AMENDED CLAIMS

received by the International Bureau on 04 July 2017 (04.07.2017)

1. A process of preparing a fortified fertilizer, comprising:

a) providing a base fertilizer;

b) supporting a latent form of bacteria on the base fertilizer;

c) reactivating the latent form of the bacteria,

wherein the active form of the bacteria has ACC deaminase activity and with or without P-solubilizing activity; and wherein the latent form of the bacteria is produced by fermenting the bacteria following one or several fermentation steps using specific media to promote enumeration, activities and cells survival on mineral fertilizer - fermentation from 25° C to about 45° C promotes enumeration and activities, latent form is obtained using pH value of about 3.8 to about 9, including pH management and then exposing the bacteria to a temperature of about 13° C to about 18° C and a pH of about 3.9 to about 9 including pH management to maintain the bacteria in latent state for storage for later application.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the latent form of the bacteria is produced by exposing the bacteria to a temperature of about 13° C to about 18° C and a pH of about 5 to about 7.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the latent form of the bacteria is reactivated in presence of an exudate from a plant root or by a processing in the laboratory facility.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the base fertilizer is a mineral fertilizer chosen from diammonium phosphate (DAP), single super phospate (SSP), urea, muriate of potash 2

(MOP), mono ammonium phosphate (MAP), or calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) or any other mineral fertilizer having nitrogen, phosphate and/or postah.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the mineral fertilizer contains granules and the latent form of bacteria is impregnated on the granules.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the reactivated bacteria are chosen from bacteria from the groups of Bacilllus, Pseudomonas, Cyanobacteria, Clostridium, Azotobacter, or Azo spirillum.

7. A PGPB (plant growth promoting bacteria) composition for adding to a base fertilizer, comprising:

a latent form of PGPB containing enzyme ACC deaminase and with or without P- solubilizing activity; and wherein the latent form of PGPB is produced by fermenting the bacteria following one or several fermentation steps using specific media to promote enumeration, activities and cells survival on mineral fertilizer - fermentation from 25° C to about 45° C promotes enumeration and activities, latent form is obtained using pH value of about 3.8 to about 9, including pH management and then exposing the bacteria to a temperature of about 13° C to about 18° C and a pH of about 3.9 to about 9 including pH management to maintain the bacteria in latent state for storage for later application.

8. The PGPB composition of claim 7, wherein the composition is a liquid broth. 3

9. The PGPB composition of claim 7, wherein the latent forms of the bacteria are capable of being reactivated upon contacting an exudate from a root of a plant.

10. A method for making a fortified fertilizer, comprising:

a) obtaining a microbial culture comprising bacteria;

b) adjusting the microbial culture during fermentation to a temperature of about 25°C to about 45° C and a pH value of about 3.8 to about 9 to reach the bacterial pre-determined density; and converting the microbial culture into latent state by adjusting the

temperature of about 13-25 °C;

c) mixing the latent microbiological culture with a base fertilizer,

wherein bacteria in the microbiological culture contain enzyme

1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, and with or without P- solubilizing activity, and wherein the fermentation includes one or several steps using specific media to promote enumeration, activities and cells survival on mineral fertilizer - fermentation from 25° C to about 45° C promotes enumeration and activities, latent form is obtained using pH value of about 3.8 to about 9, including pH management and then exposing the bacteria to a temperature of about 13° C to about 18° C and a pH of about 3.9 to about 9 including pH management to maintain the bacteria in latent state for storage for later application.

1 1. The method of claim 10, wherein the temperature and the pH value of the microbiological culture are adjusted such that the bacteria are changed into a latent state. 4

12. The method of claim 10, the temperature for converting the microbial culture into latent state is adjusted preferably to about 13- 18° C.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the pH value of the microbiological culture is adjusted to about 5 to about 7.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the bacteria are chosen from bacteria in the groups of Bacilllus, Pseudomonas, Cyanobacteria, Clostridium, or Azotobacter, or Azospirillum.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the base fertilizer is a mineral fertilizer.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the microbiological culture is obtained through the steps of: identifying bacteria to be included in the microbiological culture; purifying the bacteria; and fermenting the bacteria in the microbiological culture to reach a pre-determined density.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pre-determined density is about 10 cells to about 10⁹ cells per milliliter of the microbiological culture.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising activating the latent bacteria in presence of an exudate from a plant's root.

19. A method of improving plant growth, comprising: planting a plant in a soil; and applying a fortified fertilizer through top dressing, side dressing, broadcasting, basal dressing, or fertigation, wherein the fortified fertilizer comprises a latent form of plant growth promoting bacteria supported on a mineral base fertilizer,

5 wherein the latent form of the bacteria is produced by fermenting the bacteria following one or several fermentation steps using specific media to promote enumeration, activities and cells survival on mineral fertilizer - fermentation from 25° C to about 45° C promotes enumeration and activities, latent form is obtained using pH value of about 3.8 to about 9, including pH management and then exposing the bacteria to a temperature of about 13° C to about 18° C and a pH of about 3.9 to about 9 including pH management to maintain the bacteria in latent state for storage for later application.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the latent bacteria contain enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase and with or without P- solubilizing activity.