Method for enhancing oxidation of methyl bromide with strain IMB-1 (ATCC 202197) during agricultural fumigations

US6013254A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, as represented by The Secretary of The Interior · US

Inventors

• Ronald S. Oremland · San Francisco, US
• Tracey L. Connell · Santa Cruz, US
• Laurence G. Miller

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 9, 1998
• Grant date: Jan 11, 2000
• Expiry date: Jun 9, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S435/878
• WIPO field: Basic materials chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method is provided for enhancing oxidation of methyl bromide during agricultural fumigations of fields using a fumigant containing methyl bromide. The method comprises adding a methylotrophic bacterium to the soil in an amount effective to provide bacterial oxidation of the methyl bromide. The bacterium preferably comprises a bacterium isolated from agricultural soil, and, in a specific embodiment, comprises a 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence in the Alpha subgroup of Proteobacteria designated strain IMB-1 (ATCC 202197). The fumigant also includes chloropicrin in an amount reduced to a level which permits said bacterial oxidation but while still enables the chloropicrin to serve as a warning agent for excessive release of methyl bromide from the soil. The soil can be pretreated with methyl iodide. The bacterium is applied to the soil as freeze-dried bacterial cells during the fumigation operation.