US 12,187,658 B1
Application of mesoporous silica nanoparticles to members of the family of Cucurbitaceae
Christy Haynes, Minneapolis, MN (US); Joseph Buchman, St. Paul, MN (US); Wade Elmer, Wallingford, CT (US); Jason White, Prospect, CT (US); and Chuanxin Ma, Amherst, MA (US)
Assigned to Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (US); and The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT (US)
Filed by Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (US); and The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT (US)
Filed on Sep. 17, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/024,489.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/902,865, filed on Sep. 19, 2019.
Int. Cl. C01B 33/18 (2006.01); A01C 1/06 (2006.01); C05D 9/00 (2006.01); B82Y 5/00 (2011.01)
CPC C05D 9/00 (2013.01) [C01B 33/18 (2013.01); B82Y 5/00 (2013.01); C01P 2004/32 (2013.01); C01P 2004/64 (2013.01); C01P 2006/16 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for improving yield in a member of the family Cucurbitaceae, the method comprising:
Applying mesoporous silica nanoparticles combined with chitosan without nutrients or micronutrients directly to a seed or directly to a plant of the member of the family Cucurbitaceae.
 
7. A method for combating Fusarium wilt in a member of the family Cucurbitaceae, the method comprising:
Applying mesoporous silica nanoparticles coated with chitosan without nutrients or micronutrients directly to a seed or directly to a plant of the member of the family Cucurbitaceae.
 
13. A method of infusing seeds from a member of the family Cucurbitaceae with mesoporous silica nanoparticles, the method comprising:
Providing a suspension of mesoporous silica nanoparticles coated with chitosan without nutrients or micronutrients;
Placing the seeds in the mesoporous silica nanoparticle coated with chitosan suspension;
Positioning the seeds in the mesoporous silica nanoparticle coated with chitosan suspension in a vacuum chamber where a vacuum is pulled; and
Releasing the vacuum thereby infusing the seeds with the mesoporous silica nanoparticle coated with chitosan suspension.
 
16. An agricultural amendment comprising mesoporous silica nanoparticles in combination with chitosan without nutrients or micronutrients for application directly to a seed or directly to a plant.