Progress 11/18/15 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences are companies that apply seed treatments and coatings to seeds, including biostimulants and organic seed treatments, and the larger US seed industry. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Cornell's Green Materials lab and Seed Science and Technology lab at Cornell AgriTech provides professionals and others with a unique experience that is not available in another US academic institute. The Post-Doc working on this project attended national conferences each year of the three-year project and presented posters on her work investigating biostimulant seed coating formulations. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated in several posters presented at US agricultural and seed conferences, refereed journal article, and presentations made to the seed treatment industry. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Biostimulants, applied as seed treatments, have the potential to increase the seedling vigor, and quality of many crops. In early stages of this three-year project, a 10% suspension of soy flour was used as the seed treatment binder in all coatings. The solid particulate filler was composed of mixtures of soy flour, cellulose, and diatomaceous earth, together termed as SCD. All SCD components were homogenized in water, then dried and ground to a fine particle size <106 mm. The SCD coatings were applied with rotary pan seed coating equipment at 25% of the seed weight. Increasing the proportion of soy flour increased the seed coating strength and also the time for the coating to disintegrate after soaking in water. As a result, the seed coatings reduced the percentage germination and the germination rate compared with the nontreated control. However, the 10-day-old seedling root and shoot growth showed significant improvement for all SCD coating treatments compared with controls. Plant growth and development was also measured after 30 days in the greenhouse. Fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW), leaf area, plant height, leaf development, Soil-Plant Analyses Development (SPAD) index (chlorophyll measurement), and nitrogen (N) per plant were all greater from coatings with 30%, 40%, and 50% soy flour than the noncoated control. Nitrogen, from the soy flour applied in the seed coatings, ranged from 0.024 to 0.073 mg per seed, while the enhanced N per plant ranged from1.7 to 8.5 mg. The coating treatment with 0.063 mg N per seed resulted in the greatest plant leaf area and highest N content. Nitrogen applied in the seed coating only accounted for 1% to 2% of the enhanced N in the plants, indicating the soy flour acted as a biostimulant rather than a fertilizer. Soy flour suspension in water can only be stored for several days before microbial growth and spoilage so was not suited for broad-scale use. Several sources of soy flour were tested and soy flour 7B from ADM, Decatur, IL had the best performance. A new seed coating blend was developed in which the dry soy flour was mixed with diatomaceous earth. The optimal proportion of soy flour to diatomaceous earth was 30:70 on a weight basis. The effect of seed treatments of a plant-based protein on growth promotion of five different crops were investigated. Seeds of radish, broccoli, tomato, hemp and cucumber were coated with mixtures of soy flour (SF), used as a solid binder, and diatomaceous earth (DE) was used as the filler to produce a dry coating blend. A laboratory-scale rotary pan coater was used to coat seeds. Seeds were placed in a germinator at 20/30° C with an 8-hour photoperiod, and germination was recorded daily. Seedling growth data were collected 6 days after emergence for radish, hemp and cucumber and 10 days after emergence for broccoli and two varieties of tomato. Dry weight, shoot and root length were measured and seed vigor index (SVI) was calculated to assess plant growth enhancement. Treated seeds had either no or a slight reduction in germination percentage compared with the non-treated control seeds; however, germination uniformity and germination rate were not significantly different than non-treated control seeds. Overall the SF + DE coating blend enhanced plant growth compared to controls for all crops evaluated. However, the magnitude of plant growth enhancement was crop specific. These data indicate that application of a plant based biostimulant via seed treatment was an environmentally friendly management approach to improve seedling vigor and seedling uniformity for sustainable crop production. Early stage research was conducted on selected organically approved insecticide seed treatments. Two commercial, organically approved seed treatment insecticides were applied to snap bean and sweet corn and studied in field trials to control seed maggot. Neither commercial material was efficacious against this insect pest and results were comparable to the nontreated check. In contrast, good control of seed maggot was achieved with thiamethoxam, the labeled, chemical seed treatment for snap bean and sweet corn. Neem extracts can perform the dual function of fertilizer and pesticide. Azadirachtin, the active ingredient of neem products is responsible for stopping the growth cycle of insects and pests, fungi etc. Neem extract also acts as an insect repellent and insect feeding inhibitor, thereby protecting the plants. In this study, experiments were performed in a germinator, greenhouse and field to examine the benefits of using neem products for organic farming and sustainable agriculture. The pest target in this case was seed corn maggot (Delia platura). Neemazal (>40% active ingredient Azadirachtin) was the neem technical product and applied as a film coat to snap bean seeds with four dosage rates (0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2g/100g seeds) compared to the conventional seed treatment insecticide thiamethoxam (Cruiser 5FS). Results from the field trial showed that percentage damaged seedlings using the conventional insecticide were significantly less than nontreated control and neem treatments. However, the lowest dosage of neemazal (0.025g/100g seeds) performed slightly better than nontreated control seeds. Results from the germinator, greenhouse and field showed that using neemazal with high dosage (especially 0.1 and 0.2g/100g seeds) were phytotoxic to seeds and seedlings, resulting in abnormal seedlings. Another possible limitation is the persistence of neem in the environment resulting in reduced efficacy compare to the chemical insecticides in the field trial.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Amirkhani, M., Mayton, H. S., Loos, M. T., Netravali, A. N., Taylor, A. G. 2018.
Biostimulant effect of a plant-based protein applied as a seed coating on selected crops. 3rd annual Cornell AgriTech Research Symposium, June 29, 2018. Page 4. Cornell AgriTech Campus, Geneva, NY.
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Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Peer agricultural scientists that work on organic crop production systems, seed companies that sell organic seeds, companies that specialize and sell organically approved materials for pest control as well as farmers who buy seeds. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Cornell's Seed Science and Technology lab and Green Materials lab provides professionals and others with a unique experience that is not available in another US academic institutes. During this three-year project, a Post Doc has been working on this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A research paper based on the results of our study was presented at the NYSAES Research Symposium, Geneva, New York, USA. Another paper is being currently written for journal submission. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The composition of the seed coating may provide nutrients or serve as biostimulants to enhance early seedling growth and development. This research presents a novel method of using plant-derived protein hydrolysates as organic seed coating materials. To develop seed coating formulations we are using soy flour (a sustainable, inexpensive, and green source, as a biostimulant) and neem cake (the material left after oil extraction from neem seeds and it acts as a bio-fertilizer and helps in providing the required nutrients to plants). Protein hydrolysates could enhance nutrient availability in plant growth substrates, and increase nutrient uptake and nutrient-use efficiency in plants. Application of protein hydrolysates can also ameliorate the negative effects of abiotic plant stress for example salinity, which is one of our objectives for 2018. In this research the focus will be on vegetable crops such as broccoli, tomato, and radish. Develop seed treatment insecticide formulations of neem products with lower concentration of Azadirachtin active ingredient as a seed treatment to minimize phytotoxicity in plants and improve stand establishment in the field. Adding a layer of filler materials or polymers to the film coated seeds with neem application to delay degradation of Azadirachtin by high temperatures and other environmental exposure. Explore alternate organic compounds with activity against insect pests that may be applied as a seed treatment.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Plant-derived protein hydrolysates have excellent potential to be used as plant biostimulants due to their ability to increase the germination, productivity and quality of horticultural and agronomic crops. The objectives of this project were to determine the effect of plant based biostimulants in the form of proteins and fibers on total germination percentage, germination rate and uniformity, seedling growth, fresh and dry weight, leaf area, and chlorophyll content. We have developed seed coating formulations using soy flour, a sustainable, inexpensive, and green source that is available in plenty, as a biostimulant using broccoli and tomato as the model seeds. In all coatings water was used to hydrate the coating formulation. The solid particulate filler was composed of mixtures of finely ground soy flour (provided by ADM, Decatur, IL) and diatomaceous earth, together termed as SD. All SD components were mixed in a tumbler for making uniform filler. The SD coatings were applied with rotary pan seed coating equipment and applied at 30% of the seed weight. Increasing the proportion of soy flour increased the seed coating strength and also the time for the coating to disintegrate after soaking in water. As a result, the seed coatings reduced slightly the percentage germination compared with the nontreated control; however germination uniformity and rate were not different than the noncoated control. Moreover, the 10 days old seedling shoot growth showed significant improvement for all SD coating treatments compared to controls in both crops. Seedling growth uniformity and seed vigor index were greater for both coatings with 30 and 40% soy flour than the noncoated control for both crops. The coating treatment with plant-based proteins resulted in the greatest biomass compared to the control. Proteins applied in the seed coating can improve vegetable crop growth and uniformity. Neem seed and leaf extracts can perform the dual function of fertilizer and pesticide. At the same time they are also bio-degradable and degrade into an eco-friendly soil conditioner. Azadirachtin, the active ingredient of neem products is responsible for stopping the growth cycle of insects and pests, fungi etc. Neem extract also acts as an insect repellent and insect feeding inhibitor, thereby protecting the plants. In this study, experiments were performed in a germinator, greenhouse and field to examine the benefits of using neem products for organic farming and sustainable agriculture. The pest target in this case was seed corn maggot (Delia platura). Neemazal (>40% active ingredient Azadirachtin) was the neem technical product provided by Parry America Inc. to Dr. Taylor's Lab, and applied as a film coat to snapbean (Phaseolus vulgaris L, cv Huntington) seeds with four dosage rates (0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2g/100g seeds) compared to the conventional seed treatment insecticide thiamethoxam (Cruiser 5FS). Results from the field trial showed that percentage damaged seedlings using the conventional insecticide were significantly less than nontreated control and neem treatments. However, the lowest dosage of neemazal (0.025g/100g seeds) performed slightly better than nontreated control seeds. Results from the germinator, greenhouse and field showed that using neemazal with high dosage (especially 0.1 and 0.2g/100g seeds) were phytotoxic to seeds and seedlings, resulting in abnormal seedlings. Another possible limitation is the persistence of neem in the environment resulting in reduced efficacy compare to the chemical insecticides in the field trial.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Amirkhani, M., A. N. Netravali, A. G. Taylor. 2017. Improving Seedling Growth Uniformity and Seed Vigor Index by Using Plant-based Protein Seed Coating in Tomato and Broccoli. NYSAES Research Symposium, Geneva, New York, USA, p. 6.
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Progress 11/18/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Peer agricultural scientists that work on organic crop production systems, seed companies that sell organic seeds, companies that specialize and sell organically approved materials for pest control as well as farmers who buy seeds. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Cornell's Seed Science and Technology lab and Green Materials lab provides professionals and others with a unique experience that is not available in another US academic institutes. During this three-year project, a Post Doc is working on this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Refereed journal article was published and a poster paper presented at a seed industry conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue the development and evaluation of soy flour based coatings that act as biostimulants. Expand research on testing neem as an organic insecticide seed treatment and explore others organic compounds with insecticidal properties.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The specific objectives of this project were to determine the effect of plant based biostimulants in the form of proteins and fibers on total germination percentage, germination rate and uniformity, seedling growth, fresh and dry weight, leaf area, and chlorophyll content. This research presents a novel method of using plant-derived protein hydrolysates as seed coating materials. The objective of this study was to develop seed coating formulations using soy flour, a sustainable, inexpensive, and green source, as a biostimulant using broccoli as the model system. A 10% suspension of soy flour was used as the seed treatment binder in all coatings. The solid particulate filler was composed of mixtures of soy flour, cellulose, and diatomaceous earth, together termed as SCD. All SCD components were homogenized in water, then dried and ground to a fine particle size <106 mm. The SCD coatings were applied with rotary pan seed coating equipment at 25% of the seed weight. Increasing the proportion of soy flour increased the seed coating strength and also the time for the coating to disintegrate after soaking in water. As a result, the seed coatings reduced the percentage germination and the germination rate compared with the nontreated control. However, the 10-day-old seedling root and shoot growth showed significant improvement for all SCD coating treatments compared with controls. Plant growth and development was also measured after 30 days in the greenhouse. Fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW), leaf area, plant height, leaf development, Soil-Plant Analyses Development (SPAD) index (chlorophyll measurement), and nitrogen (N) per plant were all greater from coatings with 30%, 40%, and 50% soy flour than the noncoated control. Nitrogen, from the soy flour applied in the seed coatings, ranged from0.024 to 0.073 mg per seed, while the enhanced N per plant ranged from1.7 to 8.5 mg. The coating treatment with 0.063mg N per seed resulted in the greatest plant leaf area and highest N content. Nitrogen applied in the seed coating only accounted for 1%to 2% of the enhanced N in the plants, indicating the soy flour acted as a biostimulant rather than a fertilizer. Preliminary research was conducted on selected organically approved insecticide seed treatments. Two commercial materials were applied to snap bean and sweet corn and studied in field trials to control seed maggot. Neither commercial material was efficacious against this insect pest and results were comparable to the nontreated check. In contrast, good control of seed maggot was achieved with thiamethoxam, the labeled, chemical seed treatment for snap bean and sweet corn. Cornell's Seed Science and Technology lab provides professionals and others with a unique experience that is not available in another US academic institute. During this three-year project, a Post Doc is working on this project.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Masoume Amirkhani, Anil N. Netravali, Wencheng Huang, Alan G. Taylor (2016) Investigation of Soy Protein Based Biostimulant Seed Coating for Broccoli Seedling and Plant Growth Enhancement. HortScience 51(9):11211126. 2016. DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI10913-16.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Masoume Amirkhani, Anil N. Netravali, Alan G. Taylor. 2016. Using Sustainable Plant Based Biostimulant Resins and Fibers for Seed Coating. Crops and Chemicals USA, Raleigh, NC.
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