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Anyone heard about this? It is a brand name that:
"...is a mixture of equal parts gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), casein hydrolysate and glutamic acid dissolved in water."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxigro
Here is an excerpt from the U.S. patent page with the results of GABA alone on various plant stresses (pathogenic, nutrient etc) vs. Auxigrow. Note that none of the pictures/images/graphs work despite this being a government website that is supposed to provide transparency lol...
Also stumbled upon something called (ammonium salt of) glycolic acid that does the following: (the ammonium salt version seems more effective than glycolic acid alone)
"It has been discovered that application of glycolic acid, or a salt thereof, or a mixture thereof, to plants increases the resistance of the plants to the effects of plant stress. Such increased resistance includes the ability of the plants to tolerate the effects of plant stress. It has also unexpectedly been discovered that application of an ammonium salt of glycolic acid stimulates plant growth more than an equivalent amount of glycolic acid alone. Yet another unexpected discovery is that glycolic acid has microbial growth-promoting effects, and that the ammonium salt of glycolic acid stimulates microbial growth more than equivalent amounts of glycolic acid alone. In one aspect of the invention, a method includes treating a plant with glycolic acid, a salt thereof, or a mixture thereof, in an amount effective to increase the resistance of the plant to the effects of plant stress.
Source:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=2&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=auxigro&OS=auxigro&RS=auxigro
"...is a mixture of equal parts gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), casein hydrolysate and glutamic acid dissolved in water."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxigro
Here is an excerpt from the U.S. patent page with the results of GABA alone on various plant stresses (pathogenic, nutrient etc) vs. Auxigrow. Note that none of the pictures/images/graphs work despite this being a government website that is supposed to provide transparency lol...
Source: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...50&s1=6534446.PN.&OS=PN/6534446&RS=PN/6534446EXAMPLE 1
Effect of GABA on Reducing Nutrient Stress
Bermuda sod was purchased from Oaks Nursery, Knoxville, Tenn. and grown in 41/4" (10.80 cm) diameter black plastic pots containing Fafard #2 potting soil. Two weeks after transfer to pots, turf was cut and each pot given a 50 ml treatment solution. Scotts Liquid Lawn Fertilizer (Fert.) with an N.P.K. of 26:1:2 (0.344 g fert./pot equivalent to 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) N (nitrogen)/1000 sq. ft. (93 sq. m.)) provided treatments with N dressings equivalent to 1/2 (0.23), 1 (0.45) and 2 (0.91) lbs. (kg) N/1000 sq. ft. (93 sq. m.). For a combination of the invention, one treatment contained fertilizer at 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) N and GABA at 5 mM. Each treatment consisted of ten replicate pots. The turf was harvested one week after treatment and the average dry weight of turf was determined. The results in Table 1 show the average dry weight from ten pots for each treatment.
TABLE 1 Treatment Average Dry Weight (mg) .+-. SD* Control-No Treatment 335 .+-. 87 Fertilizer 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) N 448 .+-. 107 Fertilizer 2 lb. (0.23 kg) N 640 .+-. 229 Fertilizer 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) N + 644 .+-. 214 GABA 5 mM *Standard Deviation
Statistical analysis of the data using the student's t-test showed that the weight of turf treated with fertilizer at the equivalent of 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) N per 1000 sq. ft. (93 sq. m.) was significantly less (t.gtoreq.95) than the weight of turf treated with 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) N per 1000 sq. ft. (93 sq. m.) The weight of grass harvested from the treatment given 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) N fertilizer+GABA at 5 mM was statistically significantly greater (t.gtoreq.95) than the weight of grass harvested from the 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) N fertilizer treatment without GABA, but was not different from the 2 lb. (0.91 kg) N per 1000 sq. ft. (93 sq. m.) treatments. Results show that the addition of GABA was able to reverse the reduction in plant growth due to lowering nutrient levels from 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) to 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) N per 1000 sq. ft. (93 sq. m.).
EXAMPLE 2
Effect of GABA on Reducing Nutrient Stress
Duckweed (Lemma Minor L) was grown according to the general procedure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,873. The nutrient media contained different levels of 20-20-20 fertilizer with and without mixtures of casein hydrolysate (1000 ppm) and 10 mM GABA and mixtures of casein hydrolysate and glutamic acid (10 mM). Each treatment consisted of 4 replicate cultures and after two weeks growth, cultures were harvested and dry weights determined. Results are shown in FIG. 1. In fertilizer only treatment, optimal plant growth occurred at 1 g/l fertilizer (18 mgs plant dry weight). When fertilizer levels were reduced to 0.125 g/l, only 5 mg plant growth was found. However, in treatments containing the same level of fertilizer plus casein hydrolysate and GABA, and casein hydrolysate and glutamic acid, plant dry weights were about ten times higher. This shows that the mixtures were able to relieve the nutrient stress caused by limited fertilizer. Similarly, at high levels of fertilizer (4 g/l), duckweed growth was reduced by more than 50% because of an excess of fertilizer. The addition of casein hydrolysate and GABA, or casein hydrolysate and glutamic acid, relieved stress associated with the overabundance of nutrients and plant growth was more than twice that found with the best level of fertilizer. This example shows that treating duckweed with casein hydrolysate in combination with either GABA or glutamic acid, reversed the loss in plant growth due to nutrient excess or nutrient deficiency.
EXAMPLE 3
Effect of AuxiGro.TM. on Reducing Nutrient Stress
The procedure described in Example 1 was followed except that a fertilizer treatment at 4 lbs. (1.81 kg) N/1000 sq. ft. (93 sq. m.) was included and a composition of 1000 ppm each of GABA, glutamic acid and casein hydrolysate was used in place of pure GABA. The formulated 1:1:1 mixture of GABA, glutamic acid, and casein hydrolysate (GGC) is trademarked "AuxiGro.TM. WP Plant Metabolic Primer". The dry weight of turf harvested one week after being treated is shown in Table 2 below.
TABLE 2 % Change From Nutrient Average Dry Wt. % Change from 4 lbs. (1.81 kg) Treatment (mg) Water Control Fertilizer Tap water 438 .+-. 108 0 -39 Fertilizer 479 .+-. 138 +9 -34 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) Fertilizer 650 .+-. 254 +48 -10 1 lb. (0.45 kg.) Fertilizer 638 .+-. 185 +46 -12 2 lb. (0.91 kg) Fertilizer 720 .+-. 287 +64 0 4 lb. (1.81 kg) Fertilizer 718 .+-. 174 +64 0 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) + GABA + Glutamic Acid + Casein Hydrolysate (GGC)
The weight of turf treated with 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) fertilizer plus GGC was statistically heavier (.gtoreq.0.99) than the weight of turf treated with 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) fertilizer alone, and very similar to the weight of turf given 8 times more fertilizer. Insufficient nutrients in 1/2 lb. (0.23 kg) fertilizer limited turf growth in this treatment such that the dry weight of harvested turf was 34% less than the dry weight of turf harvested from the 4 lbs. (1.81 kg) fertilizer treatments. However, this loss in growth was relieved by treatment with GGC (AuxiGro.TM.).
EXAMPLE 4
Effect of AuxiGro.TM. on Protecting Plant Tissue From Pathogenic Stress
Potato tubers were surface sterilized and then sliced (laterally) into 1.0 cm thick slices. Tuber slices were treated with a 1:1:1 mixture of gamma aminobutyric acid:glutamic. acid:casein hydrolysate (GGC) at concentrations of either 100, 500, or 1,000 ppm or with water. Slices were challenge inoculated with the potato dry rot pathogen, Fusarium sambucinum, by placing an agar plug containing the pathogen onto the surface of the slice. Treated or untreated tuber slices were challenge inoculated with the pathogen either 1, 2, or 3 days after treatment. In all cases, the results were recorded 3 days after the challenge inoculation and included diameter of discoloration (i.e., diameter of visible surface symptoms) and depth of maceration (i.e., range of depth of decay into the tuber tissue) N=6 for each time/treatment.
The results demonstrate that treatment with the combination of GGC protected tissue against the disease pathogen. This is evident by the range of depth of lesions whereby the untreated water controls became completely macerated within 3 days of challenge while those treated with either 100, 500, or 1,000 ppm AuxiGro.TM. had only surface discoloration and shallow lesions but were typically not macerated by the pathogen. This demonstrates that the use of the GGC combination comprising AuxiGro.TM. resulted in the plant becoming resistant to the fungal challenge inoculation.
TABLE 3 Time of Challenge Inoculation (Days after Treatment) and Disease Symptoms.sup.1 1 2 3 Lesion Lesion Lesion Treatment Discoloration Depth Discoloration Depth Discoloration Depth Water 2.56 cm CM.sup.2 3.30 cm .sup. 6-8 mm 3.87 cm CM GGC (100 ppm) 2.25 cm 5-10 mm 3.17 cm SD.sup.3 - 4 mm 2.95 cm 2mm-CM GGC (500 ppm) 2.33 cm 1-3 mm 3.30 cm SD NT.sup.4 NT GGC (1000 ppm) 2.00 cm SD - 1 mm.sup. 2.70 cm .sup. SD - 6 mm 2.15 cm SD - 2 mm .sup.1 Symptoms measured as diameter (cm) of discolored tissue and range of depth of lesions (mm) for all 6 replications within each treatment. .sup.2 CM = Complete maceration of tissue. .sup.3 SD = Surface discoloration only. .sup.4 NT = Not tested.
EXAMPLE 5
Effect of AuxiGro.TM. on Reducing Plant Disease
Wheat seeds cv (Kulm Albert Lea Seed House, Albert-Lea, Minn.) were planted at 100 seeds/1 gallon (3.8 l) pots using SURE MIX potting soil from Michigan Grower Supply, Inc. (Galesburg, Mich.). Control and AuxiGro.TM. treatments each consisted of three repetitions with 3 pots a repetition, giving a total of 9 pots for each treatment The pots of wheat were treated with AuxiGro.TM. at 1/4 lb/acre (0.28 kg/hectare) a few days before heads could be felt in sheaths of wheat plants. A second AuxiGro.TM. application was made 3 weeks later by which time flowering had ended and grain set commenced. When applying AuxiGro.TM., each pot of wheat plants were given 4 sprays equivalent to 10.7 ml per pot.
Plants treated with AuxiGro.TM. were much more resistant to powdery mildew disease than untreated controls. As a result of infection, the control plants had much poorer seed set and showed very uneven growth. The heads of wheat were harvested and the grain was separated, weighed, and counted. Results are shown in Table 4 for a representative three pots from each treatment.
TABLE 4 Average Grain .+-. Average Number Treatment SD* of Wheat Grains Untreated 11.75 .+-. 0.56 127 .+-. 4 AuxiGro .TM. 1/4 lb./ 15.81 .+-. 0.56 129 .+-. 4 Acre (0.28 kg/hectare) *Standard Deviation
Statistical analysis of the above results show that the 35% increase in grain weight from the AuxiGro.TM.-treated plants was significant at 0.99% confidence.
Tissue samples of control and AuxiGro.TM.-treated wheat plants were analyzed to determine their mineral content. Results are shown below in Table 5.
TABLE 5 Wheat Plant Nutrient Analysis Control AuxiGro .TM. % of Control N % 2.55 2.21 86.7 P % 0.817 1.16 142.0 K % 3.42 4.38 128.1 Ca % 1.1 1.44 130.9 Mg % 0.672 0.844 125.6 Na % 0.017 0.023 135.3 S % 0.214 0.164 76.6 Zn ppm 77 102 132.5 Fe ppm 271 233 86.0 Mn ppm 635 838 132.0 B ppm 59 78 132.2 Cu ppm 8 9 112.5
The results show that AuxiGro.TM.-treated wheat plants had higher levels of minerals, such as manganese, which help plants resist powdery mildew disease.
EXAMPLE 6
Effect of AuxiGro.TM. on Increasing Activity of Fungicides
The ability of AuxiGro.TM. to increase plant resistance to fungal attack, thereby increasing effectiveness of fungicides, was demonstrated on tomatoes in Late Blight Control. An entire field of tomatoes which had received two applications of Dithane fungicide as a preventative treatment was showing signs of late blight infection. Plants were large with almost fully-sized fruit when they were treated with Dithane alone and Dithane at the recommended rate in combination with 2 oz/A AuxiGro.TM.. Twenty feet of tomato bed was treated followed by a second application eight days later. A week later, plants were evaluated for severity of late blight infection on a scale of 0-100%, (one spot per leaf=5%, many leaves and main stem infection=50% or more). Results are shown in Table 6.
Also stumbled upon something called (ammonium salt of) glycolic acid that does the following: (the ammonium salt version seems more effective than glycolic acid alone)
"It has been discovered that application of glycolic acid, or a salt thereof, or a mixture thereof, to plants increases the resistance of the plants to the effects of plant stress. Such increased resistance includes the ability of the plants to tolerate the effects of plant stress. It has also unexpectedly been discovered that application of an ammonium salt of glycolic acid stimulates plant growth more than an equivalent amount of glycolic acid alone. Yet another unexpected discovery is that glycolic acid has microbial growth-promoting effects, and that the ammonium salt of glycolic acid stimulates microbial growth more than equivalent amounts of glycolic acid alone. In one aspect of the invention, a method includes treating a plant with glycolic acid, a salt thereof, or a mixture thereof, in an amount effective to increase the resistance of the plant to the effects of plant stress.
Source:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=2&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=auxigro&OS=auxigro&RS=auxigro