The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 11, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 09, 1998
Ronald S Oremland, San Francisco, CA (US);
Tracey L Connell, Santa Cruz, CA (US);
Laurence G Miller, El Granada, CA (US);
Abstract
A method is provided for enhancing oxidation of methyl bromide during agricultural fumigations of fields using a fumigant containing methyl bromide. The method comprises adding a methylotrophic bacterium to the soil in an amount effective to provide bacterial oxidation of the methyl bromide. The bacterium preferably comprises a bacterium isolated from agricultural soil, and, in a specific embodiment, comprises a 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence in the Alpha subgroup of Proteobacteria designated strain IMB-1 (ATCC 202197). The fumigant also includes chloropicrin in an amount reduced to a level which permits said bacterial oxidation but while still enables the chloropicrin to serve as a warning agent for excessive release of methyl bromide from the soil. The soil can be pretreated with methyl iodide. The bacterium is applied to the soil as freeze-dried bacterial cells during the fumigation operation.