METHODS TO INCREASE SILAGE QUALITY IN CROPS

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods for increasing the quality of crop plant silage that are consumed by milk and meat-producing animals. The methods involve the following steps: 1) treating plants with a gibberellin; 2) producing silage from the plants treated according to step 1); and 3) feeding silage produced according to step 2) to milk and/or meat-producing animals. Applicants' methods result in higher quality meat from the meat-producing animals and increased milk from the milk-producing animals.

Claims

1. A method of increasing the quantity of milk or meat produced by a milk-producing animal or a meat-producing animal comprising: 1) applying from about 6 to about 16 grams of gibberellin 3 (GA3) per hectare to a corn plant during V2-V6 growth stages while the plant is undergoing stress due to water availability insufficient to maintain homeostasis; 2) producing silage from the plant; and 3) feeding the milk-producing animal or the meat-producing animal the silage made from the plant, wherein the silage displays an increased energy content and enhanced digestibility.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the milk-producing animal or the meat-producing animal is selected from the group consisting of cattle, sheep, swine, horses, poultry and goats.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the animal is cattle.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the effective amount is from about 8 to 16 grams of gibberellin per hectare.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the gibberellin is applied with at least one herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, fertilizer or plant growth regulator that is not a gibberellin.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the gibberellin is applied with a plant growth regulator other than a gibberellin.

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the gibberellin is applied by foliar application or application to soil.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. A method of increasing the quantity of milk or meat produced by a milk-producing animal or a meat-producing animal comprising: 1) applying about 16 grams of gibberellin 3 (GA3) per hectare to a corn plant during V2-V6 growth stages while the plant is undergoing stress due to water availability insufficient to maintain homeostasis; 2) producing silage from the plant; and 3) feeding the milk-producing animal or the meat-producing animal the silage made from the plant, wherein the silage displays an increased energy content and enhanced digestibility.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Applicants unexpectedly found increased qualities in meat and milk from animals that were fed silage that had been treated with at least one gibberellin.

[0016] In one embodiment, the invention is directed to methods of increasing the quantity of milk or meat produced by a milk-producing animal or a meat-producing animal comprising: 1) applying an effective amount of at least one gibberellin compound to a plant; 2) producing silage from the plant; and 3) feeding the milk-producing animal or the meat-producing animal the silage made from the plant.

[0017] In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of increasing the milk quantity of silage-fed milk-producing animals wherein in step 3) the silage is fed to milk-producing animals.

[0018] In an embodiment, the invention relates to a method of increasing the meat quantity of silage-fed meat-producing animals wherein in step 3) the silage is fed to meat-producing animals.

[0019] Preferably, the gibberellin is gibberellin 1, gibberellin 3 (GA3), gibberellin 4, gibberellin 7, or a combination thereof. In a more preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is GA3 or a combination of gibberellin 4 and 7. In a most preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is GA3.

[0020] In another embodiment, the plant that the gibberellin is applied to is corn, grass, sorghum, oat, rye, clover, vetch, alfalfa or mixed grasses. In a preferred embodiment, the plant is corn.

[0021] In a further embodiment, the milk-producing animal or the meat-producing animal is cattle, sheep, swine, horses, poultry or goats. In a preferred embodiment, the milk-producing animal is cattle, sheep, or goats. In a more preferred embodiment, the milk-producing animal is cattle. In a preferred embodiment, the meat-producing animal is cattle, sheep, swine, horses, poultry or goats. In a more preferred embodiment, the meat-producing animal is cattle.

[0022] In an embodiment, the effective amount of gibberellin is from about 1 to about 30 grams of gibberellin per hectare. In a preferred embodiment, the effective amount is from about 3 to 20 grams of gibberellin per hectare and more preferably from about 6 to 16 grams of gibberellin per hectare. In a most preferred embodiment, the effective amount of gibberellin is from about 8 to 16 grams of gibberellin per hectare. In a preferred embodiment, GA3 is applied at from about 1 to about 30, preferably from about 3 to about 20, from about 6 to about 16, and from about 8 to about 16 grams (from about 3.2 to about 6.4 grams of GA3) per hectare of silage.

[0023] In another embodiment, the gibberellin is applied to the plants with at least one herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, fertilizer or plant growth regulator that is not a gibberellin. In a preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is applied with another plant growth regulator.

[0024] In another embodiment, the herbicides include but are not limited to, glyphosate, mesotrione, halosulfuron, saflufenacil or dicamba.

[0025] In a further embodiment, the fungicides include but are not limited to tetraconazole, metconazole, a strobilurin, or a combined strobilurin-azole product.

[0026] In another embodiment, the insecticides include but are not limited to methylparathion, bifenthryn, esfenvalerate, lorsban, carbaryl or lannate.

[0027] In yet another embodiment, the foliar fertilizers include but are not limited to CoRoN (available from Helena Chemical), a controlled-release nitrogen, or BioForge (available from Stoller USA), which is largely N,N-diformyl urea, or other micro nutrient-containing sprays.

[0028] In an embodiment, the plant growth regulators include but are not limited to, abscisic acid, aminoethoxyvinylglycine, 6-benzyladenine, jasmonic acid, napthylacetic acid or salicylic acid.

[0029] In another embodiment, the invention is directed to methods for improving silage quality of cereal crops comprising applying an effective amount of at least one gibberellin to cereal crops at an early vegetative growth stage. In a preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is gibberellin 1, gibberellin 3 (GA3), gibberellin 4, gibberellin 7, or a combination thereof. In a more preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is GA3 or a combination of gibberellin 4 and 7. In a most preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is GA3.

[0030] In another embodiment, the cereal crop is corn, grass, sorghum, oat, rye, clover, vetch, alfalfa or mixed grasses.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the cereal crop is corn. In a further embodiment, the gibberellin is applied to the corn during V2-V6 growth stages.

[0032] In yet another embodiment, a slow-release application of the gibberellin can be soil applied, either as a soil-directed spray, side-dressing, or in-furrow application at planting. In these applications, the gibberellin can be applied either alone or in combination with at least one herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, fertilizer, or another plant growth regulator. In a preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is applied to the plant or cereal crop by foliar application or application to soil.

[0033] In a further embodiment, the invention is directed to silage for feeding animals, produced from a plant treated with a gibberellin prior to producing silage, where the treated silage displays increased energy content. In a preferred embodiment, the silage displays enhanced digestibility.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is gibberellin 1, gibberellin 3 (GA3), gibberellin 4, gibberellin 7, or a combination thereof. In a more preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is GA3 or a combination of gibberellin 4 and 7. In a most preferred embodiment, the gibberellin is GA3.

[0035] In another embodiment, the cereal crop is corn, grass, sorghum, oat, rye, clover, vetch, alfalfa or mixed grasses.

[0036] Gibberellin treatment according to the present invention results in an increase in milk and/or meat quantity of animals fed with silage derived from plants treated with gibberellin prior to producing said silage.

[0037] According to the invention, the increase of the milk quantity, compared to the milk quantity obtained after the milk producing animals were fed with silage that was not derived from plants treated with gibberellic acid according to the invention, is at least 1%, preferably at least 1.5%, and more preferably at least 2%.

[0038] According to the invention, the increase of the meat quantity, compared to the meat quantity obtained after the meat-producing animals were fed with silage that was not derived from plants treated with gibberellic acid according to the invention, is at least 1%, preferably at least 1.5%, and more preferably at least 2%.

[0039] In one embodiment according to the invention, the plant is selected from agricultural crops, silvicultural and horticultural plants, each in its natural or genetically modified form (GM plants). Such GM plants may have improved properties such as improved stress tolerance and resistance of the plants against biotic and abiotic stress factors such as herbicides, fungi, bacteria, viruses, insects, heat stress, cold stress, drought stress, ultraviolet ray stress and/or salt stress.

[0040] In one embodiment of the invention, the silage according to the invention used for increasing the milk quantity, is fed to cattle, preferably lactating dairy cattle.

[0041] In one embodiment of the invention, the silage according to the invention used for increasing the meat quantity, is fed to cattle, preferably beef cattle.

[0042] The gibberellins according to the invention can be prepared, for example, in the form of directly sprayable solutions, powders and suspensions or in the form of highly concentrated aqueous, oil or other suspensions, dispersions, emulsions, oil dispersions, pastes, dusts, compositions for spreading or granules, and be applied by spraying.

[0043] Aqueous spray solutions to be utilized in the present invention generally contain from about 0.01% to 0.5% (v/v) of a surface-active agent.

[0044] The surface active agent comprises at least one non-ionic surfactant. In general, the non-ionic surfactant may be any known non-ionic surfactant in the art. Suitable non-ionic surfactants are in general oligomers and polymers. Suitable polymers include alkyleneoxide random and block copolymers such as ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymers (EO/PO block copolymers), including both EO-PO-EO and PO-EO-PO block copolymers; ethylene oxide-butylene oxide random and block copolymers, C2-6 alkyl adducts of ethylene oxide-propylene oxide random and block copolymers, C2-6 alkyl adducts of ethylene oxide-butylene oxide random and block copolymers, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene monoalkylethers, such as methyl ether, ethyl ether, propyl ether, butyl ether or mixtures thereof; vinylacetate/vinylpyrrolidone copolymers; alkylated vinylpyrrolidone copolymers; polyvinylpyrrolidone; and polyalkyleneglycol, including the polypropylene glycols and polyethylene glycols. Other non-ionic agents are the lecithins; and silicone surface active agents (water soluble or dispersible surface active agents having a skeleton which comprises a siloxane chain e.g. Silwet L77). A suitable mixture in mineral oil is Atplus 411 F.

[0045] Applicants have referred to corn developmental stages throughout the application as V stages. The V stages are designated numerically as V1, V2, V3, etc. In this identification system of V(n), (n) represents the number of leaves with visible collars. Each leaf stage is defined according to the uppermost leaf whose leaf collar is visible.

[0046] As used herein, milk refers to a liquid produced by female mammals. The exact composition of raw milk can vary significantly by species. Generally, it contains high amounts of saturated fat, protein and calcium. Milk can be processed in a great variety of ways, the products of which are called dairy products.

[0047] As used herein, meat is animal tissue used as food. The term meat typically refers to skeletal muscle and associated fat, but it may also refer to non-muscle organs, including lungs, livers, skin, brains, bone marrow and kidneys.

[0048] As used herein, silage is a certain type of storage forage. Generally, silage is being made from plants in a process called ensilage. During this process, plants or plant parts undergo anaerobic fermentation converting sugars to acids in the crop material making the forage preservable. Depending on the plants used, other names instead of silage are employed, e.g., oatlage for oats or haylage for alfalfa. Silage is widely used for feeding milk and meat-producing animals such as dairy and beef cattle.

[0049] As used herein, increased energy content refers to increased nutritional quality of the silage. As previously explained, this nutritional quality is determined by parameters such as NDF, ADF, and TDN and collectively referred to as digestibility.

[0050] As used herein, early vegetative growth stage refers to the growth stage that begins at germination and ends when the plant is 50% of the mature plant size.

[0051] As used herein, producing silage means that the plants are chopped/harvested and then the non-growing plant material is then subjected to anaerobic fermentation. The silage of the present invention is prepared for animals to eat.

[0052] As used herein, the term plants is to be understood as plants of economic importance. They are preferably selected from agricultural crops, silvicultural and horticultural (including ornamental) plants.

[0053] As used herein, an enhanced or increased quality means that the silage has more of the quality than the silage would have had it if it had not been treated by methods of the present invention.

[0054] As used herein, effective amount refers o the amount of the gibberellin that will increase the quantity of milk or meat produced by a milk-producing animal or a meat-producing animal or improve the quality of silage. The effective amount will vary depending on the gibberellin concentration, the plants being treated, the result desired, and the life stage of plants, among other factors. Thus, it is not always possible to specify an exact effective amount. However, an appropriate effective amount in any individual case may be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0055] The disclosed embodiments are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein and should not be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

[0056] As used herein, all numerical values relating to amounts, weight percentages and the like are defined as about or approximately each particular value, namely, plus or minus 10% (10%). For example, the phrase at least 5% 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.

[0057] The articles a, an and the are intended to include the plural as well as the singular, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0058] The following examples are intended to illustrate the present invention and to teach one of ordinary skill in the art how to use the formulations of the invention. They are not intended to be limiting in any way.

EXAMPLES

[0059] Field trials were conducted at various locations. Portions of the field were treated with RyzUp Smartgrass (40% (w/v) GA3 (available from Valent BioSciences Corporation), while other parts of the field were not treated. RyzUp Smartgrass applications were limited to applications between V3 and V6, with spray volumes for foliar applications ranging from 10-25 gallons/acre.

[0060] Trials were harvested using commercial equipment at standard timings for corn silage. Both RyzUp Smartgrass and untreated areas of the field were harvested separately in order to obtain biomass yield (ton/acre). Subsequently, the harvested plant material was used for producing silage.

[0061] Representative samples were taken for subsequent analysis. Forage was analyzed by standard methods to determine quality parameters including dry matter, crude protein, Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), and starch data. Calculations were included for moisture, adjusted crude protein, Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN), Net Energy for Lactation (NEL), Net Energy for Gain (NEG) and protein solubility. This information was then entered into the MILK 2006 University of Wisconsin Corn Silage evaluation system. Calculations of the milk production, energy content and digestibility per ton of corn biomass were carried out using a calculation method described in the following references: Schwab, E. C., and R. D. Shaver. (2001); b) Schwab, E C et al. (2003); and c) Undersander, D J et al., (1993)

Example 1

[0062] Modern corn hybrid varieties were grown in a field trial. RyzUp Smartgrass (40% GA3) was applied at V4 growth stage at a rate of 3.2 g GA.sup.3/acre (8 g/ha). In this trial, silage quality data were analyzed for each variety and the means were used to calculate milk production (Table 1). Percent moisture, crude protein, ADF and NDF were decreased while TDN, starch, and milk production were increased.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Mean Silage quality parameters from corn silage RyzUp Percent Parameter Control Smartgrass Difference % Moisture 64.26 61.57 4.2 Wet Tons 20.57 19.76 3.9 % CP 10.27 8.50 17.2 % ADF 22.10 21.42 3.1 % NDF 42.76 41.60 2.7 % Lignin 56.76 55.31 2.6 % TDN 68.33 69.17 1.2 % Starch 27.50 32.08 16.7 % Ash 3.70 3.22 13.0 % Fat 2.34 2.44 4.3 Milk (lbs/t) 3078.00 3158.00 2.6

[0063] As is seen in Table 1, gibberellic acid treatment increased the digestibility (% TDN % of DM by +1.2%), the energy content (% NDF by 2.7%; a decrease in % NDF results in an increase of energy content); the starch by +16.7%, and the calculated milk production per ton of silage by +2.6%.

Example 2

[0064] Corn grown in a field trial was treated at the V5 stage with RyzUp Smartgrass (GA3 (w/v) 40%) at a rate of 6.4 g GA.sup.3/acre (16 g/ha). Treatments were made in a spray volume of 15 gallons of water per acre with added surfactant. The overall conditions of this trial were drought stress both before and following application.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Silage quality parameters from corn trial RyzUp Percent Parameter Control Smartgrass Difference % Moisture 65.00 59.10 9.1 % DM 35.00 40.90 16.9 % CP 10.20 9.30 8.8 % ADF 27.80 22.40 19.4 % NDF 45.60 37.50 17.8 % TDN 67.90 73.30 8.0 % Starch 24.20 37.60 55.4 % Ash 4.10 2.40 41.5

[0065] As is seen in Table 2, gibberellic acid treatment increased the digestibility (% TDN by +8%), the energy content (% NDF) by 17.8% (a decrease in % NDF results in an increase of energy content); and the starch by +55.4%. In this example, the changes in all of these parameters characterize silage with enhanced digestibility, which will yield more milk or meat per ton of silage.