Plant Growth Promoting Compounds

Background

As the human population increases there is more demand on crop production. Fertilisers provide elements used to ensure healthy plant growth, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Without fertilisers, yields of crops would be lower. However, fertilisers are non-selective leading to growth of all plants including weeds and excessive fertiliser use can cause pollution, e.g. to water supplies and increased N2O emissions.

Plant hormones are also used in crop production to enhance productivity. They include gibberellic acid (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinin, ethylene and brassinosteroids, which regulate many aspects of plant growth and development at relatively low concentrations. GA promotes important processes in plant growth and development such as seed germination, cell elongation and cell division, as well as floral transition and is one of the oldest known plant hormones.

GAs are complicated molecules produced industrially by fermentation using the fungus Fusarium moniliforme. They are prone to degradation by sunlight or heat and are typically stored in cool, dry conditions within aluminium foil to protect them from sunlight. Degradation of GAs makes them less effective or entirely ineffective. Consequently, the use of GAs in promoting plant growth is restricted; GA compositions should be prepared on the day of use owing to their instability (these compositions typically degrade within about one week). As such, the costs associated with producing GAs preclude their use in promoting plant growth, except in specific high value plants.

Technology Overview

Durham scientists have discovered easy-to-manufacture small molecule growth promoters that function by increasing sensitivity to endogenous GAs thereby eliminating the need to produce GAs industrially.

These novel compounds can be added to feedstocks to enhance plant production and increase the effectiveness of fertilisers thereby reducing fertiliser volumes required with concomitant reductions in pollution.

Seeds can be pre-treated with similar beneficial growth effects being observed providing a selective mode of administration

The compounds are stable for long term storage.

Stage of Development

• Synthesis has been achieved on a multigram scale and is potentially scalable.
• Enhanced growth has been shown in both monocot and dicot plants.
• Delivery of compound has been achieved via solution though solid media (soil) or as a seed treatment
• Both fresh weight and dry weight of samples was increased, showing that the increases in growth include the production of new cellular material, and not just uptake of water.
• Root and shoot material increased in weight on treatment with the compounds, indicating this technology enhances all plant tissue.

Benefits

• Easier to manufacture
• Easier to store, more stable
• More rapid establishment (potentially leading to a lower challenge from competing weeds / reduced herbicide inputs required)
• Stimulates enhanced growth in both shoot and root tissues of plants
• Acts to enhance the potency of endogenous GAs

Applications

• Agrochemicals
• Additive to fertilisers
• Plant growth promoter
• Suitable for a wide range of plant species
• Seed coating/seed enhancement

Opportunity

Durham University is seeking expressions of interest from suitably positioned industry partners to take forward the commercial development of this technology via collaboration or licensing.