MXPA97001778A - Improvement of plan performance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to the exogenous use of betaine to improve the yield of plants, such as potatoes and tomatoes, which belong to the genus Solanum. In accordance with the invention, betaine is used to improve performance specifically under stress conditions. The invention also relates to plants of the genus Solanum treated exogenously with betaine and, to the products obtained from the plants

Description

IMPROVEMENT OF PLANT PERFORMANCE Technical fields The invention refers to the use of betaine to improve the performance of plants. The invention relates esally to the use of betaine to improve the yield of plants belonging to the genus Solanum. According to the invention, the performance can be improved particularly under stress conditions, that is when conditions are poor due, for example, to low temperatures, drought, high salinity or environmental poisons that interfere with growth. The invention also relates to plants of the genus Solanum treated with betaine and to products obtained from these plants.

Background The environment and growth conditions considerably affect the resulting growth of the plants. The optimal environment and growth conditions usually result in a yield that is greater in quantity and of high quality. Under poor growth conditions both quality and quantity deteriorate naturally. Several different solutions have been developed to improve growth conditions and plant performance. The selection of the suitable plant for the location of suitable growth is evident for someone with experience in the technique During the growing season the plant can be protected by mechanical means by using, for example, different types of gauze or plastics or by cultivating the plants in greenhouses. Irrigation and fertilizers are generally used to improve growth. The physiological properties of a plant are manipulated through reproduction, both with traditional breeding methods such as genetic manipulation. The methods are often laborious and impractical, their effect is limited (the economic size of a greenhouse, the limited protection provided by the gauze, etc.) and they are also too expensive on a global scale. Until now, economically acceptable chemical solutions have not been described to protect plants from environmental stresses.

Plants can adapt to some degree to the stress conditions. Under these circumstances, for example, proline and betaine accumulate in the growth regions of certain plants. The literature of the technique describes the function and meaning of these accumulated products. On the one hand it has been proposed that the products are stress byproducts and therefore are harmful to the cells, on the other hand it has been estimated that they can protect the cells (Wyn Jones, R.g. and Storey, R .; Physiology and Biochemistry of Drought Resistance in Plants, Paleg, L.G. and Aspinall, D. (Eds), Academic Press, Sydney, Australia, 1981).

Zhao et al. (In J. Plant Physio. 140 (1992) 541-543) describe the effect of betaine on alfalfa cell membranes. The ? nlantqc rl or comillar rl o, o | f I f or f rn rn rn r r r r r r gücilbetaína, after which the seedlings were extracted from the root of the substrate, washed to remove the soil and exposed to temperatures from -10 ° C to -2 ° C. The ntlflC rl or c millprn finnish rlQc Hacpnóc nlanfarlac o n wet sand for a week time on e! cua! It was evident e! growth in those plants that had survived. The n icinbTtaine clearly shows the cold stability of alfalfa. The official address is not available or is not valid or is not valid. i co -ne rnnc irl-aronrl? c n? 70 /? Ho loe n I o ri e e rio seedbed treated with glycinebetaine. 11 or i \ t / or. Dl ont C r * i o n r- o I altare ^ M Qfi \ ^ OQ. '?' Íi ^ rlocr * r¡Kon ol ofürln rio lo r o r * i A n Ho * 1 C r r o o o o o o o r r r o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o ^? ! "i t P o on washed sand / polyethylene glycol was added! EG, 4000 mol. n the collifion n i 1 r r o r t i n t r e r r a n t e r r a n t e n t n n a n t r e n r n t H o e n i i e a! Hoj? my loe nl ntoi rltiro nto pi atrn rl i o c ontoc rio r o r r o n o n o n o n o n o n o n o n 90 fuprnn r? RiaHp? enhíd I a c. hniaQ rio the nlanta a c.oa o n o I r! I would like to go to the river or to see the river or the river. r * r "cor-ho I n iio-to gnaw or or or r-o l o o l o orlo Koto iníctrori ín c 11 m o o c o o r * ont and Hoe niióe ita l or n or t ofortn tantn? III the h a t a n e a nd a nd 31 end H I tpn? i? r. o f o r * t * Kl? nni'in o f o r- 1 n ro ol nani Dnr - > Will it come back? e or arif * r \ t > t r \ p 11 a t + »l or hatflíno r *» m I o proline had a negative effect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In connection with the present invention it has surprisingly been found that the performance of plants, such as potatoes and pinea Tomato, which belong to! genus Solanum can m a VJ? ? Jr¡ mari c * or * rV oV.hl nÍlOe¡lHVIoVrI LLOV mI¡I aVnIItaV nj rtm lll Rul ILW oV r C l saw IVo Vo Vo l t V I 1 IVU or nU II iI rV * U or Rulu or | ioC monoro ovAnon I Koto íno oe oenp * íotrnontp of r-ii onrlr »l oe (nlontoe eo enmoton or toniAn ovÓOn rliironto ol r r r r i i n n t The invention therefore relates to! exogenous use of Koto íno noro m oünror ol ranrli m iontn rio loo nlonto e mía nortonor-on ol I put vri n v wni / uofniui-mm. I? V o. Ii nii vav niirv-¡iAvnit eo v v r 1 or vf 1 i r io v 1 or v p v v cv ol or pv Ctl I ti i Ui Vcn V r V l IVo VII 1 I or V j 1 r V * r I oi rl l Ii Im I I? Io Vn I ttn V r Vi. V l I Gole V n I o n t o e K o n n n rl i 1 rr ** ¡1 rr »» n p < of tension. I or inx / pnniAn co rpfíprp t Pk Q n / p n 1 r m e ovApon trotorl amount r * r \ n pto INO or Ine nrArliirlric rlp what e nl ontoe w or r * r. m rnotorio nrim or noro lo inrliietrio food 0 The invention relates equally to a method for moinro pl r rl ro n rn t i o n r 'ri rl I e nlo ntoc or nónorn I r' / t 1 m or n * i t r on rv The invention also relates to plants of the genus Solanum obtained with the method according to the invention and to the products of those plants. l o Kotoíno co o n I i r * o o lo nlpnto wo coo on iinn r * móc successive treatments. The application can be executed for example by co-spraying with some other spraying of fertilizers or pesticides, if desired. The betaine used according to the invention is transported to the plants of the cells, actively regulates the osmotic balance of the cells and also participates in other processes of cellular metabolism. A cell treated with betaine is more viable even when subjected to exogenous stress factors. AND! Betaine treatment according to the invention is economically advantageous and the yield increases in an amount that is economically productive and important. The treatment does not produce more work in a significant way since it can be carried out together with other sprays of fertilizers or pesticides and does not require new investments in machinery, equipment or space. It should also be noted that betaine is a non-toxic natural product, which has no harmful effects on the quality of performance. Betaine is also a stable substance that remains in plant cells and thus has a long-lasting effect. Detailed Description of the Invention Betaine refers to completely N-methylated amino acids. Betaines are natural products that have an important function in the metabolism of plants and animals. One of the most common betaines is a glycine derivative where three methyl groups are attached to the nitrogen atom of the glycine molecule. This compound of betaine is usually called betaine, glycylbetaine or trimethylglycine and, its structural formula is presented below: CH3 I CH3 --- N + - CH2COO "I CH3 other betaines are for example alaninbetaine and prolinbetaine, which have been reported, for example, to avoid perosis in chicks. Wyn Jones and R. Storey describe in betaine details in The Physiology and Biochemistry of Drought Resistance in Plants (Paleg, L.G. and aspinal !, D. (Eds.), Academic Press, Sydney, Australia, 1981). Betaine has a bipolar structure and contains several chemically reactive methyl groups that can donate in catalyzed enzyme reactions. Most organisms can synthesize small amounts of betaine for example for the methyl function, although they can not react to stress by substantially increasing the production and storage of betaine. The best known organisms that accumulate betaine are plants that belong to the Chenopodiaceae family, for example, beetle and some marine microorganisms and invertebrates. The main reason for the accumulation of betaine in these organisms is probably that betaine acts as an osmolyte and therefore protects cells from the effects of osmotic stress. One of the main functions of betaine in these plants and microorganisms is to increase the osmotic resistance of the cells when conditions require it, for example in the case of high salinity or drought, this avoids the loss of water. Unlike many salts, betaine is highly compatible with enzymes and, the content of betaine in cells and cell organelles can therefore be very high without having any harmful effect on metabolism. It has also been found that betaine has a stabilizing effect on the operation of macromolecules; improves the resistance to heat and ionic tolerance of enzymes and cell membranes. Solanum plants usually do not store betaine in their cells. Betaine can be recovered, for example, from the beet with chromatographic methods. Betaine is commercially available for example under the trademark of BETAFIN, Cultor Oy, Finnsugar Bioproducts. BETAFIN is a free crystalline water betaine from Finnsugar Bioproducts. Other betaine products, such as betaine monohydrate, betaine hydrochloride and crude betaine liquids are commercially available as well and may be used for the purposes of the present invention. In accordance with the present invention, betaine is used exogenously in order to improve the yield of plants belonging to the genus Solanum. Betaine is used especially when plants are grown under stress conditions, that is when plants are subjected to periodic or continuous exogenous stress. Exogenous stress factors include, for example, drought, humidity, high or low temperatures, high salinity, herbicides, environmental poisons, etc. Plants treated exogenously with betaine subjected to stress conditions improve, for example, the adaptation of the plants to the conditions and maintain their growth potential greater, thus improving the yield-production capacity of the plants. Betaine is also a stable substance that remains in plant cells. The positive effect of betaine is therefore high permanence and decreases only gradually due to dilution caused by growth. Betaine is applied to plants either in one or several successive treatments. The amount used varies depending on the variety of plant and the growth phase. For example, in the case of potatoes, approximately 0.1 to 20 kg of betaine per hectare can be used. A useful amount is therefore, for example, 10 kg of betaine per hectare, which corresponds to approximately 0.01% of the potato biomass. A preferable amount is from about 2 to 8 kg of betaine per hectare. For the tomato, approximately 0.1 to 30 kg of betaine per hectare can be used. A preferable amount is from about 1 to 6 kg / ha, particularly about 2.5 kg / ha. The amounts given here are only suggestions; the scope of the present invention therefore contains all the quantities that function in the manner described herein. Any method suitable for the purpose can be used for the application of betaine. Betaine can be easily sprayed, for example, by spraying. This spraying can be done along with some other spraying of fertilizers or pesticides, if desired. In accordance with the invention, an aqueous solution of betaine is preferably used. The treatment time according to the invention can vary and, a suitable time is preferably determined separately for each plant. If betaine is applied in a single treatment, the treatment is usually performed at an early stage of growth, for example in plants of approximately 5 to 20 cm. If betaine is applied in two successive treatments, the second spray is preferably carried out at! beginning of flowering or when tension can be predicted based on coume. The treatment with betaine according to the present invention considerably improves the yield of the plants belonging to the genus Solanum, for example the quantity and quality of the yield. The treatment according to the invention is economically advantageous and the increase in yield is economically beneficial and important. For example the amount of a potato yield has been increased by more than 30% and for the tomato the amount of the yield has increased as much as twice with an appropriate application scale of betaine. It should also be noted that a cell treated with betaine or proline remains viable even when subjected to exogenous stress factors, such as low temperatures, drought, high salinity or the like. The invention will be described in greater detail by means of the following examples. These examples are provided only to illustrate the invention and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention in any way.

Example 1 The effect of betaine on potato yield was determined under field conditions at two different locations and using four different concentrations of betaine: 0 (control), 1.25, 5.0 and 10 kg of betaine per hectare. For the purpose of dosing, an aqueous solution of betaine, the solution containing 2 ml / l of Plus-50, wetter non-ionic (Ciba Geigy), was prepared in addition to the desired betaine content. The betaine solution was added in an amount of 640 I / ha in a ground cover to! 75% and a second application was made during the tuber growth stage. The type of potato was Russet Burbank. The places of growth varied by climate, in one (1) the climate was warmer and drier than in the other (2) where frosts occurred during the growth stage. After harvest, the tubers were classified as non-marketable (small, green and irregularly shaped tubers) and marketable and the weight and number of tubers in the categories were determined. The specific gravity of the tubers was determined with the weight in the weight method of air in water. The statistical analysis of the results was executed by means of! analysis of variance using the Genstat statistical package. In location (1), tuber yield per plant increased from a control value of 1.96 kg to 2.42 kg when betaine was used in an amount of 2.5 kg / ha. This was an increase of 23.5% over the control, that is, approximately 17t / ha. The results are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Effect of betaine on potato yield In the location (2), the results were diverted to a certain degree from the results obtained in the location (1); an increase of more than 10% in the amount of the yield over the control was obtained only in the application scales of 5 and 10 kg / ha. The best result was obtained with the application scale of 10 kg / ha, thus increasing the yield 12.6% over the control, that is 7.9 t / ha. With the betaine application scale of 10 kg / ha, a clear increase in the number of tradable tubers per plant was also detected. No significant differences were found in the specific gravity of the tubers. The values varied between 1,084 and 1,082. a clear increase in yield was evident in both locations in response to the application of exogenous betaine. However, the increase in performance was clearly different in the two locations. The differences can result from two different factors. On the one hand, the tension was different in the locations due to differences in climate. On the other hand, at location (1) potato tubers were harvested one week after the second application and the second application of betaine may not have had any influence on yield. In location (2) the betaine was added during the tuber development stage and the harvest was made at a maturity of about 6 weeks after application. The results may therefore indicate that it is not advisable to execute the second application of betaine in a short time interval.

Example 2 The effect of betaine on potato yield under water stress under field conditions was determined according to the following test arrangement: 1). Normal irrigation (irrigation every 7 days) (WW) 2). Water tension (irrigation every 15 days) (SS) 3). Water tension (irrigation every 15 days) + betaine (SB) Betaine was added during the flowering of the plants six weeks after planting. The concentration was 0.2M aqueous solution of betaine. The solution was sprayed on the wetting scale but not soaking the plants (approximately ml / plant, ie 0.47 g / p! Anta). AND! type of potato was Alpha. The potato was cultivated in plots of 4.0 x 2.8 m and the harvest of the plots of approximately 3.0 x 2.1 m was collected. The cultivation proceeded according to normal practice, that is, fertilizers, insecticides and other pesticides were added, potatoes were buried, etc. The growth time was normal for the location used.

The potatoes were harvested 110 days after planting. The results are shown in Table 2.

Table 2 Effect of betaine on potato yield under dry conditions The water stress clearly reduced the yield of the tubers. On the other hand, the betaine treatment increased the number of tubers considerably under stress conditions. The application of betaine carried out in an individual dose increased the yield of the tubers of potatoes subjected to tension with water in 30%.

Example 3 The effect of betaine on tomato yield under conditions of tension under field conditions was determined according to the following test arrangement: 1). Normal irrigation (irrigation every 7 days) (WW) 2). Normal irrigation (irrigation every 7 days) + betaine (WB) 3). Water voltage (irrigation every 15 days) (SS) 4). Water tension (irrigation every 15 days) + betaine (SB) Betaine was added during the flowering of the plants six weeks after planting. The concentration was 0 2M aqueous solution of betaine. The aqueous solution was sprayed on a wetting scale but without soaking the plants (approximately 20 ml / plant, ie approximately 0.47 g / plant) The amount of water added was not essential for the plant's need for water. according to normal practice, that is, fertilizers, insecticides and other pesticides were added, etc. The growth time was normal for the location used.The results of the tomato crop were always determined for ten plants and the mature crop was harvested manually for five weeks, starting at eleven weeks after planting, the results are shown in Table 3. Table 3 Effect of bysteine on the yield of drinking under different conditions Treatment Testing (WW) (WB) ( SS) (SB) Parallel Average 379 782 492 1,221 The water tension does not produce considerable changes in the yield of tomato, on the contrary the plants subjected to tension provided a yield that was 30% higher than that of the normally irrigated plants. On the other hand, e! Betaine treatment increased tomato yield considerably; the production of fruit of plants subjected to tension more than double and the production of plants that grow under normal conditions more or less twice.

Example 4 The effect of betaine, applied at various stages of growth, on the development and yield of the tomatoes was determined as follows. The tomatoes, cv. Pacesetter, were planted in separate rows 1.5 meters apart. Each row was on a bed ca. 90 cm wide by ca. 20 cm high. The rows were irrigated by flooding at the frequency of 7 to 14 days during November, 7 to 10 days during December and 5 to 9 days from the beginning of January to 10 days before harvest. The earth was black clay soil, pH 5.7. The test was deployed as a randomized complete block experiment with 6 blocks, each containing 1 replica of each treatment. 19 untreated control plots were strategically located so that each plot treated was no more than 2 plots removed from an untreated control. The test occupied an area of 10 rows wide (15 meters) by 88 meters long. This was divided into 11 banks of 10 plots, every 8 meters of the row. Before the treatments were located, each plot was classified according to the continuity of the row of plants. Plots with a space greater than 0.5 meters in length were discarded. The remaining 91 plots were classified into plots with one row of continuous plant and plots with 1 or 2 spaces. There were enough plots in the first category for 4 blocks and enough in the other two categories for 1 block of each. The glycinebetaine used was food grade material, Lot No. 64093334 (10/21/94) and was supplied by Tall Bennet (Rural) P / L. The betaine was weighed in batches of 50.0 g and 25.0 g and stored in 250 ml PET containers capped under pressure. In one hour before use, enough of these batches were dissolved for application in measured volumes of clean water to produce a solution of 200 g / l. These solutions were prepared in calibrated glass cylinders of 250, 500 or 1000 ml and transferred to a glass bottle capped by a liter thread. In one hour before use, 25.0 ml of Surfactant P! Us-50 (Ciba Geigy) was made up to 250.0 ml with clean water and transferred to a glass bottle capped by 250 ml thread. Depending on the spray volume and the row, 1000, 1500 or 2000 ml of spray were prepared for applications 1, 2 and 3 respectively. A glass measuring cylinder with graduations of 25 ml was used in all applications. The required volume of 200 g / l of betaine solution was placed in the cylinder and was filled approximately up to half with water. The required volume of the 10% Plus-50 Spray solution was then added and the cylinder filled with 1000 ml of water. This mixture was then transferred to a clean PET spray bottle with the help of a funnel. In application 2, an additional 500 ml of water was added and in application 3, an additional 1000 ml. These volumes were measured using the original 1000 ml cylinder and transferred to the spray bottle using the original funnel. The spray was mixed continuously by vigorous agitation of the PET spray bottle. The preparation and application of each spray was achieved in less than 15 minutes. Application 1 was made on day 0, at the beginning of flowering. At this stage, the crop was healthy and no stress or pests were evident. The application 2 was made on day 20 to the middle of the last stage of flowering of the crop, which was still healthy and without considerable signs of tension. Application 3 was made on day 41, with the crop in a final flowering stage and with low levels of Big Bud, Helicoverpa spp., Tetranychus urticae blackberry. Four doses of betaine were applied in this test, 1.0, 2.5, . 0 and 10.0 kg / ha. In application 1 there were treatments designated A, B, C and D respectively. In application 2 there were treatments designated E, F, G and H respectively. In application 3 there were treatments designated I, J, K and L respectively. Devrinol (Napropamide 500 g / kg WP) was applied to the pre-plant at 6. 7 kg / ha for weed control. Throughout the test, a routine program of fungicides (mancozeb, cupric hydroxide and sulfur) and insecticides (dimethoate and esfenvalerate) was applied. The maturing agent Etherel (400 g / l ethepon) was applied at ca 11 / ha on day 75 of this test. The crop was well supplied with nutrients and was irrigated frequently. There was never any indication that the crop was subjected to more than the lower levels of stress. Immediately before the first application they were examined and classified according to the continuity of the row to block the test. Additionally, to determine the plant population and the stage of cultivation, the plants and the flowering plants were counted in the length of 6 central meters of the row in each of the 12 plots. These plots were selected at random from those that have a row of continuous plant. Approximately 1 hour after application, the height of the culture was measured in each of the 10 locations per plot, ie at points approximately 0.8 m apart, starting approximately 0.8 m from one end. These measurements were repeated 48 and 61 days after the first application (day 48 and day 61). On day 47 the outbreaks, flowers and fruits were counted in each of the 10 plants per plot. The selected plants were at approximately the same points used for height measurements. Attempts were made to repeat this determination on day 60. However, the plants could not be separated without damaging their neighbors, since they were now intertwined. Therefore the buds, flowers and fruit were counted in two lengths of 40 cm. Based on the average plant population of 12 per meter of row this was approximately the equivalent of 10 plants. Each 40 cm row length was centered at a point 1.5 meters - from the relevant end of each plot. On day 60, the proportion of red and green fruit was estimated by counting them in 2 row partitions per plot. During days 82 and 83 the red and green fruits were counted and weighed in a length of 2 continuous meters of plant row per plot. In 14 plots there were large plants of black grass and weeds.

In those cases, two lengths of 1 meter of row free of weeds were selected and in the center of ca 2 meters of continuous row. The lengths of 2 or 1 meter of row were measured and the boundaries were cut through the ground surface with a cane blade. With the lengths of 2 meters, the cut fruit was discarded. With the lengths of 1 meter, the fruit cut from the end closest to one end of the plot was discarded. The fruit cut from the other end was included in the sample and cut as half fruit. On day 82, before the harvest determination will begin, the proportion of foliage damaged by Tetranychus urticae was estimated at 10 quadrants per plot. Each quadrant was 0.5 meters of row and in most of the plots were placed from edge to edge along central 5 meters of row. Deviations were necessary when there were spaces in the row or large weeds. Treatment with betaine led to a significant increase in the height of the tomato plants between Day 0 and Day 48, due to the growth of the plants and a significant decrease between Day 48 and Day 61. The decrease was It undoubtedly owed to the ascending weight of the fruit that the plants were supporting. Betaine treatments had no significant effect on the number of buds and flowers on Day 61. However on day 61 fruit numbers varied significantly between treatments as a result of a dose response but not at the time of application of betaine. Betaine at 1.0, 2.5 and 10.0 kg / ha significantly increased the yield of red fruit and weight terms and this seemed to be due to an increase in numbers and weight per fruit. The yield of betaine at 5.0 kg / ha was not significantly different from the non-treated one although it was lower than the yield of the other betaine treatments. The response of the green fruit on Day 82 to the dose of betaine was similar to the response of! red fruit But, considering that 1.0 kg of betaine / ha produced the greatest increase in red fruit yield, 2.5 kg of betaine / ha produced e! greater increase in the yield of green fruit. In addition, the proportional increase in the yield of the green fruit, 109%, was significantly greater than the proportional increase in the yield of the red fruit, 13%. The large difference between the effect of betaine on the yield of red and green tomatoes indicated that there is a potential for greater increases in the yield of red tomatoes. This is considered more likely in crops that are subject to more stress than the crop in this test. The results are shown in Table 4. ..4; If the tension, the effect of beta-ion on the initial phase is therefore significantly with the dose, although it does not With the time of application, betaine at 1.0, 2.5 and 10.0 kg / ha increased the amount of water used, how much did it last, and what was the yield. The lowest increase in efficiency was 13%, however, 2.5 kg / ha gave the greatest increase in t? i? Tnuippeni? ue II ULU Veiue, lusvo. c: n tOiai, ß? r « na ???? e ????? ut? U? i is iuoii uc? lun iaua? i nc? iai cs, oo ccμci ati V? ..?,, nn? .-.??? u? _-._- *, «< -....»: _ i. < -. -.? .. i *; .. - ^ a * -. «.?.,., * _ ...« ..- ,: .- * _-j A ^ U u u u n u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u The T í 3 ¡p 3 3 p! C 3 u 3 a ¡3 m ¡í a u y a! a! of 13 flowering stage s s s s n n n n n n n proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción proporción? pvi / ap -íuj ui tiuac 011 ict iia,? _ ct icu? u i? iica IUCI UII üci i i vo and ¿. Í vo, iciiucu? I; He suggested that higher levels of performance are likely. This therapeutic property of betaine is also u t! in ios r i? ji dilicao 11. djßuiμi experi ento exato s 13 u u u u u u u pue pue pue pue pue 13 13 13 13 13 13. u 3 p or c a u s a u o by i. rwiCiuas. I exp rime 00 ?? u? Uj? u? iiuiui? nco c c: ¡? ? oo u i i? a i u c i ii i iii iii a c i a n a n d a n d a n d a n d e a n d a n d a n d a n d a n d a n d a n d a n a n d a n d a n d a n d a n a n d a n a n d a n a n d a n a or? growth, and used five different concentrations of betaine: ^? nu? ij, ¿. , Today . ? \ and uc ¡c i a i i i c¡μ? i licic ia. At the end of the dosing, an aqueous solution of betaine was prepared and, in addition to the desired betaine content, the solution contained 1 ml / l of Plus-50 (Ciba Geigy) moistened. The betaine solution was added in an amount of 640 I / ha to 25% land cover. The type of potato was Russet Burbank. The location located at an altitude of 140 m and periodically infested by high temperatures and drought. The crop was harvested manually and the tubers were classified as non-marketable (small, green and diseased tubers and the marketable ones, and the weight and number of tubers in the categories were determined) In this experiment also, betaine increased the number of tubers. The smaller application scales of betaine, 2 to 4 kg / ha, had no significant effect on the yield and the number of tubers, with the highest betaine concentrations the yield and the number of tubers were significantly increased. tubers per hectare had the highest increase with the betaine concentration of 8 kg / ha, the increase being 21% over the control.The results are shown in Table 5. Table 5 Effect of betaine on the yield of potato treated with herbicide

Claims (27)

1. Exogenous use of betaine to improve the performance of field growth plants belonging to the genus Solanum.

2. The use according to claim 1, characterized in that the betaine is used to improve the performance under stress conditions.

3. The use according to claim 2, characterized in that the stress conditions comprise high or low temperatures, drought, excessive humidity or high salinity.

4. The use according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the plant is potato.

5. The use according to claim 4, characterized in that the potato grows under tension by cold.

6. The use according to claim 4, characterized in that the potato grows under water stress.

The use according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the betaine is used in an amount of about 0.1 to 20 kg / ha.

8. The use according to claim 7, characterized in that the betaine is used in an amount of about 2 to 8 kg / ha.

9. The use according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the plant is tomato.

10. The use according to claim 9, characterized in that the tomato grows under water tension.

11. The use according to claim 10, characterized in that the betaine is used in an amount of about 0.1 to 30 kg / ha.

12. The use according to claim 11, characterized in that the betaine is used in an amount of about 1 to 6 kg / ha.

13. A method for improving the yield of plants belonging to the genus Solanum, characterized in that betaine is applied exogenously to a viable field growth plant.

14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that the betaine is applied to plants growing under stress conditions.

15. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that the stress conditions comprise high or low temperatures, drought, excessive humidity or high salinity.

16. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the betaine is applied once or several times during the growing season.

A method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the betaine is applied together with a pesticide, surfactant or fertilizer

18. g A method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the betaine is applied in a single application in a starting stage! of the growth of the plant.

19. A method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the betaine is applied in successive treatments, making the first treatment in an initial stage of the growth of the plant and the second at the beginning of flowering.

20. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that the plant is potato.

21. A method according to claim 20, characterized in that the potato grows under tension by cold.

22. A method according to claim 20, characterized in that the potato grows under water stress.

23. A method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, characterized in that the betaine is used in an amount of about 0.1 to 20 kg / ha, preferably about 2 to 8 kg / ha.

24. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that the plant is tomato.

25. A method according to claim 24, characterized in that the tomato grows under water stress conditions.

26. A method according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that the betaine is used in an amount of about 0.1 to 30 kg / ha, preferably of about 1 to 6 kg / ha.

27. Solanum plants obtained with a method according to any one of claims 13 to 26 and the products thereof. SUMMARY The invention relates to the exogenous use of betaine to improve the yield of plants, such as potato and tomato, which belong to the genus Solanum. In accordance with the invention, betaine is used to improve performance specifically under stress conditions. The invention also relates to plants of the genus Solanum treated exogenously with betaine and to the products obtained from the plants.