The disclosure relates to pheromone extracts from nematode growth medium, and methods of using such nematode extracts to increase the abundance of fungal and bacterial microbials in the soil to promote plant growth, plant health, and to protect plants from environmental stresses including abiotic and biotics stresses.

A compound represented by formula (I) or a salt thereof has an inhibitory action on abscisic acid 8′-hydroxylase CYP707A. The compound or a salt thereof can be used as a plant growth regulator.

##STR00001##

wherein R is a C1-6 alkyl group, and the C1-6 alkyl group optionally have a substituent selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom and a C1-6 alkoxy group.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel plant growth inhibiting agent and a plant growth inhibiting method using the same. The plant growth inhibiting agent of the present invention comprises, as an active ingredient, a compound represented by the following formula (I′) and/or a salt thereof. In the formula (I′), R.sup.1a represents a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.6 to C.sub.14 aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.3 to C.sub.13 heteroaryl group, or the like; R.sup.2 represents a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.6 to C.sub.14 arylene group, or the like; R.sup.3a represents OH, a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 alkoxy group, or the like; X represents an oxygen atom; Y represents a substituent; q represents any integer of 0 to 3; n represents 0 or 1; and m represents 0 or 1.

##STR00001##

The compound represented by formula (IV) or a salt thereof has an inhibitory action on an abscisic acid receptor. The compound or the salt thereof can be used as a plant growth regulator.

##STR00001##

wherein X is an ethylene group, an ethenylene group or an ethynylene group, R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom, a phenyl group or a naphthyl group, and the phenyl group and naphthyl group each optionally have a substituent selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a C1-6 alkyl group, a C1-6 alkyl group substituted with a halogen atom, a C1-6 alkoxy group, an acetyl group, an amino group, an acetylamino group, a phenyl group and a pentafluorosulfanyl group.

The present invention relates to a method of producing fungal spores with prolonged storage stability or of prolonging the storage stability of fungal spores comprising subjecting fungal spores to a drying procedure to result in a residual moisture content of 12% or less and a composition comprising fungal spores obtained by said method.

The invention relates to compositions comprising at least one ABA agonist for inhibiting plant or plant part germination/sprouting, and/or promoting fruit ripening and pigmentation; kits comprising such compositions; and methods of using such compositions to inhibiting plant or plant part germination/sprouting and promoting fruit ripening and pigmentation.

The invention relates to compositions comprising at least one ABA antagonist for promoting germination/sprouting of plants or plant parts, and/or delaying fruit ripening and pigmentation; kits comprising such compositions; and methods of using such compositions to promote germination/sprouting of plants or plant parts, and/or to delay fruit ripening and pigmentation.

The disclosure relates to isolated microorganisms—including novel strains of the microorganisms, microbial consortia, and agricultural compositions comprising the same. Furthermore, the disclosure teaches methods of utilizing the described microorganisms, microbial consortia, and agricultural compositions comprising the same, in methods for imparting beneficial properties to target plant species. In particular aspects, the disclosure provides methods of increasing desirable plant traits in agronomically important crop species.

The invention discloses an exopolysaccharide from Rhodopseudomonas palustris and a method for preparing and use thereof, and the method for preparing comprises the steps of: 1) keeping a seed solution from Rhodopseudomonas palustris GJ-22 in a fermentation medium for fermentation culture to obtain a fermentation broth; 2) centrifuging the fermentation broth to take the supernatant, which is treated by alcohol precipitation after filtration, and then collecting the pellet from alcohol precipitation by centrifugation to obtain crude polysaccharide; 3) removing proteins from the rude polysaccharide using protease enzymolysis method and Sevag method, followed by dialysis treatment with distilled water to remove small molecules and organic solvent to obtain a polysaccharide sample; 4) purifying the polysaccharide sample through an anion exchange column and a molecular exclusion chromatography column obtain the exopolysaccharide from Rhodopseudomonas palustris.

The invention relates to a novel substituted amino acids, agricultural compositions comprising the novel substituted amino acids, and their use for controlling undesired plant growth alone or in combination with crop protection agents such as pesticides or plant growth regulators.