Increasing plant yield with bacterial/fungal combinations

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 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 placing a strain of  Bacillus  and an isolate of  Trichoderma  in vicinity of a plant seed or seedling;   growing the plant seed or seedling; and   determining yield of the plant seed or seedling, during or after the growing.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , where the strain is a  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  strain. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , where the  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  strain is ATCC BAA-390 or FZB24. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , where the isolate is a  Trichoderma virens  isolate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , where the  Trichoderma virens  isolate is ATCC 58678 or G1-21. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , where the strain is a  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  strain and the isolate is a  Trichoderma virens  isolate. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , including testing the  Bacillus  strain for growth inhibition of the  Trichoderma  isolate, and the  Trichoderma  isolate for growth inhibition of the  Bacillus  strain. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , where the testing includes using a competitive culture process. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , where the yield of the plant seed or seedling is greater than a yield of a plant seed or seedling grown in vicinity of the  Bacillus  strain without the  Trichoderma  isolate, and greater than a yield of a plant seed or seedling grown in vicinity of the  Trichoderma  isolate without the  Bacillus  strain. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , where the yield of the plant seed or seedling is additive as compared to a yield of a plant seed or seedling grown in vicinity of the  Bacillus  strain without the  Trichoderma  isolate, and compared to yield of a plant seed or seedling grown in vicinity of the  Trichoderma  isolate without the  Bacillus strain.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , where the yield of the plant seed or seedling is synergistic as compared to a yield of a plant seed or seedling grown in vicinity of the  Bacillus  strain without the  Trichoderma  isolate, and compared to yield of a plant seed or seedling grown in vicinity of the  Trichoderma  isolate without the  Bacillus  strain. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , where placing the  Bacillus  strain and the  Trichoderma  isolate in vicinity of a plant seed or seedling includes applying the  Bacillus  strain and the  Trichoderma  isolate to a plant seed, or to a furrow in which a seed or seedling is grown. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , where growing the plant seed or seedling includes field trials or greenhouse testing. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , where growing the plant seed or seedling is in soil. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16 , where the plant seed or seedling is corn, sunflower, soybean, wheat, or pea. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 16 , where a fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, acaricide or nematicide is placed in vicinity of the plant seed or seedling, along with the  Bacillus  strain and the  Trichoderma  isolate. 
     
     
         28 . A method to identify a combination of a bacterium and a fungus that increases yield of a plant, comprising:
 selecting a strain of  Bacillus  and an isolate of  Trichoderma;      applying the  Bacillus  strain and the  Trichoderma  isolate to a plant seed or to a seed furrow in which a plant seed will be grown;   growing the plant seed to which the strain and isolate have been applied, or growing a plant seed in the seed furrow to which the strain and isolate have been applied; and   determining yield of a plant grown from the plant seeds.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , where the strain is a  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  strain and the isolate is a  Trichoderma virens  isolate. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , including combining into a product, a  Bacillus  strain and a  Trichoderma  isolate that result in a synergistic increase in yield of the plant, as compared to plant yield resulting from applying the  Bacillus  strain alone or the  Trichoderma  isolate alone. 
     
     
         31 . A method, comprising:
 applying a strain of  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  and an isolate of  Trichoderma virens  to a first plant seed or to a seed furrow in which a second plant seed is grown;   growing the first or the second plant seeds into a plant;   identifying plants with a yield that is synergistic as compared to plants from seeds grown with the  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  strain without the  Trichoderma virens  isolate, and as compared to plants from seeds grown with the  Trichoderma virens  isolate without the  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  strain.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , including combining into a product, the  Bacillus amyloliquefaciens  strain and the  Trichoderma virens  isolate applied to seeds or furrows that resulted in plants with the synergistic yields.