Thidiazuron mixtures and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to thidiazuron mixtures. The present invention further relates to methods of promoting or synchronizing bud break in woody perennial plants by applying thidiazuron mixtures of the present invention. The present invention further relates to methods of promoting plant growth in woody perennial plants by applying thidiazuron mixtures of the present invention.

Claims

1. An agricultural composition for breaking bud dormancy of woody perennial plants consisting of a mixture of an effective amount of thidiazuron and an effective amount of a second active agent selected from the group consisting of 17-0-0 fertilizer, 15-0-0 fertilizer and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, wherein the amount of thidiazuron and the second active agent is at a ratio from about 1:0.3 to about 1:3,000.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second active agent is 15-0-0 fertilizer and the amount of thidiazuron and 15-0-0 fertilizer is at a ratio from about 1:100 to about 1:3,000.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second active agent is 15-0-0 fertilizer and the amount of thidiazuron and 15-0-0 fertilizer is at a ratio from about 1:500 to about 1:1,500.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second active agent is 17-0-0 fertilizer and the amount of thidiazuron and 17-0-0 fertilizer is at a ratio from about 1:7.74 to about 1:774.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second active agent is 17-0-0 fertilizer and the amount of thidiazuron and 17-0-0 fertilizer is at a ratio from about 1:400 to about 1:700.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second active agent is 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid and the amount of thidiazuron and 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid is at a ratio from about 1:1 to about 1:10.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second active agent is 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid and the amount of thidiazuron and 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid is at a ratio from about 1:2 to about 1:4.

8. A method of promoting plant growth in woody perennial plants comprising applying a composition of claim 1.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plant growth is plant shoot growth.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the woody perennial plant is a grape vine.

11. A method of promoting bud break in woody perennial plants comprising applying a composition of claim 1.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the woody perennial plant is a grape vine.

13. A method of synchronizing bud break in woody perennial plants comprising applying a composition of claim 1.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the woody perennial plant is a grape vine.

15. A method of promoting or synchronizing bud break in woody perennial plants comprising applying a composition consisting of an effective amount of thidiazuron and an effective amount of a second active agent selected from the group consisting of 17-0-0 fertilizer, 15-0-0 fertilizer and 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid, wherein the amount of thidiazuron and the second active agent is at a ratio from about 1:0.3 to about 1:3,000.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein thidiazuron and the second active agent are applied sequentially or concurrently.

17. A method of promoting plant growth in woody perennial plants comprising applying a composition consisting of an effective amount of thidiazuron and an effective amount of a second active agent selected from the group consisting of 17-0-0 fertilizer, 15-0-0 fertilizer and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, wherein the amount of thidiazuron and the second active agent is at a ratio from about 1:0.3 to about 1:3,000.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein thidiazuron and the second active agent are applied sequentially or concurrently.

19. An agricultural pre-mix composition for breaking bud dormancy of woody perennial plants comprising about 0.090% w/w thidiazuron, about 90% w/w 17-0-0 fertilizer, about 0.6% w/w propyl gallate, about 8.3% w/w polyethylene glycol 200, about 0.75% w/w of a combination of alkylphenol ethoxylate, polysiloxane polyether copolymer and propylene glycol and 0.30% w/w xanthan gum, wherein w/w denotes weight by total weight of the composition.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(1) Thidiazuron mixtures of the present invention were unexpectedly found to promote and synchronize bud break (i.e. initiation of growth) in woody perennial plants better than the commercial bud break standard, Dormex. Further, thidiazuron mixtures of the present invention were unexpectedly found to synergistically promote and synchronize bud break (i.e. initiation of growth) and synergistically promote plant growth in woody perennial plants over either active agent alone.

(2) As used herein the phrase breaking bud dormancy or bud break refers to the initiation of growth from the bud following a period of dormancy.

(3) As used herein the term promoting refers to initiating or enhancing.

(4) As used herein the term 15-0-0 fertilizer refers to a fertilizer containing about 15% nitrogen.

(5) As used herein the term 17-0-0 fertilizer refers to a fertilizer containing about 17% nitrogen.

(6) The present invention can be applied via foliar spray, drench, drip, painting or rolling on with a brush, wiping on and chemigation techniques.

(7) As used herein, all numerical values relating to amounts, ratios, weight percentages and the like are defined as about or approximately each particular value, plus or minus 10%. For example, the phrase at least 5.0% by weight is to be understood as at least 4.5% to 5.5% by weight. Therefore, amounts within 10% of the claimed values are encompassed by the scope of the claims.

(8) In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to an agricultural composition for breaking bud dormancy comprising a mixture of an effective amount of thidiazuron and an effective amount of a second active agent selected from the group consisting of 17-0-0 fertilizer, 15-0-0 fertilizer and 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid, wherein the amount of thidiazuron and the second active agent is at a ratio from about 1:0.3 to about 1:3,000.

(9) In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to an agricultural pre-mix composition for breaking bud dormancy of woody perennial plants comprising about 0.090% w/w thidiazuron, about 90% w/w 17-0-0 fertilizer, about 0.6% w/w propyl gallate, about 8.3% w/w polyethylene glycol 200, about 0.75% w/w of a combination of alkylphenol ethoxylate, polysiloxane polyether copolymer and propylene glycol and 0.30% w/w xanthan gum.

(10) In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method of promoting or synchronizing bud break and flowering in woody perennial plants, preferably grape vines, comprising applying a composition comprising an effective amount of thidiazuron and an effective amount of a second active agent selected from the group consisting of 17-0-0 fertilizer, 15-0-0 fertilizer and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic, wherein the amount of thidiazuron and the second active agent is at a ratio from about 1:0.3 to about 1:3,000.

(11) In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method of promoting plant growth in woody perennial plants, preferably grape vines, comprising applying a composition comprising an effective amount of thidiazuron and an effective amount of a second active agent selected from the group consisting of 17-0-0 fertilizer, 15-0-0 fertilizer and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, wherein the amount of thidiazuron and the second active agent is at a ratio from about 1:0.3 to about 1:3,000.

(12) In methods of the present invention thidiazuron and the second active agent may be applied sequentially or concurrently.

(13) In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is directed to an agricultural composition for breaking bud dormancy comprising thidiazuron and 15-0-0 fertilizer at a ratio from about 1:100 to about 1:3,000, more preferably from about 1;500 to about 1:1,500 and even more preferably at about 1:797.

(14) In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is directed to an agricultural composition for breaking bud dormancy comprising thidiazuron and 17-0-0 fertilizer at a ratio from about 1:100 to about 1:1,000, more preferably from about 1:400 to about 1:700 and even more preferably at about 1:657.

(15) In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is directed to an agricultural composition for breaking bud dormancy comprising thidiazuron and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid at a ratio from about 1:1 to about 1:10, more preferably from about 1:2 to about 1:4 and even more preferably at about 1:3.3.

(16) Woody perennial plants refer to plants with stems that do not die back to the ground from which they grew and include, but are not limited to, grape vines, kiwifruit vines, stone fruit trees including but not limited to peach trees, nectarine trees, apricot trees, and cherry trees, apples trees, pear trees, blueberry bushes, brambles including, but not limited to raspberry and blackberry.

(17) These representative embodiments are in no way limiting and are described solely to illustrate some aspects of the invention.

(18) Further, the following example is offered by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Thidiazuron Mixtures on Concord Grape Vines

(19) An aqueous 50% hydrogen cyanamide solution (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Mo. USA) was used as the source of hydrogen cyanamide. The commercial product, Dormex contains 50% hydrogen cyanamide (w/v) in water.

(20) Erger was used as the source of 15-0-0 fertilizer. (Erger is a registered trademark of Valagro S.P.A., Italy and is available from Helena Chemical Company, Collierville, Tenn., USA). Erger contains 15% total nitrogen as 3.1% ammoniacal nitrogen, 5.8% nitrate nitrogen and 6.1% urea nitrogen and 3.3% calcium derived from ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate and urea. As used herein, the term 15-0-0 fertilizer refers to the Erger formulation above and all formulations described in International PCT application publication WO/2001/037653A2 by Valagro S.P.A., Italy, which is incorporated, herein, in its entirety. In the following examples, 15-0-0 fertilizer was applied at a rate of 208,340 ppm calcium nitrate, 15,060 ppm nitrogen nitrate and 15,660 ppm urea or 239,060 ppm total.

(21) CAN-17 was used as the source of 17-0-0 fertilizer. CAN-17 contains 17% total nitrogen as 4.6% ammonium nitrogen and 11.6% nitrate nitrogen and 1.3% urea nitrogen and 8.8% calcium derived from ammonium nitrate and calcium nitrate. CAN-17 is available from J.R. Simplot Company (Boise, Id., USA). In the following examples, 17-0-0 fertilizer was applied at a rate of 118,200 ppm calcium nitrate and 78,900 ppm nitrogen nitrate or 197,100 ppm total.

Method

(22) To assess the ability of mixtures of the invention to promote and synchronize bud break these mixtures were applied to Concord grape vines and examined for bud break (initiation of growth) and subsequent shoot development. Specifically, 1 year old dormant bare rooted Concord grape vines were planted in pots containing Pro-Mix BX potting soil (Pro-Mix is a registered trademark of and available from Premier Horticulture Ltd.) and pruned to 5 nodes on a single shoot. Aqueous solutions of thidiazuron, hydrogen cyanamide, 15-0-0 fertilizer, 17-0-0 fertilizer and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), and mixtures thereof were each applied individually or sequentially or co-applied to the first-year wood of separate Concord grape vines. Plants were grown in the greenhouse for 49 days and evaluated for percent of vines showing bud break, or relief from dormancy, periodically between 7 days and the conclusion of the experiment. Percent bud break is determined by the number of plants that have at least one bud broken divided by the total number of plants per treatment times 100. At 49 days after treatment (DAT), the plants were sacrificed and measured for total number of flower clusters, total new shoot length, longest new shoot, combined new shoot fresh weight and combined new shoot dry weight. New shoot growth is the growth arising from the dormant buds not including the woody growth that was planted and gave rise to the new growth.

(23) Synergy is calculated by the Abbott method:
%C.sub.exp=A+B(AB/100),
where % C.sub.exp is the expected efficacy and in which A and B are the speed of bud break or shoot length or shoot weight given by the single active ingredients. If the ratio between the experimentally observed efficacy of the mixture C.sub.obs and the expected efficacy of the mixture is greater than 1, synergistic interactions are present in the mixture (Gisi, Synergistic Interaction of Fungicides in Mixtures, The American Phytopathological Society, 86:11, 1273-1279,1996).

Results

(24) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Percentage of Concord Grape Vines with Dormancy Relieved Conc. 7 10 13 15 17 20 22 24 % bud break (ppm) DAT DAT DAT DAT DAT DAT DAT DAT Control n/a 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 11.1% 11.1% 22.2% Hydrogen 10,000 0 11.1% 44.4% 66.7% 77.8% 88.9% 88.9% 88.9% Cyanamide Thidiazuron 300 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 11.1% 11.1% 22.2% 33.3% (300) Thidiazuron 1,000 0 44.4% 77.8% 88.9% 88.9% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% (1,000) 17-0-0 197,100 0 0.0% 11.1% 22.2% 22.2% 33.3% 33.3% 33.3% Fertilizer 15-0-0 239,060 0 0.0% 11.1% 22.2% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% Fertilizer ACC 1,000 0 11.1% 11.1% 11.1% 11.1% 11.1% 22.2% 22.2% Thidiazuron + 300 0 44.4% 55.6% 77.8% 77.8% 77.8% 88.9% 88.9% 17-0-0 197,100 Fertilizer Thidiazuron + 300 0 22.2% 33.3% 66.7% 88.9% 88.9% 88.9% 88.9% 15-0-0 239,060 Fertilizer Thidiazuron + 300 0 0.0% 22.2% 33.3% 33.3% 33.3% 33.3% 33.3% ACC 1,000 Thidiazuron 197,100 0 11.1% 11.1% 22.2% 22.2% 22.2% 22.2% 33.3% (0.09%) + 17-0-0 Fertilizer (90%) Premix 27 29 31 34 36 38 41 43 49 % bud break DAT DAT DAT DAT DAT DAT DAT DAT DAT Control 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% Hydrogen 88.9% 88.9% 88.9% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Cyanamide Thidiazuron 33.3% 33.3% 33.3% 33.3% 44.4% 55.6% 55.6% 66.7% 77.8% (300 ppm) Thidiazuron 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% (1,000 ppm) 17-0-0 Fertilizer 44.4% 55.6% 55.6% 77.8% 88.9% 88.9% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 15-0-0 Fertilizer 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 44.4% 66.7% 66.7% 88.9% ACC 22.2% 33.3% 33.3% 55.6% 66.7% 77.8% 77.8% 77.8% 77.8% Thidiazuron + 88.9% 88.9% 88.9% 88.9% 88.9% 88.9% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 17-0-0 Fertilizer Thidiazuron + 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 15-0-0 Fertilizer Thidiazuron + 33.3% 33.3% 44.4% 55.6% 66.7% 77.8% 77.8% 88.9% 88.9% ACC Thidiazuron 33.3% 33.3% 55.6% 55.6% 55.6% 55.6% 66.7% 77.8% 77.8% (0.09%) + 17-0-0 Fertilizer (90%) Premix % is based on number of plants with at least one bud break ppm denotes parts per million DAT denotes days after treatment

(25) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Concord Grape Vines Growth Measurements at 49 Day Post Treatment Combined Combined Total Longest Shoot Shoot Shoot Shoot Total # Fresh Dry Length Length of Flower Weight Weight (cm) (cm) Clusters (g) (g) Control 27.2 25.4 0.2 8.1 1.5 Hydrogen 129.8 83.8 0.0 39.3 9.0 Cyanamide Thidiazuron 28.3 20.1 0.1 8.2 1.5 (300) Thidiazuron 88.8 68.3 0.1 31.8 6.9 (1000) 17-0-0 60.1 56.8 0.4 19.1 3.7 Fertilizer 15-0-0 53.9 43.4 0.2 17.6 3.8 Fertilizer ACC 28.9 27.9 0.1 7.1 1.2 Thidiazuron 88.2 (1.2) 79.5 (1.2) 0.4 30.3 (1.2) 6.8 (1.3) (300) + 17-0-0 Fertilizer Thidiazuron 92.3 (1.4) 68.3 (1.2) 0.1 32.7 (1.3) 7.1 (1.3) (300) + 15-0-0 Fertilizer Thidiazuron 33.2 32.9 0.0 14.3 3.1 (1.2) (300) + ACC Thidiazuron 25.9 22.8 0.0 8.2 1.7 (0.09%) + 17-0-0 Fertilizer (90%) Premix cm denotes centimeters g denotes grams (#) denotes a synergy factor greater than 1

(26) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Concord Grape Vines Bud Break and Harvest Weights from Greenhouse Study 50% Dry Weight Dry Weight Fresh Initial Bud (g)/ (g)/ Weight (g)/ 25% Bud 50% Bud to 50% Break 25% Bud 50% Bud 50% Bud Break Break Bud to Break to Break to Break to (DAT) (DAT) Break Harvest Harvest (d) Harvest (d) Harvest (d) Control 25 n/a n/a n/a 0.06 n/a n/a Hydrogen 11 14 5 35 0.24 0.26 1.12 Cyanamide Thidiazuron 23 37 21 12 0.06 0.13 0.68 (300) Thidiazuron 9 11 3 38 0.17 0.18 0.84 (1000) 17-0-0 Fertilizer 18 28 16 21 0.12 0.17 0.91 15-0-0 Fertilizer 16 40 28 9 0.12 0.43 1.95 ACC 28 34 25 15 0.06 0.08 0.47 Thidiazuron 9 12 4 37(1.2) 0.17 0.18 0.82 (300) + 17-0-0 Fertilizer Thidiazuron 11 14 6 35(1.8) 0.19(1.1) 0.20 0.93 (300) + 15-0-0 Fertilizer Thidiazuron 14 33 22 16 0.09 0.19 0.89 (300) + ACC Thidiazuron 23 31 22 18 0.07 0.10 0.46 (0.09%) + 17-0-0 Fertilizer (90%) Premix DAT denotes days after treatment g denotes days Dry Weight denotes the combined shoot dry weight at 49 DAT in grams Fresh Weight denotes the combined shoot fresh weight at 49 DAT in grams (#) denotes a synergy factor greater than 1

(27) As seen in Table 3, application of hydrogen cyanamide, the commercial standard for bud breaking, to Concord grape vines caused the plants to reach 50% bud break by 14 days after treatment (DAT). The only single active capable of causing the plants to reach 50% bud break faster than hydrogen cyanamide was thidiazuron at 1,000 parts per million (ppm). Specifically, the application of 1,000 ppm thidiazuron caused the plants to reach 50% bud break in 11 days. However, co-application of 300 ppm thidiazuron with 17-0-0 fertilizer or 15-0-0 fertilizer caused the plants to reach 50% bud break in 14 and 12 days, respectively. This data demonstrates that mixtures of 300 ppm thidiazuron and particular nitrogen fertilizers work as well or better than the industry leading hydrogen cyanamide at causing bud break.

(28) Also seen in Table 3, application of hydrogen cyanamide to Concord grape vines caused the plants to reach 50% bud break within 5 days after initial bud break. This measurement is a function of the synchrony of bud break. Specifically, the shorter the period between initial bud break and 50% bud break the more synchronous the bud break. Bud break synchrony is a highly desirable trait for growers. The only single active capable of causing a more synchronous bud break than hydrogen cyanamide was 1,000 ppm thidiazuron at 3 days. However, co-application of 300 ppm thidiazuron with 17-0-0 fertilizer or 15-0-0 fertilizer resulted in 4 and 5 days between initial and 50% bud break, respectively.

(29) Further, the co-application of each of thidiazuron and 17-0-0 fertilizer or 15-0-0 fertilizer demonstrated unexpected synergistic results. First, as seen in Table 2, each of these mixtures produced synergistic total new shoot length, longest new shoot length, combined new shoot dry weight and combined new shoot fresh weight at harvest (day 49) over application of each alone. Next, as seen in Table 3, co-application of thidiazuron and 17-0-0 fertilizer resulted in 37 days from 50% bud break to harvest (day 49) as opposed to 12 and 21 days alone, respectively. This gives a synergy factor of 1.2 as calculated using the Abbott method described above. Co-application of thidiazuron and 15-0-0 fertilizer resulted in a synergy factor of 1.8. Further, the co-application of each of thidiazuron and 15-0-0 fertilizer demonstrated unexpected synergistic dry shoot weight increases at harvest when normalized by 25% bud break time in days. Specifically, as seen in Table 3, co-application of thidiazuron and 15-0-0 fertilizer resulted in a synergy factor of 1.1. Thus, application of mixtures of the present invention lead to unexpected promotion of dormancy breaking over current commercial applications. Further, application of mixtures of the present invention lead to unexpected and synergistic promotion of plant growth and bud break.

Example 2

Thidiazuron Mixtures on Red Flame Seedless Grape Vines

Method

(30) To assess the ability of mixtures of the invention to promote and synchronize bud break these mixtures were applied to field-grown Red Flame seedless grape vines and examined for bud break (initiation of growth) and subsequent shoot development. Thidiazuron, hydrogen cyanamide, 17-0-0 fertilizer, and mixtures thereof were each applied individually or sequentially (co-applied) to the separate spurs of Red Flame seedless grape vines. Plants were evaluated for bud break at 31 days after treatment, for percent bud break and total new shoot length at 48 days after treatment. Results of these evaluations can be seen below in Tables 4 and 5.

(31) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Average Buds Broken per Spur at 31 Day after Treatment Conc. Broken Buds (ppm) per plant Control 0 0.2 Hydrogen Cyanamide 10,000 0.53 Thidiazuron 300 0.1 Thidiazuron 1,000 0.4 17-0-0 Fertilizer 197,100 1.0 Thidiazuron + 300 1.3 (1.18) 17-0-0 Fertilizer 197,100 ppm denotes parts per million (#) denotes a synergy factor greater than 1

(32) TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Percent Dormancy Relieved and Total New Shoot Length at 48 Days after Treatment Conc. % Broken Total Shoot (ppm) Buds Length Control 0 61.7% 14.2 Hydrogen Cyanamide 10,000 58.8% 25.2 Thidiazuron 300 .sup.80% 15.38 Thidiazuron 1,000 78.1% 24.3 17-0-0 Fertilizer 197,100 .sup.80% 41.4 Thidiazuron + 300 67.1% 42.98 17-0-0 Fertilizer 197,100 ppm denotes parts per million

(33) As shown above in Table 4, the co-application of thidiazuron and 17-0-0 fertilizer resulted in a synergistic average number of broken buds 31 days after treatment. Additionally, as shown in Table 5, this co-application resulted in greater total shoot length at 48 days after treatment. However, as shown in Table 5, percent bud break at 48 days did not result in a comparable outcome. Hydrogen cyanamide, 1,000 ppm thidiazuron and the combination of 300 ppm thidiazuron and 197,100 ppm 17-0-0 fertilizer resulted in inferior bud break compared to 300 ppm thidiazuron and 197,100 ppm 17-0-0 fertilizer, alone. This result may be due to the timing of evaluation.

Example 3

Thidiazuron Combination Premix Stability

(34) A pre-mix formulation of thidiazuron and 17-0-0 fertilizer was developed. The ratio between thidiazuron and 17-0-0 fertilizer is 1:1000 and the components for the formulation are listed in the Table 6 below. The physical property and the active ingredient thidiazuron in this formulation were stable in accelerated stability test at 54 C. for 2 weeks. Pentra-Bark (Pentra-Bark is a registered trademark of Quest Products Corporation) surfactant was used as the source of combination of alkylphenol ethoxylate, polysiloxane polyether copolymer, propylene glycol.

(35) TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Thidiazuron Combination Premix Formulation Ingredient Concentration Thidiazuron (97.2%) 0.090% 17-0-0 Fertilizer 90.00% Propyl gallate 0.600% Polyethylene Glycol 200 8.255% Combination of Alkylphenol ethoxylate, 0.750% Polysiloxane Polyether copolymer, Propylene glycol Xanthan gum 0.300%

Example 4

Thidiazuron Mixtures on Concord Grape Vines

(36) Two-year-old Concord grape vines were purchased commercially. These vines had just lost their leaves and were shipped shortly after they were dug at the nursery. Thus, the vines had not fulfilled their chilling requirement and were considered endo-dormant. The vines were potted individually into one-gallon pots containing ProMix BX immediately upon receipt and subsequently pruned back to the five proximal buds on the one-year old wood. Within two hours of pruning, treatment solutions were applied using a foam paint brush to the remaining one-year old wood, including the cut end from pruning. Two treatments, water and hydrogen cyanimide, which acted as negative and positive controls, respectively, were included in all studies.

(37) Treatment solutions were made fresh in water and contained 1% (v/v) non-ionic surfactant. In all cases, two treatment solutions were applied to the plants. Where a single component was used for a treatment, the first application solution was water containing surfactant; in the cases where combination treatments were made to the same plant, the first treatment solution was allowed to dry prior to applying the second.

(38) The treated plants were kept in a conventional greenhouse under supplemental lighting. Greenhouse conditions were 65:60 F. Day:Night temperature with a 16:8 hour photoperiod. Relief from dormancy was assessed every two days during the course of the study. Dormancy was considered relieved upon the emergence of a green bud. Both the number of broken buds per plant and the date of relief of plants from dormancy were assessed. At the close of the study, new growth was removed from each of the treated plants and weighed.

(39) TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Concord Grape Vines Bud Break and Harvest Weights from Greenhouse Study 50% Bud 100% Bud Initial to 50% Number of Buds Fresh Shoot Break (DAT) Break (DAT) Bud Break Broken/Plant Weight (g)/Plant Control 28 42 5 1.25 16.81 Hydrogen Cyanamide 16 33 2 1.5 31.49 Thidiazuron (100) 33 44 7 2 15.53 Thidiazuron (300) 28 48 14 2.125 13.15 Thidiazuron (1000) 21 37 7 4.5 22.45 17-0-0 Fertilizer (3%) 30 44 11 1.75 18.64 17-0-0 Fertilizer (10%) 21 55 2 1.5 16.99 17-0-0 Fertilizer (30%) 23 42 9 1.375 26.90 15-0-0 Fertilizer 30 48 11 1.375 13.79 Thidiazuron (100) + 19 (1.29) 42 11 1.375 22.81 (34.25) 17-0-0 Fertilizer (10%) Thidiazuron (100) + 19 (1.80) 30 (14,285) 11 2.25 (1.25) 24.65 17-0-0 Fertilizer (30%) Thidiazuron (300) + 30 55 9 2.5 (2.50) 12.53 17-0-0 Fertilizer (3%) Thidiazuron (300) + 16 (1.71) 42 8 3.625 (2.50) 19.83 (17.20) 17-0-0 Fertilizer (10%) Thidiazuron (300) + 14 (2.80) 28 (16,666) 8 4.5 (3.56) 37.10 (2.01) 17-0-0 Fertilizer (30%) Thidiazuron (1000) + 21 28 (2.80) 7 4.5 (1.33) 21.95 17-0-0 Fertilizer (3%) Thidiazuron (1000) + 14 (1.14) 28 (2.80) 8 4.625 (1.18) 32.18 (2.67) 17-0-0 Fertilizer (10%) Thidiazuron (300) + 21 (12,500) 42 7 3.5 (9.47) 26.14 15-0-0 Fertilizer

(40) As shown above in Table 4, the co-application of thidiazuron and 17-0-0 fertilizer or 15-0-0 fertilizer resulted in a synergistic effect on bud break including days to 50% bud break, days to 100% bud break and number of buds broken per plant. Further, this co-application resulted in synergistic increase in fresh shoot weight per plant. Synergy was seen at 3 different concentrations of thidiazuron including 100, 300 and 1,000 ppm and 3 different concentrations of 17-0-0 fertilizer including 30% (77,400 ppm; 51,000 ppm nitrogen as 16,200 ppm ammonium nitrogen and 34,800 nitrate nitrogen and 26,400 ppm calcium,), 10% (25,800 ppm; 17,000 ppm nitrogen as 5,400 ppm ammonium nitrogen and 11,600 ppm nitrate nitrogen and 8,800 ppm calcium) and 3% (7,740 ppm; 5,100 ppm nitrogen as 1,620 ppm ammonium nitrogen and 3,480 ppm nitrate nitrogen) and 2,640 ppm calcium. 15-0-0 fertilizer was applied at 65,880 ppm; 33,200 ppm nitrogen and 32,680 ppm calcium.