receiving a single Mater-Bi&#xae; granule for 60-days resulted in log 4.2 to 5.3 propagules of/g soil for microbiologically active and sterilized soil, respectively. Increasing the number of granules had no effect on the degree of soil colonization by the biocontrol fungus. In addition to the maintenance of rapid vegetative growth and colonization of soil samples, the bioplastic formulation was highly stable, indicating that Mater-Bi&#xae; is a suitable substitute for biocontrol applications ofNRRL 30797.

Growing community of inventors

Bologna, Italy

Cesare Accinelli