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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #149135
Title: GRANULTED FORMULATION AND METHOD FOR STABILIZING BIOCONTROL AGENTS

Author
item Quimby Jr, Paul
item Caesar, Anthony
item Birdsall, Jennifer
item Connick Jr, William
item Boyette, Clyde
item ZIDACK, NINA - MSU BOZEMAN, MT
item GREY, WILLIAM - MSU, BOZEMAN, MT

Submitted to: Patent Application
Publication Type: Patent Application
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/8/1996
Publication Date: 9/24/2002
Citation: QUIMBY JR, P.C., CAESAR, A.J., BIRDSALL, J.L., CONNICK JR, W.J., BOYETTE, C.D., ZIDACK, N.K., GREY, W.E. GRANULTED FORMULATION AND METHOD FOR STABILIZING BIOCONTROL AGENTS. PATENT APPLICATION. 2002.

Interpretive Summary: The Problem: Increasing emphasis is being given to using various microbes (fungi, bacteria, and nematodes) as substitutes for non-renewable chemical pesticides in the management of agricultural pests. New formulations are needed to stabilize, conserve, and apply these living biological control agents to the target pests. What was done: A stabilized, granular formulation was discovered and developed for microbial biological control agents. This formulation relies on a combination of water absorbant starch, sugar as a membrane stabilization agent, and a granulating agent to provide the desired stability and the free-flowing properties; Impact: This invention is applicable to a wide variety of living pathogenic microbes useful in the management of all types of agricultural pests. The technique is potentially useful to companies engaged in producing and marketing biological pesticides.

Technical Abstract: We have now unexpectedly discovered a simple and inexpensive procedure for preparing a stabilized, granular, biocontrol agent which can optionally be formulated as a rehydratable sprayable composition. The invention is applicable to a wide variety of living, pathogenic biocontrol agents useful in the management of all types of agricultural pests. In accordance with this discovery, it is an object of the invention to provide a facile, universal, and industrially acceptable procedure for granular formulation of sensitive biocontrol agents. It is also an object of the invention to formulated biocontol agents without loss of viability and with a high degree of stability under storage and field conditions. Another object of the invention is to prepare biocontrol products that are clean, easy to handle, and have relatively low crop phytotoxicity. A further object of the invention is to package biocontrol agents into formulations that can be applied with conventional agricultural sprayers.