Method for changing the development pattern, increasing the growth and the accumulation of starch, changing the structure of starch and increasing the resistance to water stress in plants

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for changing the development pattern, increasing the growth and starch accumulation, changing the structure of starch and increasing the resistance to water stress in plants. The method involves culturing plants in an atmosphere containing volatile elements emitted by a microorganism, without there being any physical contact between the microorganism and the plant. The method is based on the discovery that the volatile elements emitted by Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and microscopic fungi stimulate an increase in the growth of plants in general, with an increase in the height, the number of leaves and/or the number of branches of the plant, as well as an increase in the accumulated starch and structural change of this biopolymer, and modification of the development pattern, with an increase in floral buds. An increased resistance to water stress can also be observed, in addition to an increase in starch in leaves separated from whole plants.

1 .- 97 . (canceled) 
     
     
         98 . A method for increasing plant growth comprising:
 culturing at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of  Agrobacterium, Alternaria, Penicillium, Saccharomyces  and  Salmonella  in a medium that contains no protein and no amino acids;   contacting a plant with volatile compounds, which are emitted during culturing by said at least one microorganism, without direct contact between the plant and the microorganism;   wherein said plant growth is increased compared to that of an otherwise identical control plant not exposed to said volatile compounds or compared to that of an otherwise identical control plant exposed to volatile compounds produced by said microorganism when grown in a medium containing protein or amino acids.   
     
     
         99 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the microorganism comprises  Agrobacterium.    
     
     
         100 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the microorganism is  Alternaria.    
     
     
         101 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the microorganism comprises  Penicillium.    
     
     
         102 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the microorganism comprises  Saccharomyces.    
     
     
         103 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the microorganism comprises  Salmonella.    
     
     
         104 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said microorganism is not a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (“PGPR”). 
     
     
         105 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said microorganism is not a rhizobacterium. 
     
     
         106 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein increased plant growth is characterized by an increase in plant length, leaf size, stem thickness, or root size compared to a plant grown by an otherwise identical method which was not grown in the presence of said volatile compounds. 
     
     
         107 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein increased plant growth is characterized by an increase in the numbers of leaves, branches, flower buds, flowers, or seeds compared to a plant grown by an otherwise identical method which was not grown in the presence of said volatile compounds. 
     
     
         108 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein increased plant growth is characterized by an increase in chlorophyll production compared to a plant grown by an otherwise identical method which was not grown in the presence of said volatile compounds. 
     
     
         109 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein increased plant growth is characterized by an increase in starch accumulation compared to a plant grown by an otherwise identical method which was not grown in the presence of said volatile compounds. 
     
     
         110 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein increased plant growth is characterized by an increase in resistance to water stress compared to a plant grown by an otherwise identical method which was not grown in the presence of said volatile compounds. 
     
     
         111 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant is a monocotyledon. 
     
     
         112 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant is maize. 
     
     
         113 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant is barley. 
     
     
         114 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant is a dicotyledon. 
     
     
         115 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant is  Arabidopsis.    
     
     
         116 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant is a pepper. 
     
     
         117 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant is a potato. 
     
     
         118 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant is tobacco. 
     
     
         119 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the plant is a maize plant, a tobacco plant, or a plant from the  Arabidopsis thaliana  species; and wherein said volatile compounds are produced by a microorganism grown in a minimal medium supplemented with an organic carbon source. 
     
     
         120 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said volatile compounds are produced by a microorganism grown in a medium that contains no protein and no amino acids, which is supplemented with a carbon source that is an organic compound. 
     
     
         121 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant growth occurs in an atmosphere containing volatile compounds emitted by said microorganism. 
     
     
         122 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said plant growth occurs in an atmosphere containing volatile compounds emitted by said microorganism from a solution containing the volatile compounds. 
     
     
         123 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the volatile compounds are contained in a filtered culture medium used to culture said microorganism. 
     
     
         124 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the volatile compounds are contained in irrigation water for the plant. 
     
     
         125 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the volatile compounds are insufflated to the culture atmosphere. 
     
     
         126 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the plant is cultured in a greenhouse. 
     
     
         127 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the volatile compounds are administered to a culture atmosphere of the plant by fumigating or spraying. 
     
     
         128 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the volatile compounds are administered to a culture atmosphere of the plant along with a fertilizer, a pesticide, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         129 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein said volatile compounds do not contain ammonia. 
     
     
         130 . A method for increasing growth of a plant consisting essentially of:
 culturing at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of  Agrobacterium, Alternaria, Penicillium, Saccharomyces  and  Salmonella , in a medium that contains no protein and no amino acids;   contacting a plant with volatile compound(s), which are emitted during culturing by said at least one microorganism, without direct contact between the plant and the microorganism;   wherein said plant growth is increased compared to that of an otherwise identical control plant not exposed to said volatile compounds or compared to that of an otherwise identical control plant exposed to volatile compounds produced by said microorganism when grown in a medium containing protein or amino acids.   
     
     
         131 . A method for increasing plant growth or increasing starch accumulation in a plant, or both, comprising culturing a plant in the presence of at least one volatile compound, wherein the at least one volatile compound is selected from the group consisting of acetaldehyde, acetic acid, butyric acid, formic acid, and propanoic acid,
 wherein plant growth or starch accumulation is increased compared to that of an otherwise identical plant not cultured in the presence of the at least one volatile compound.   
     
     
         132 . The method of  claim 131  that increases plant growth compared to that in an otherwise identical plant cultured under otherwise identical conditions but not in the presence of the least one volatile compound. 
     
     
         133 . The method of  claim 132 , wherein increased plant growth is characterized by an increase in the height of the plant, an increase in the size of the leaves, an increase in the thickness of the stem and/or an increase in the size of the roots. 
     
     
         134 . The method of  claim 131  that increases starch accumulation compared to that in an otherwise identical plant cultured under otherwise identical conditions but not in the presence of the least one volatile compound. 
     
     
         135 . The method of  claim 134 , wherein starch accumulation is characterized by the presence of starch granules larger than those in plants cultured in the absence of the at least one volatile compound, a lower amylose/amylopectin ratio than plants cultured in the absence of the at least one volatile compound, or both. 
     
     
         136 . The method of  claim 131 , wherein the at least volatile compound is present in the atmosphere in which the plant is grown. 
     
     
         137 . The method of  claim 131 , wherein the at least volatile compound is exogenous to the plant, medium or atmosphere in which the plant is grown. 
     
     
         138 . The method of  claim 131 , wherein the at least one volatile compound comprises acetaldehyde. 
     
     
         139 . The method of  claim 131 , wherein the at least one volatile compound comprises acetic acid. 
     
     
         140 . The method of  claim 131 , wherein the at least one volatile compound comprises butyric acid. 
     
     
         141 . The method of  claim 131 , wherein the at least one volatile compound comprises formic acid. 
     
     
         142 . The method of  claim 131 , wherein the at least one volatile compound comprises propanoic acid. 
     
     
         143 . The method of  claim 131 , wherein the plant is cultured in the presence of at least two of said volatile compounds. 
     
     
         144 . The method of  claim 131 , further comprising exogenously adding the at least one volatile compound to the air, atmosphere, irrigation water, or medium in which the plant is grown. 
     
     
         145 . The method of  claim 131 , wherein the at least one volatile compound is contained in irrigation water for the plant and can evaporate into atmosphere or air in which the plant is cultured.