Root and shoot length of Poa pratensis inoculated with bacteria. Treatments significantly improved compared to control for all metrics.
Invention Summary:
Agricultural producers face increasing pressure to improve crop productivity while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Beneficial plant-associated microorganisms, known as endophytes, offer a sustainable solution by enhancing plant growth, improving nutrient utilization, and increasing resilience to environmental and biological stressors.
Rutgers researchers have developed a microbial seed treatment and biofertilizer platform based on in vitro assays of endophytic microbes using axenic seedlings of grasses and other crop species. Selected isolates promote root and shoot growth through beneficial plant-microbe interactions, nutrient acquisition, and signal molecule- and phytohormone-mediated mechanisms. In addition, microbes are active in the rhizophagy process in roots where plants extract nutrients from them. Further, these endophytes enhance stress tolerance in plants through colonization of root hairs where they cause plants to express oxidative resistance genes. The endophytes can be formulated individually or as microbial consortia for seed coatings, soil amendments, and crop inoculants to enhance seed germination, seedling establishment, plant vigor, and crop productivity. The platform may also be combined with natural antimicrobial compounds, such as capsaicin, to provide additional protection against soil-borne pathogens and fungal diseases.
Market Applications:
Advantages:
Introduces a naturally derived microbial biofertilizer platform based on bacterial and fungal endophytes that promote plant growth while reducing reliance on synthetic agricultural inputs.
Related technologies:
Intellectual Property & Development Status: Provisional application filed. Patent pending. Available for licensing and/or research collaboration. For any business development and other collaborative partnerships, contact: marketingbd@research.rutgers.edu