Patent ID: 8597395

Claim:
A method of improving abiotic stress-response in a plant, the method comprising contacting a part of a seed, a plant, or a locus thereof with a composition of matter at a rate of about 0.01 gram/hectare to about 10.0 gram/hectare dry weight, the composition of matter comprising two or more of: a. a mixture of condensed hydrocarbons, lignins, and tannins and/or condensed tannins; b. an oxygen-to-carbon ratio for the composition of matter of greater than about 0.5; c. a total number of tannin compounds greater than about 200, the tannin compounds having a hydrogen to carbon ratio of about 0.5 to about 1.4, and an aromaticity index of less than about 0.7 as measured by mass spectroscopy; or d. a mass distribution of about 55-60% lignin compounds, 27-35% tannin compounds, and about 8-15% condensed hydrocarbon as measured by mass spectroscopy and improving the abiotic stress response of a plant exposed to an abiotic stress.