Method for treating plants

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for increasing productivity of a plant by spraying Pink Pigmented Facultative Methylotroph (PPFM) on a plant. The invention also relates to increasing productivity of a plant under stress by applying Pink Pigmented Facultative Methylotroph (PPFM) to a plant and subsequently applying an aqueous solution containing methanol to the plant.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:  
     
         1 . A method of increasing productivity of plants under stress which comprises the steps of: 
 applying to a seed or foliage of a plant Pink Pigmented Facultative Methylotroph (PPFMs), and    applying an aqueous solution comprising an alcohol and nitrogen to foliage of said plant.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said alcohol is methanol.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said plant is a bean, pea, soybean or peanut plant.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said PPFM is selected from the group consisting of  M. mesophilicum, M. organophilum, M. extorquens  and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 4   , wherein said PPFM is  M. mesophilicum.    
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 2   , wherein said aqueous solution comprises 1-50 v/v% methanol.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said nitrogen source is urea.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 2   , wherein the ratio of methanol to nitrogen is 2.5:1.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 2   , wherein the amount of methanol applied to said plant is from 50 to 150 L ha −1 .  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein the amount of nitrogen applied to said plant is from 10-100 Kg ha −1 .  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said PPFMs are applied to seeds of said plant and thereafter said aqueous alcoholic solution is applied to plants propagated from said seeds.  
     
     
         12 . A method of increasing productivity of plants which comprises the steps of: 
 applying to the foliage of a plant Pink Pigmented Facultative Methylotroph (PPFMs).    
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 13   , wherein said plant is a bean, pea, soybean or peanut plant.  
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 13   , wherein said PPFM is selected from the group consisting of  M. mesophilicum, M. organophilum, M. extorquens  and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 15   , wherein said PPFM is  M. mesophilicum.