CROP ENHANCEMENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of enhancing a crop by applying to plants, plant parts, plant propagation material or a plant growing locus, a compound of formula (I), which is a compound of formula (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (Ie) or (If): where each R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 is independently selected from H, Cl, F, Br and CF.sub.3; each R.sub.4 is independently selected from CH.sub.3, Cl, Br and CF.sub.3; and each R.sub.5 is independently selected from where R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are each selected from Cl, Br, CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2CH.sub.3, CF.sub.3 and OCF.sub.2H; R.sub.8 is selected from F and OCH.sub.3; R.sub.9 is selected from H, CH.sub.3 and CH.sub.2CH.sub.3; and R.sub.10 is phenyl optionally substituted by F or Cl; where R.sub.11 and R.sub.12 are each selected from Cl, Br, CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2CH.sub.3, CF.sub.3 and OCF.sub.2H; each R.sub.13 is independently selected from Cl and Br, each R.sub.14 is independently selected H, CH.sub.3 and CH.sub.2CH.sub.3; each R.sub.15 is independently selected from H and CN; and each X is independently selected from CH and N; or a composition comprising a compound of formula (I).

Claims

1. A method of enhancing a crop by applying to plants, plant parts, plant propagation material or a plant growing locus, a compound of formula (I), which is a compound of formula (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (Ie) or (If): ##STR00009## where each R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 is independently selected from H, Cl, F, Br and CF.sub.3; each R.sub.4 is independently selected from CH.sub.3, Cl, Br and CF.sub.3; and each R.sub.5 is independently selected from ##STR00010## where R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are each selected from Cl, Br, CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2CH.sub.3, CF.sub.3 and OCF.sub.2H; R.sub.8 is selected from F and OCH.sub.3; R.sub.9 is selected from H, CH.sub.3 and CH.sub.2CH.sub.3; and R.sub.10 is phenyl optionally substituted by F or Cl; ##STR00011## where R.sub.11 and R.sub.12 are each selected from Cl, Br, CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2CH.sub.3, CF.sub.3 and OCF.sub.2H; each R.sub.13 is independently selected from Cl and Br; each R.sub.14 is independently selected H, CH.sub.3 and CH.sub.2CH.sub.3; each R.sup.15 is independently selected from H and CN; and each X is independently selected from CH and N; or a composition comprising a compound of formula (I).

2. Use of a compound of formula (I) as defined in claim 1 or a composition comprising a compound of formula (I) to enhance a crop.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the enhancement is an increased resistance to abiotic stress factors.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the abiotic stress factor is selected from drought, cold temperature exposure, heat exposure, osmotic stress, waterlogging, increased salinity, increased concentration of minerals, exposure to ozone, exposure to strong light, limited availability of nitrogen nutrients and limited availability of phosphorus nutrients.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the abiotic stress factor is cold temperature exposure or increased salinity.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the crop is a cereal, a pulse, canola or corn.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the crop is wheat.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the compound of formula (I) is applied at seeding as a seed or soil treatment.

9. Method according to claim 6, wherein the crop is corn.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein the crop is a crop of transgenic plants.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the compound of formula (I) is applied in combination with a fungicidally active compound.

12. Method according to claim 1, wherein the compound of formula (I) is applied before the appearance of a stress factor.

13. Method according to claim 1, where the compound of formula (I) is isocycloseram.

Description

EXAMPLE 1

[0071] This example illustrates that isocycloseram displays a consistent effect on corn seed germination kinetics under low temperature (15° C.). Corn seeds (var. NK Falkone, Syngenta Seeds SAS, St. Sauveur, France) were sorted by size using a sieve to eliminate round seeds. The corn seeds were placed in 24 well plates (1 seed per well; each plate was considered as one experimental unit or replicate). Germination was initiated by the addition of 250 μl of distilled water containing 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to each well (with isocycloseram present at a concentration of either 1, 5, 25 or 125 μM). 8 replicates (i.e. 8 plates) were used for each treatment characterisation. The plates were sealed using seal foil (Polyolefin Art. Nr. 900320) from HJ-BIOANALYTIK. All plates were placed in a climatic chamber at either 15° C. or 23° C., with 60% Relative Humidity. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design.

Germination was followed over time by taking photographs at different time points. Image analysis was performed automatically with a macro which was developed using the Image J software. A kinetic analysis of germination was carried out by fitting a trend curve. Three parameters were calculated from the trend curve: the T50 (time taken for 50% germination; related to speed of germination); the slope of the curve (the uniformity of germination) and the plateau (the total percentage of germinated seeds).
Treatment with isocycloseram (1, 5, 25 and 125 μM) resulted in significant changes in germination rate and uniformity, especially under the colder conditions and higher concentrations, indicating an unexpected effect of isocycloseram. The results are expressed in terms of percentage in comparison to the control (untreated seeds) for each temperature group respectively. The results were analysed statistically to highlight significant differences (p<0.05). (Key: Sign.=significance; ns=not significant)

TABLE-US-00009 TABLE 1 Corn germination test at 23° C. (normal conditions) Treatment Plateau of Germination (total Time taken to reach 50% Uniformity of Germination percentage of germinated seeds) germination of corn (slope of the curve) total % of Isocycloseram Relative Relative germinated concentration T50 LSD Sign. slope LSD Sign. seeds LSD Sign. Untreated 100 100 100 1 μM 107.32 3.6 Slower 80.22 16.25 less 103.63 4.36 ns uniform 5 μM 105.17 3.6 Slower 93.8 16.25 ns 103.63 4.36 ns 25 μM 95.22 3.6 Faster 133.81 16.25 more 105.39 4.36 higher uniform 125 μM 92.47 3.6 Faster 176.64 16.25 more 100.7 4.36 ns uniform

TABLE-US-00010 TABLE 2 Corn Germination test at 15° C. (cold conditions) Treatment Plateau of Germination (total Time taken to reach 50% Uniformity of Germination percentage of germinated seeds) germination of corn (slope of the curve) total % of Isocycloseram Relative Relative germinated concentration T50 LSD Sign. slope LSD Sign. seeds LSD Sign. Untreated 100 100 100 1 μM 99.67 2.84 ns 100 17.0 ns 103 4.5 ns 5 μM 101.73 2.84 ns 98 17.0 ns 105 4.5 higher 25 μM 93.1 2.84 Faster 233 17.0 more 106 4.5 higher uniform 125 μM 90.61 2.84 Faster 191 17.0 more 105 4.5 higher uniform
All three parameters have a high agronomical relevance. Significant differences between treated seeds and untreated control are given at p<0.05 (Anova). T50 corresponds to the time needed for half of the seed population to germinate; lower values indicate faster germination. Slope indicates how synchronous the germination of the seed population is; values greater than 100 indicate a steeper curve. The steeper the curve, the better and more uniform the germination is.
Under both normal and cold conditions, the homogeneity of germination expressed as the slope of the curve at the two highest rates, 25 and 125 μM was significantly better than the untreated control. Under cold conditions, the total amount of germinated seeds (plateau) was significantly improved for the three highest concentrations. At the two highest rates, the speed of germination (T50) was faster at both temperatures, indicating a positive impact on germination speed.

EXAMPLE 2

[0072] This example illustrates that isocycloseram displays a consistent effect on wheat seed germination kinetics under increased salinity (i.e. under salt stress).

Wheat seeds (winter wheat variety Syllon, Syngenta Seeds) were placed in 24 well plates (1 seed per well, each plate was considered as one experimental unit or replicate). Germination under salt stress was measured at different concentrations in the well plates and found to be significantly slowed down by 5-10% with higher T50 germination values, at 200 μl of 12.5 mM NaCl solution containing 0.5% DMSO per well. Subsequently, a salt solution was prepared at this concentration and spiked with the test compound at different rates as shown below in Table 3, and the germination test was repeated under salt stress. Eight replicates (i.e. 8 plates) were used for each treatment. Plates were sealed with seal foil (Polyolefin Art. Nr. 900320) from HJ-BIOANALYTIK. All plates were placed in a climatic chamber at 23° C. with 70% Relative Humidity. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design.
Germination was followed over time by taking photographs at different time points. Image analysis was performed automatically with a macro which was developed using the Image J software. A kinetic analysis of germination was carried out by fitting a trend curve. Three parameters were calculated from the trend curve: the T50 (time taken for 50% germination; speed of germination); the slope of the curve (the uniformity of germination) and the plateau (the total percentage of germinated seeds).
The treatments with isocycloseram at 3 concentrations 1, 5, and 25 μM resulted in significant changes in germination speed, indicating an unexpected effect of isocycloseram. The results are expressed in terms of percentage in comparison to the check (untreated seeds) and the results are analysed statistically to highlight significant differences (p<0.05). (Key: Sign.=significance)

TABLE-US-00011 TABLE 3 Winter wheat variety Syllon: germination under increased salinity Abiotic Stress Factor: increased Time taken to reach 50% Treatment salinity germination of wheat Isocycloseram concentration Salt NaCl solution Relative T50 LSD Sign. Untreated 12.5 mM 100 / /  1 μM 12.5 mM 95.27 4.3 Faster  5 μM 12.5 mM 94.70 4.3 Faster 25 μM 12.5 mM 93.07 4.3 Faster
T50 corresponds to the time needed for half of the seed population to germinate and is a germination parameter of high agronomical relevance. Significant differences between treated seeds and untreated control are given at p<0.05 (Anova). Lower values indicate faster germination.
Under salt stress/increasing salinity conditions, the germination speed expressed as T50 at the three rates 1, 5 and 25 μM was significantly better than the untreated control, indicating a positive impact on germination speed under salt stress conditions.