A system for reducing the incidence or severity of fungal infection of a plant, comprising a chemical fungicide component, which may be provided by foliar or root (soil or liquid nutrient) application, together with an antifungal plant defensin not in nature expressed in the plant being protected or expressed in lower amounts or in different tissues, provides synergistic improvement in protection against infection by a plant pathogenic fungus which is susceptible to the defensin and the fungicide. The fungicide can be a strobilurin or a triazole, and the defensin can be selected from a wide range of known defensins, for example, NaD1 and others, or it can be a chimeric defensin engineered for low toxicity to the plant. The defensin can be provided as a protein formulation, optionally together with the fungicide, or it can be provided by recombinant expression in the plant to be protected from fungal infection.

A system for reducing the incidence or severity of fungal infection of a plant, comprising a chemical fungicide component, which may be provided by foliar or root (soil or liquid nutrient) application, together with an antifungal plant defensin not in nature expressed in the plant being protected or expressed in lower amounts or in different tissues, provides synergistic improvement in protection against infection by a plant pathogenic fungus which is susceptible to the defensin and the fungicide. The fungicide can be a strobilurin or a triazole, and the defensin can be selected from a wide range of known defensins, for example, NaD1 and others, or it can be a chimeric defensin engineered for low toxicity to the plant. The defensin can be provided as a protein formulation, optionally together with the fungicide, or it can be provided by recombinant expression in the plant to be protected from fungal infection.

A system for reducing the incidence or severity of fungal infection of a plant, comprising a chemical fungicide component, which may be provided by foliar or root (soil or liquid nutrient) application, together with an antifungal plant defensin not in nature expressed in the plant being protected or expressed in lower amounts or in different tissues, provides synergistic improvement in protection against infection by a plant pathogenic fungus which is susceptible to the defensin and the fungicide. The fungicide can be a strobilurin or a triazole, and the defensin can be selected from a wide range of known defensins, for example, NaD1 and others, or it can be a chimeric defensin engineered for low toxicity to the plant. The defensin can be provided as a protein formulation, optionally together with the fungicide, or it can be provided by recombinant expression in the plant to be protected from fungal infection.

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##

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 present invention relates to the use of calcium carbonate as plant protection product for topical, pre-harvest application, wherein the plant protection product controls a pest during plant growth.

The present invention relates to the use of calcium carbonate as plant protection product for topical, pre-harvest application, wherein the plant protection product controls a pest during plant growth.

A granular composition comprising a pesticide, 0.1 to 10 wt % of a nonionic amphiphilic polyalkoxylate, at least 20 wt % of a solid water-soluble anionic dispersant, at least 5 wt % of a sugar, which is a mono- or disaccharide, or a mixture thereof, and a polyvinylpyrrolidone is provided. Methods for the preparation of the granular composition including the steps of (i) providing an aqueous suspension comprising the pesticide, the polyalkoxylate, the dispersant and the sugar, (ii) drying the aqueous suspension, and (iii) granulating the aqueous or dried suspension, and wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone is added in step (i) and/or step (iii) are further provided. Methods for controlling at least one of phytopathogenic fungi, plant growth, attack by insects or mites, and/or for regulating the growth of plants, wherein the composition is allowed to act on the particular pests, their habitat, the undesired or useful plants, and/or the soil are further provided.

A granular composition comprising a pesticide, 0.1 to 10 wt % of a nonionic amphiphilic polyalkoxylate, at least 20 wt % of a solid water-soluble anionic dispersant, at least 5 wt % of a sugar, which is a mono- or disaccharide, or a mixture thereof, and a polyvinylpyrrolidone is provided. Methods for the preparation of the granular composition including the steps of (i) providing an aqueous suspension comprising the pesticide, the polyalkoxylate, the dispersant and the sugar, (ii) drying the aqueous suspension, and (iii) granulating the aqueous or dried suspension, and wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone is added in step (i) and/or step (iii) are further provided. Methods for controlling at least one of phytopathogenic fungi, plant growth, attack by insects or mites, and/or for regulating the growth of plants, wherein the composition is allowed to act on the particular pests, their habitat, the undesired or useful plants, and/or the soil are further provided.

The present invention provides a stabilization system for an agrochemical composition comprising at least one steric stabilizer and at least one static stabilizer. The present invention further provides an aqueous insecticidal composition comprising at least one insecticide and said stabilization system. The present invention also discloses process of preparing aqueous insecticidal composition, a method of controlling pests and use of said composition as insecticide.