Plant host acceptable microorganisms, which are ice nucleation deficient and use at least one nutrient from the plant also used by ice nucleating native microorganisms, are applied to a plant part at an early stage in the growth cycle. The multiplication of the native ice nucleating microorganisms is inhibited, so that under normal frost conditions encountered in the field, frost damage is substantially diminished. The non-nucleating microorganisms may be obtained by special selection procedures, selecting from naturally occurring microorganisms or mutagenized microorganisms, where additionally the organisms may be transformed to provide for other desirable properties. The following organisms have been deposited at the A.T.C.C. on Aug. 13, 1981; A5-01, A5-05-1, A5-06, A5-10-1, A5-26, and A4-2B-10.
A strain of Erwinia herbicola identified as EHO-10 has been found to have a broad spectrum of inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria. Pathogenic bacteria inhibited by EHO-10 includes those from the following genera: Agrobacterium, Corynebacterium, Erwinia, Pseudomonas, and Xanthomonas. EHO-10 has inhibitory activity against Erwinia amylovora, a bacteria pathogen causing fire blight disease of pear and other trees.
There is disclosed a method for recovery of a microorganism having ice nucleating activity from a fermentation medium which comprises the steps of (a) bringing the temperature of the medium to a temperature of about 15.degree. C. or less, (b) forming a concentrate of the medium while maintaining the temperature of about 15.degree. C. or less, (c) running the concentrate into a cryogenic fluid to form frozen pellets of the concentrate and (d) freeze drying said pellets at a temperature below 25.degree. C.
A method of reducing cold injury or damage to plants such as peanut, citrus trees, peaches, strawberries and other plants susceptible to cold injury such as frost or freezing comprises applying a pyridylaniline active agent such as fluazinam to the plant in an amount effective to reduce cold injury to the plant.
A method of reducing cold injury or damage to plants such as peanut, citrus trees, peaches, strawberries and other plants susceptible to cold injury such as frost or freezing comprises applying a pyridylaniline active agent such as fluazinam to the plant in an amount effective to reduce cold injury to the plant.
Disclosed are methods for blocking radiation to horticultural crops in order to reduce light-induced freeze and chill damage which involve treating the surface of the horticultural crops with an effective amount of one or more particulate materials.
