This disclosure relates to agrochemical and biological control compositions for combating pests, more specifically plant pests, comprising at least one polypeptide, which specifically binds to a pest. The disclosure further provides methods for protecting or treating a plant or a part of a plant from an infection or other biological interaction with a plant pathogen, at least comprising the step of applying directly or indirectly to a plant or to a part of a plant, an agrochemical composition, under conditions effective to protect or treat a plant or a part of a plant against a infection or biological interaction with a plant pathogen. Further provided are methods for producing such agrochemical compositions and formulations, to polypeptides with a specific pesticidal activity comprised within an agrochemical formulation, to nucleic acids encoding such polypeptide and to plants comprising chimeric genes comprising such nucleic acids.

The present invention is directed to methods of modifying the plant development process comprising of exposing a seed, seedling, or plant to volatiles biosynthesized by one or more bacteria or enzymes. Specifically, the embodiment uses one or more bacteria selected from the plant growth promoting bacteria group consisting of Rhodococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp., or Xanthobacter spp., or a mixture thereof. A closed apparatus, FIG. 1A, containing a tri-phasic system is used to expose the bacteria to hydrocarbons, iron, cyanide, and/or ammonium compounds; the method induces the biocatalyst to biosynthesize volatile compound(s) that plant hormone production to enhance or accelerate plant development.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising saccharides extracted from blue-green algae biomass, the said saccharides comprisingfrom 55% to 60% of rhamnose by weight, from 6.5% to 10% of uronic acid by weight, from 5% to 15% of sulfate groups by weight, andless than 10% of xylose, glucose and galactose or a mixture thereof calculated by weight upon the total of the composition being 100%.

Peptides having antimicrobial properties are described herein, as are compositions containing such peptides, and methods for using the peptides.

Compositions having pesticidal activity and methods for their use are provided. Compositions include isolated and recombinant polypeptides having pesticidal activity, recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules encoding the polypeptides, DNA constructs and vectors comprising the nucleic acid molecules, host cells comprising the vectors, and antibodies to the polypeptides. Polynucleotide sequences encoding the polypeptides can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in organisms of interest. The compositions and methods provided are useful for producing organisms with enhanced pest resistance or tolerance. Transgenic plants and seeds comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a pesticidal protein of the invention are also provided. Such plants are resistant to insects and other pests. Methods are provided for producing the various polypeptides disclosed herein, and for using those polypeptides for controlling or killing a pest. Methods and kits for detecting polypeptides of the invention in a sample are also included.

Novel insecticidal proteins isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis that are active against lepidopteran insect pests are disclosed. The DNA encoding the insecticidal proteins can be used to transform various prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms to express the insecticidal proteins. These recombinant organisms can be used to control lepidopteran insects in various environments.

The invention provides isolated Erwinia persicina strains with activity against: a) at least one Xanthomonas species, and/or b) at least one Brassicaceae pathogen. In particular the invention provides the isolated E. persicina strains deposited as DSM 32302, DSM 32304, DSM 32305 and DSM 32303. The invention provides compositions comprising one or more strains of the invention. The invention also provides methods of use of one or more strains or compositions of the inventions to control plant pathogens, particularly Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris.

A deer lure is applied to a licking branch to attract deer, primarily buck deer, in collecting census data on the population of a deer herd in a given area and in deer hunting. The lure is formulated by surgically removing the left and right pre-orbital tear duct glands from the left and right eyes of a deer. The left and right pre-orbital tear duct glands are mixed together to produce a totally pure pre-orbital gland lure, free of any other product removed from any deer. When applied to a licking branch, the lure is effective in attracting deer year round to the licking branch and is not limited to use during the rut.

Disclosed are hypersensitive-response eliciting peptides that exhibit improved solubility, stability, resistance to chemical degradation, or a combination of these properties. Use of these peptides or fusion polypeptides, or DNA constructs encoding the same, for modulating plant biochemical signaling, imparting disease resistance to plants, enhancing plant growth, imparting tolerance to biotic stress, imparting tolerance and resistance to abiotic stress, imparting desiccation resistance to cuttings removed from ornamental plants, imparting post-harvest disease or post-harvest desiccation resistance to a fruit or vegetable, or enhancing the longevity of fruit or vegetable ripeness are also disclosed.

A chimeric protein comprising a cytolytic -endotoxin portion and a heterologous polypeptide portion is provided. Nucleic acids encoding the chimeric protein are also provided. In some cases, the chimeric protein can be expressed in parasporal inclusions of Bacillus thuringiensis. In certain cases, the cytolytic -endotoxin portion can include Cyt1Aa, and the heterologous portion can include an insecticidal polypeptide. The chimeric protein can be expressed in a suitable B. thuringiensi cell and purified as parasporal inclusions. Also provided is a method of controlling insects by exposing an insect to a chimerical insecticidal protein.