Agritope, Inc.

George J Vandemark

Pamela Gail Marrone

Denise Carol Manker

Desmond Rito Jimenez

Sherry Darlene Heins

The present invention is directed to a unique strain of Bacillus subtilis for inhibiting growth of plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria and methods for treating or protecting plants from fingal and bacterial infections.

Biological control of plant fungal infections

The present invention relates to a novel strain antibiotic-producing Bacillus subtilis which is effective against plant fungal and bacterial infections. The invention also includes methods of protecting plants from fungal and bacterial infections comprising the step of applying to the plant an effective amount of the antibiotic-producing Bacillus subtilis, the antibiotic produced by the antibiotic-producing Bacillus subtilis or a combination thereof, optionally further comprising another antibiotic-producing bacterial strain and/or a chemical pesticide. The invention includes methods of treating fungal and bacterial infections using whole broth cultures or supernatants obtained from cultures of antibiotic-producing Bacillus subtilis cultures. The invention also includes treating plant infections using a combination of whole broth and/or supernatant obtained from the antibiotic-producing strain of Bacillus subtilis optionally in combination with chemical pesticides. Also provided is the novel bacterial strain and the antibiotic produced by the novel strain.

Growing community of inventors

Irapuato, Mexico

George J Vandemark