Plant seed assemblies comprising bacterial/fungal anatagonists

Abstract

A seed treated with a fungal/bacterial antagonist combination and a seed assembly comprising a seed and a fungal/bacterial antagonist combination. The fungal/bacterial antagonist combination comprises a Trichoderma virens fungal antagonist and a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens bacterial antagonist for controlling plant pathogens as a biocontrol agent, bio-pesticide or bio-fungicide. In preferred embodiments, the invention produces an increase in plant yield. Control of early and late season stalk and root rot caused by fungi such as Fusarium, Phythium, Phytophthora and Penicillium in tomatoes, peppers, turf grass, soybeans, sunflower, wheat and corn is achieved.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A seed assembly made by combining a plant seed with a spore-forming bacterial isolate of  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  and a spore-forming fungal isolate of  Trichoderma virens  to produce a combination;
 wherein the combination increases the yield of the plant.   
     
     
         19 . The seed assembly of  claim 18  wherein the seed is a seed of a plant selected from the group consisting of: a monocot, and a dicot. 
     
     
         20 . The seed assembly of  claim 18  wherein the seed is a seed of a plant selected from the group consisting of: a legume plant, and a non-legume plant. 
     
     
         21 . The seed assembly of  claim 18  wherein the seed is a seed of a plant selected from the group consisting of: a corn seed, a sunflower seed, a soybean seed, a field pea seed, a wheat seed, a cotton seed, a barley seed, an oat seed, a millet seed, and an alfalfa seed. 
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 18  wherein the spore-forming bacterial isolate of  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  and the spore-forming fungal isolate of  Trichoderma virens  are applied to said plant seed at a rate of no less than about 10,000 spore counts per plant seed. 
     
     
         23 . The seed assembly of  claim 18  wherein the spore-forming bacterial isolate of  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  and the spore-forming fungal isolate of  Trichoderma virens  are applied to said plant seed at a rate of at least 100,000 spore counts per plant seed. 
     
     
         24 . The seed assembly of  claim 18  further comprising:
 a wettable clay based powder, a dextrose granule or powders, a sucrose granules or powder or a maltose-dextrose granule or powder. 
 
     
     
         25 . The seed assembly of  claim 18  further comprising:
 a carrier that is non-phytotoxic, non-bacteriostatic, and non-bactericidal. 
 
     
     
         26 . A seed assembly made by combining a plant seed with a spore-forming bacterial isolate of  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  and a spore-forming fungal isolate of  Trichoderma virens  to produce a combination;
 wherein the composition is effective at increasing the manganese content of a plant grown from the plant seed.   
     
     
         27 . The seed assembly of  claim 26  wherein the seed is a seed of a plant selected from the group consisting of: a monocot, and a dicot. 
     
     
         28 . The seed assembly of  claim 26  wherein the seed is a seed of a plant selected from the group consisting of: a legume plant, and a non-legume plant. 
     
     
         29 . The seed assembly of  claim 26  wherein the seed is a seed of a plant selected from the group consisting of: a corn seed, a sunflower seed, a soybean seed, a field pea seed, a wheat seed, a cotton seed, a barley seed, an oat seed, a millet seed, and an alfalfa seed. 
     
     
         30 . A composition for application to a seed, said composition being made by combining:
 a spore-forming fungal isolate of  Trichoderma virens ; and   a spore-forming bacterial isolate of  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens;      wherein the spore-forming fungal isolate is incapable of producing a substance that substantially inhibits the growth of the spore-forming bacterial strain and the spore-forming bacterial strain is incapable of producing a substance that substantially inhibits the growth of the spore-forming fungal isolate; and   wherein the composition is effective at increasing the yield of a plant grown from the seed to which the composition has been applied.   
     
     
         31 . The composition of  claim 30  wherein the composition is effective at increasing the manganese content of the plant.