(19) & (11) EP 2 392 662 A2 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION (43) Date of publication: (51) Int Cl.: 07.12.2011 Bulletin 2011/49 C12N 15/82 (2006.01) A01N 43/56 (2006.01) A01N 47/02 (2006.01) A01N 47/24 (2006.01) (21) Application number: 11176674.7 (22) Date of filing: 23.04.2008 (84) Designated Contracting States: • McKersie, Bryan AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR Raleigh, NC 27617 (US) HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL NO PL PT • Wang, Xi-Qing RO SE SI SK TR Chapel Hill, NC 27516 (US) • Hudelson, Timothy (30) Priority: 23.04.2007 US 913349 P Durham, NC 27712 (US) (62) Document number(s) of the earlier application(s) in (74) Representative: Fitzner, Uwe et al accordance with Art. 76 EPC: Hauser Ring 10 08749670.9 / 2 076 602 40878 Ratingen (DE) (71) Applicant: BASF SE Remarks: 67056 Ludwigshafen (DE) •Thecomplete document including Reference Tables and the Sequence Listing can be downloaded from (72) Inventors: the EPO website • Voeste, Dirk •This application was filed on 05-08-2011 as a 67117 Limburgerhof (DE) divisional application to the application mentioned • Haden, Egon under INID code 62. 67346 Speyer (DE) (54) Plant produtivity enhancement by combining chemical agents with transgenic modifications (57) The present invention relates to the enhance- ment of plant productivity by combining chemical agents with transgenic modifications. EP 2 392 662 A2 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) EP 2 392 662 A2 Description [0001] The present invention relates to the enhancement of plant productivity by combining chemical agents with transgenic modifications. 5 [0002] Chemical amendments and transgenic modifications can both increase plant performance. Chemical agents can be applied e.g. as a seed coating or as a spray on a growing plant. When applied as a coating, chemical amendments may improve seed resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and stimulate and/or improve germination as well as early germination. Seedlings are thus better able to establish in the greenhouse or the field. Spray applications on growing plants may affect growth by e.g. enhancing plant metabolism, inducing plant vigor, modifying plant canopy and stem 10 architecture, or by improving fruit set. [0003] Many products that enhance plant performance or improve grain quality and quantity are on the market. For instance, fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide from the insecticide chemistry class of phenyl pyrazoles. It is highly effective against all major insect pests in crop and non-crop markets. The most important applications are soil and seed treatment in crops and termite control in non-crops. Fipronil has been reported to enhance overall root system and root 15 hair development, increase tiller number and productivity, increase photosynthetic capacity (plant greenness), increase leaf area and plant height, stimulate early flowering and grain maturation leading to significant increases in yield (Fipronil- Worldwide technical Bulletin, BASF). Transgenic plants, such as Round-up ready crops, have exhibited enhanced productivity, primarily due to elimination of competition for water and nutrients with weeds. Round-up ready crops are not susceptible to the herbicide when applied at field rates (24-32 oz/A). Most weeds are susceptible to the herbicide, 20 allowing more of the available nutrients to be sequestered by the crop plants and, therefore, increase yield. [0004] Combinations of chemical, physical, biological, and transgenic approaches are used in integrated pest man- agement (IPM). For example, a transgenic plant with increased resistance is the so called Bt corn (Bt =Bacillus thur- ingiensis), which has been modified to increase levels of certain crystal proteins. Bt is effective at controlling Lepidoptera larvae, most notably the corn borer (http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC7055.html#ch2). The 25 protein is selective, generally not harming insects of other orders, such as the Trichogramma minutum wasp, which is also used to control corn borer (http:// ipmworld.umn.edu/chapters/chippen.htm). Crops carrying the Bt gene, therefore, have been considered compatible with biological control programs. [0005] A combination of a transgenic event having activity against corn rootworm and treatment of the seed with certain pesticides provides unexpectedly synergistic advantages to seeds having such treatment, showing unexpectedly 30 superior efficacy in the protection against damage by corn rootworm is disclosed in US 6,593,273. [0006] According to the teaching of the WO1999035913 treating transgenic useful plants which carry one or more genes expressing a pesticidal active ingredient, or which are tolerant against herbicides or which are resistant against the attack of fungi, with a nitroimino-or nitroguanidino-compound for controlling pests, has a synergistic effect on the pests to be controlled. 35 [0007] A method for increasing the vigor and the yield of an agronomic plant is known from US 20030060371, US 20040023081 or US 20030114308. The method includes treatment of a plant with herbicides or other pesticides, whereby the plant is a transgenic plant having a transgenic event that confers resistance to the herbicide or pesticide which is employed. [0008] The advantages of applying chemicals and/or chemical compositions comprising at least one active ingredient 40 on the transgenic plants themselves to improve performance, however, are unknown. There is no known product system, which combines agrochemical application with transgenic modifications to enhance plant productivity and grain quality. [0009] Object of the present invention is a new process for increasing plant health and/or controlling pests. [0010] A further object is a method which integrates chemicals and transgenic material to improve plant performance. [0011] The object is achieved according to the invention by providing the present method. Summarized, the present 45 invention relates to a method for increasing plant health and/or controlling pests in plants with at least one transgenic modification related to yield increase as compared to a corresponding wild-type plant comprising treating the location where the plant with at least one transgenic modification is growing or is expected to grow and/or the transgenic plant with at least one transgenic modification or propagation material of the plant with at least one transgenic modification with an effective amount of a chemical composition comprising at least one active ingredient. 50 [0012] In one embodiment of the invention the method of the invention comprises a) treating the location where the plant with at least one transgenic modification is growing or is expected to grow and/or treating the plant with at least one transgenic modification or propagation material of the plant with at least one transgenic modification with an effective amount of a chemical composition comprising at least one active 55 ingredient and b) cultivating a transgenic plant with increased plant health and increased productivity as compared to a correspond- ing non-treated plant and growing said plant under conditions which permit the development of the plant. 2 EP 2 392 662 A2 [0013] In one embodiment the invention is related to a method for increasing plant productivity which comprises an increase in plant health and/or pest control. [0014] Surprisingly, it has now been found that treating that plant with at least one transgenic modification related to yield increase with an effective amount of a chemical composition comprising at least one active ingredient results in a 5 synergistic effect. [0015] Synergistic effect in the present context means that a) the use of a pesticide in combination with a transgenic modification exceeds the additive effect, to be expected on the pests to be controlled and thus extends the range of action of the active ingredient and of the active principle 10 expressed by the transgenic plant and/or b) results in an increase in plant health and increased yield. [0016] The term "synergistic", however, is to be understood in this connection as synergistic pesticidal activity and/or 15 synergistic plant health effects. [0017] Synergistic pesticidal activity means extension of the pesticidal spectrum of action to other pests, for example to resistant strains; and/orreduction in the application rate of the pesticides, and/or sufficient control of the pests with the aid of the pesticides even at an application rate of the pesticides alone and the transgenic plant alone are entirely ineffective. 20 [0018] In one embodiment of the invention at least one transgenic modification of said plant does not confer resistance to the active ingredient which is employed. [0019] According to the present invention, "increasing the plant productivity" means that certain plant traits are in- creased or improved by a measurable or noticeable amount over the same factor of the control, e.g. the plant produced under the same conditions, but without the application of the present invention, such as selected from the group consisting 25 of: delay of senescence, root growth, longer panicles, increased or improved plant stand, the plant weight, plant height, emergence, improved visual appearance, improved protein content, more developed root system, tillering increase, increase in plant height, bigger leaf blade, less dead basal leaves, stronger tillers, greener leaf color, pigment content, photosynthetic activity, less fertilizers needed, less seeds needed, more productive tillers, earlier flowering, early grain maturity,