Composition and method for stress mitigation in plants

Abstract

A composition and method to mitigate plant autophagy and/or apoptosis of newly developing cells in plants grown under environmentally stressful growing conditions. Exogenous application of a cytokinin, preferably kinetin, to the foliage of plants has been discovered to overcome, or at least mitigate, autophagy when applied during or just prior to flowering. Several provided examples show that, in laboratory and field experiments, exogenous foliar application of cytokinin to the leaves and flowers of plants lessened cytokinin deficiencies in plant tissues grown in high temperatures, thereby mitigating autophagy and apoptosis and greatly enhancing seed/crop production. The application of low concentrations of potassium together with the cytokinin appears to provide a synergistic effect by amplifying the effect of the cytokinin to lessen autophagy and increase crop productivity.

1 . A method of mitigating plant autophagy in plants grown under a high stress environmental condition, said method comprising the steps of:
 readying a plant hormone for application to plants, said plant hormone being primarily cytokinin, and   applying said plant hormone in an aqueous solution to the foliage or flowers of said plants during or just prior to flowering, said aqueous solution having a concentration of between about 0.01 wt % to about 0.1 wt % cytokinin, said aqueous solution applied to said plants at a rate of about ¼ pint to about 4 pints per acre.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein,
 said high stress environmental condition is a daytime temperature of greater than about 30 degrees Celsius. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein,
 said daytime temperature of greater than 30 degrees Celsius occurs during or just prior to flowering. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of,
 applying potassium to the foliage or flowers of said plants at the rate of between about ¼ lb. to about 2 lbs. potassium per acre. 
 
     
     
         5 . A method of farming comprising the steps of:
 readying an autophagy-inhibiting agent for application to growing plants, said autophagy inhibiting agent consisting of a plant hormone, said plant hormone including a cytokinin,   readying a potassium salt for application to said growing plants, and   applying said autophagy-inhibiting agent and said potassium salt in an aqueous solution to the foliage or flowers of said growing plants during or just prior to flowering, said aqueous solution applied to said growing plants such that between about 0.09 grams to about 0.76 grams of cytokinin are applied per acre of growing plants.   
     
     
         6 . The method of fanning of  claim 5  wherein,
 said potassium salt is applied to the foliage or flowers of said growing plants at the rate of about ¼ lb. to about 2 lbs. potassium salt per acre. 
 
     
     
         7 . A method of growing plants comprising the steps of:
 readying a plant hormone and potassium for application to foliage or flowers of plants that grow in an average daytime temperature above about 20 degrees Celsius, said plant hormone having cytokinin as a majority component, and   applying an aqueous solution of said plant hormone and said potassium to the foliage or flowers of said plants during or just prior to flowering, said cytokinin applied to said plants at a rate between about 0.09 grams per acre to about 0.76 grams per acre.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein,
 said potassium is applied to the foliage or flowers of said plants at a rate of between about ¼ lb. to about 2 lbs. per acre. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein,
 said average daytime temperature above about 20 degrees Celsius occurs during or just prior to flowering. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein,
 said average daytime temperature exceeds about 30 degrees Celsius. 
 
     
     
         11 . A composition for mitigating environmental stress in growing plants, said composition comprising:
 a plant hormone including primarily a cytokinin, said cytokinin being present in an aqueous solution of said composition at a concentration of between about 0.1 ppm to about 3.4 ppm cytokinin, said composition being an amount effective to lessen plant autophagy under an average daytime growing temperature above 30 degrees Celsius.   
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 11  further comprising,
 a potassium salt present in said composition at a concentration of between about 500 ppm to about 4,000 ppm potassium salt. 
 
     
     
         13 . A composition for lessening environmental stress in growing plants, said composition comprising:
 a plant hormone having cytokinin as a majority component, said cytokinin being present in an aqueous solution of said composition at a concentration such that between about 0.09 grams to about 0.76 grams of cytokinin may be applied per acre of said growing plants when said composition is so applied, said composition being an amount effective to lessen plant autophagy under an average daytime growing temperature above 30 degrees Celsius and   a potassium salt being present in said aqueous solution of said composition at a concentration such that between about ¼ lb. to about 2 lbs. of potassium salt may be applied per acre of said growing plants when said composition is so applied.