Disclosed is a plant disease control composition for soaking virus-infected plant seeds. The plant disease control composition is a composition including nitrogen, phosphate, potassium oxide, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, boron, copper, and a surfactant and characterized by exhibiting an effect on the diseases of cucurbitaceae or solanaceae crops. A plant disease control method for seed soaking involves soaking seeds in a plant disease control composition including nitrogen (N), phosphoric anhydride (P.sub.2O.sub.5), potassium oxide (K.sub.2O), boron (B), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and a surfactant to control plant diseases.

Disclosed is a plant disease control composition for soaking virus-infected plant seeds. The plant disease control composition is a composition including nitrogen, phosphate, potassium oxide, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, boron, copper, and a surfactant and characterized by exhibiting an effect on the diseases of cucurbitaceae or solanaceae crops. A plant disease control method for seed soaking involves soaking seeds in a plant disease control composition including nitrogen (N), phosphoric anhydride (P.sub.2O.sub.5), potassium oxide (K.sub.2O), boron (B), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and a surfactant to control plant diseases.

Processes for treating a fiber substrate are disclosed. A fiber substrate comprising borosilicate with acidic functional groups. A metal salt solution is introduced to the fiber substrate. The metal salt solution includes cations having an ionic charge of +2 or greater. The pH of the metal salt solution may be adjusted, and the cations are deposited on the glass fibers. The treated fiber substrate may be utilized to form a filter media.

Processes for treating a fiber substrate are disclosed. A fiber substrate comprising borosilicate with acidic functional groups. A metal salt solution is introduced to the fiber substrate. The metal salt solution includes cations having an ionic charge of +2 or greater. The pH of the metal salt solution may be adjusted, and the cations are deposited on the glass fibers. The treated fiber substrate may be utilized to form a filter media.

Disclosed herein is a composition (C) including: (A) a solvent system; and (B) at least one biocide. The solvent system includes: (A1) a first component selected from an organic acid (A1a) or an alcohol (A1b); and (A2) a second component selected from an organic acid (A2a), an alcohol (A2b), an ester (A2c) or an ether (A2d), with the proviso that the Hansen solubility parameters of the first component (A1) are different from the Hansen solubility parameters of the second component (A2).

Disclosed herein is a composition (C) including: (A) a solvent system; and (B) at least one biocide. The solvent system includes: (A1) a first component selected from an organic acid (A1a) or an alcohol (A1b); and (A2) a second component selected from an organic acid (A2a), an alcohol (A2b), an ester (A2c) or an ether (A2d), with the proviso that the Hansen solubility parameters of the first component (A1) are different from the Hansen solubility parameters of the second component (A2).

A compound and method for conferring systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants are provided. The compound includes a nucleotide sequence derived from trans-acting small interfering RNA3a (TAS3a). The method includes exogenously applying a compound having a nucleotide sequence derived from trans-acting small interfering RNA3a (TAS3a).

The present invention addresses the problem of providing phosphine for fumigation, by which clogging of a pipe of a fumigation gas feed device due to impurities is effectively suppressed and which has low spontaneous ignitability. The present invention also addresses the problem of providing a phosphine fumigation method in which clogging of a pipe of a fumigation gas feed device and a possibility of spontaneous ignition are reduced and which is safe. The phosphine for fumigation of the present invention has a P.sub.4 content of 10 mass ppm or less and a water content of 10 mass ppm or less. The fumigation method of the present invention includes fumigating a material to be fumigated, using phosphine having a P.sub.4 content of 10 mass ppm or less and having a water content of 10 mass ppm or less.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing phosphine for fumigation, by which clogging of a pipe of a fumigation gas feed device due to impurities is effectively suppressed and which has low spontaneous ignitability. The present invention also addresses the problem of providing a phosphine fumigation method in which clogging of a pipe of a fumigation gas feed device and a possibility of spontaneous ignition are reduced and which is safe. The phosphine for fumigation of the present invention has a P.sub.4 content of 10 mass ppm or less and a water content of 10 mass ppm or less. The fumigation method of the present invention includes fumigating a material to be fumigated, using phosphine having a P.sub.4 content of 10 mass ppm or less and having a water content of 10 mass ppm or less.

Methods of increasing the tolerance of a plant to an herbicide and seeds for carrying out these methods are provided herein. The methods include treating the seeds of the plant with an insecticide prior to planting. The insecticide treatment makes the resulting plant more resistant to herbicides and in particular to post-emergence herbicides as compared to untreated seeds. The plants suitably do not have complete natural or complete engineered resistance to the herbicide. The treated seeds are then planted in a field and the herbicide is applied to the field. The resulting plants growing from the treated seeds have increased tolerance to the herbicide as compared to plants grown from seeds not treated with the insecticide.