US010104883B2 (12 ) United States Patent (10 ) Patent No. : US 10 , 104 ,883 B2 Stoller et al. (45 ) Date of Patent : Oct . 23 , 2018 (54 ) NON - AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF USPC .. .. .. 504 / 136 PLANT- GROWTH REGULATOR ( S ) AND See application file for complete search history . POLAR AND /OR SEMI- POLAR ORGANIC SOLVENT ( S ) (56 ) References Cited ( 71 ) Applicant : Stoller Enterprises, Inc. , Houston , TX U . S . PATENT DOCUMENTS (US ) 4 , 769 ,061 A * 9 / 1988 Comai . .. .. .. C12N 15 /8275 435 / 193 (72 ) Inventors : Jerry Stoller , Houston , TX (US ) ; 6 ,071 , 857 A * 6 / 2000 Vogt . .. .. .. A01N 25 / 02 424 /405 Ritesh Sheth , Friendswood , TX (US ) 9 ,326 ,452 B2 * 5 /2016 Liptay . .. A01G 1 / 001 2003 /0013610 A1 * 1 /2003 Killick .. A01N 43 / 90 ( 73 ) Assignee : Stoller Enterprises , Inc ., Houston , TX 504 /320 (US ) 2005 /0288188 AL 12 /2005 Volgas 2008 /0039322 A1 * 2 / 2008 Wang A01N 25 / 02 ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 504 / 136 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 2011 /0021353 AL 1 / 2011 Doolittle , Jr . U . S . C . 154 (b ) by 0 days . 2015 / 0080216 A1 * 3 / 2015 Wikeley .. .. .. .. .. A01N 43/ 08 504 / 136 2015/ 0173365 A1 * 6 / 2015 Devisetty .. .. .. A01N 43 / 12 ( 21) Appl. No. : 14 /995 ,434 504 / 297 (22 ) Filed : Jan . 14 , 2016 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (65 ) Prior Publication Data FR 2999385 A1 * 6 / 2014 .. .. A01N 25 /02 US 2016 /0198714 A1 Jul. 14 , 2016 * cited by examiner Primary Examiner — Sreenivasan Padmanabhan Related U . S . Application Data Assistant Examiner — Courtney A Brown ( 60 ) Provisional application No .62 / 103, 410 , filed on Jan . ( 74 ) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Yancy IP Law , PLLC 14 , 2015 . ( 57 ) ABSTRACT (51 ) Int. Ci. The present invention generally relates to non - aqueous AOIN 25 /02 (2006 . 01) solutions of plant growth regulator ( s ) and polar and /or (52 ) U . S . CI. semi-polar organic solvent( s ) , methods for making said CPC . .. .. A01N 25/ 02 ( 2013 .01 ) non -aqueous solution , and methods for improving the ( 58 ) Field of Classification Search growth and crop productivity of plants using said non CPC .. .. .. AOIN 25 /02 ; A01N 37 / 10 ; A01N 39 /02 ; aqueous solution . A01N 43 / 38 ; AO1N 43 / 90 ; AOIN 45 /00 20 Claims, No Drawings US 10 , 104 ,883 B2 NON - AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF full expression of this innate genetic material and the plant' s PLANT-GROWTH REGULATOR ( S ) AND full potential , the plant must receive various naturally POLAR AND /OR SEMI- POLAR ORGANIC occurring nutrients and / or phytohormones in specific con SOLVENT( S ) centrations, at specific times during the plant' s growth , and 5 to specific parts or tissues of the plant. CROSS -REFERENCE TO RELATED As provided in International Publication No . WO 2005 / APPLICATIONS 021715 , the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference , plant hormones have been known and This application claims the benefit , under studied for years . Plant hormones may be assigned to one of 35 U . S . C . 119 ( e ) , of U . S . Provisional Application No. 10 a few categories: auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins , abscisic 62 / 103 ,410 filed Jan . 14 , 2015 , the contents of which are acid , brassinosteroids, jasmonates, salicylic acids, incorporated herein by reference . polyamines , peptides , nitric oxides , strigolactones and eth ylene . Ethylene has long been associated with fruit ripening BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION and leaf abscission . Abscisic acid causes the formation of 15 winter buds , triggers seed dormancy , controls the opening 1 . Field of the Invention and closing of stomata and induces leaf senescence . Gib berellins, primarily gibberellic acid , are involved in breaking The present invention generally relates to non -aqueous dormancy in seeds and in the stimulation of cell elongation solutions of plant growth regulator( s ) and polar and /or in stems. Gibberellins are also known to cause dwarf plants semi- polar organic solvent( s ) , methods for making said 20 to elongate to normal size . Cytokinins , are produced pri non - aqueous solution , and methods for improving the marily in the roots of plants . Cytokinins stimulate growth of growth and crop productivity of plants using said non lateral buds lower on the stem , promote cell division and leaf aqueous solution . expansion and retard plant aging . Cytokinins also enhance auxin levels by creating new growth from meristematic 2 . Description of the Background 25 tissues in which auxins are synthesized . Auxins, promote both cell division and cell elongation , and maintain apical As provided in International Publication No . WO dominance . Auxins also stimulate secondary growth in the 2012068473 , the contents of which are expressly incorpo - vascular cambium , induce the formation of adventitious rated herein by reference , plant growth and development as roots and promote fruit growth . well as productivity ( e . g . , crops, seeds, fruits etc . ) are known 30 The most common naturally occurring auxin is indole - 3 to be regulated by growth factors , mineral components and acetic acid ( IAA ) . However , synthetic auxins, including small molecules that signal for the expression of genes that indole - 3 - butyric acid ( IBA ); naphthalene acetic acid (NAA ) ; enhance the level of plant productivity , whether in quantity 2 , 4 -dichlorophenoxy acetic acid ( 2 , 4 - D ); and 2 , 4 , 5 - trichlo or quality . Traditional approaches for improving plant pro rophenoxy acetic acid ( 2 , 4 , 5 - T or Agent Orange ) are ductivity have included the application of various minerals 35 known . While these are recognized as synthetic auxins , it and nitrogen components as necessary additions or sub should be acknowledged that IBA does naturally occur in strates to crop plant or other plant productivity . However , plant tissues. Many of these synthetic auxins have been such approaches have tended to knowingly , or unknowingly , employed for decades as herbicides , producing accelerated disregard the growth factors ( e . g ., phytohormones and / or and exaggerated plant growth followed by plant death . other small molecules) required for enhanced productivity . 40 Agent Orange gained widespread recognition when it was Traditionally , mineral fertilizers have been predominately used extensively by the United States Army and Air Force in applied to growing crop plants . Difficulties arise , however, defoliation applications during the Vietnam War. 2 , 4 - D when external stresses impede successful plant develop - finds continuing use in a number of commercial herbicides ment, especially of grain or seed crops and /or other crops . sold for use in agriculture , right of way , and turf and Physical stresses , such as those inflicted by environmental 45 ornamental markets . temperatures being either too low or too high , and in Agriculturally , active ingredients are often provided in the particular high temperatures, are especially problematic . form of concentrates suitable for dilution with water. Many Moreover , the state -of - the - art agronomic practice does not forms of agricultural concentrates are known and these employ plant growth regulators to overcome a plant' s dif consist of the active ingredient and a carrier , which can ficulty , due to such stresses , in producing sufficient amounts 50 include various components . Water -based concentrates are of nutrients , e . g . , sugars , to prevent autophagy ( i. e . , canni- obtained by dissolving , emulsifying and / or suspending agri balization of previously - formed plant cells by newly - form - culturally active technical materials in water . Due to the ing cells to compensate for a dearth of cell nutrients ) . It is relatively complex supply chain for crop protection agents , well known that mineral fertilizers provide eighteen miner such concentrate formulations can be stored for long periods als that are necessary for crop growth and development. 55 and may be subjected during storage and shipping to Signaling molecules , such as plant growth regulators or extreme temperature variations , high - shear and repetitive other molecules, are known to enhance crop productivity vibration patterns. Such supply chain conditions can through the expression of certain genes . Furthermore , much increase the likelihood of formulation failure due to , for research has been conducted into the use of plant growth example , water mediated degradation and stability prob regulators and their effects on plant growth and develop - 60 lems. ment. Accordingly , the efficient use of aqueous systems with An alternative , more natural approach , which is becoming certain agrochemicals and crop protection agents is ever more appreciated , is based upon the theory that plants restricted due to their poor chemical stability when exposed already have the necessary genes / genetic code to produce to water during storage . Typically , hydrolysis is the most greater quantities and / or qualities of various plant tissues as 65 common water -mediated degradation mechanism ; however, well as to thrive in the face of common adversities , such as agricultural concentrates with water -sensitive active ingre drought, disease, and insect infestations. But , to realize the dients are also subject to oxidation , dehalogenation , bond US 10 , 104 , 883 B2 cleavage , Beckmann rearrangement and other forms of geneous product and enable dispersion of the composition degradation on exposure to water. into water for application ; and ( iv ) optionally , not in excess In some cases it may