Methods and compositions for improving plant health

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and compositions for improving plant health. In particular, application of dicamba or another substrate of DMO, or metabolites thereof including DCSA, to a plant confers tolerance to, or defense against, abiotic or biotic stresses such as oxidative stress including herbicide application, and plant disease, and enhances crop yield. Such application maybe in combination with the application of another herbicide such as glyphosate.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A method for enhancing the yield of a plant comprising contacting the plant with an amount of dicamba, or a product of DMO-mediated metabolism of dicamba including DCSA, effective to increase the yield of the plant relative to a plant of the same genotype grown under the same conditions but not contacted with the dicamba or a product of DMO-mediated metabolism of dicamba. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the plant is in a crop production field. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , further defined as comprising contacting a population of plants with said dicamba or a product of DMO-mediated metabolism thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the product of DMO-mediated metabolism is 3,6-DCSA, 3,5-DCSA, or 3-CSA, or a metabolite of 3,6-DCSA, 3,5-DCSA, or 3CSA. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the product of DMO-mediated metabolism is an analog of DCSA. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the product is herbicidal and wherein the plant comprises a transgene that encodes DMO. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the product is not herbicidal. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , comprising treating said field with from about 0.25 lb/a to about 1.5 lb/a of dicamba. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , comprising treating said field with from about 0.25 lb/a to about 12 lb/a of DCSA. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the plant is a dicotyledonous plant. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the dicotyledonous plant is selected from the group consisting of alfalfa, beans, beet, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, cotton, cucumber, eggplant, flax, lettuce, lupine, melon, pea, pepper, peanut, potato, pumpkin, radish, rapeseed, spinach, soybean, squash, sugarbeet, sunflower, tomato, and watermelon. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the plant is a monocotyledonous plant. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the monocotyledonous plant is selected from the group consisting of barley, corn, leek, onion, rice, sorghum, sweet corn, wheat, rye, millet, sugarcane, oat, triticale, switchgrass, and turfgrass. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the plant is defined as tolerant to a herbicide selected from the group consisting of glyphosate, glufosinate, 2,4-D, mesotrione, dithiopyr, isoxaflutole, bromoxynil, atrazine, fluazifop-P, and sulfonylureas/imidazolinones. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising contacting the plant with at least one of said herbicides selected from the group consisting of glyphosate, glufosinate, 2,4-D, mesotrione, thiazopyr, isoxaflutole, bromoxynil, atrazine, fluazifop-P, and sulfonylureas/imidazo I inones. 
     
     
         49 - 50 . (canceled)