Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods and compositions for increasing a growth characteristic of a plant, increasing nutrient use efficiency of a plant, or improving a plant’s ability to overcome biotic or abiotic stress comprising applying a composition comprising mixed linked ?-1,3/?-1,4 glucans (MLGs) to a plant, plant part, propagation material of the plant, or to the soil, hydroponic solution or growth media in which a target plant is growing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of increasing the resistance to one or more pathogens, preferably fungal or bacterial pathogens, in a monocotyledonous or dicotyledonous plant or a part of a plant, for example in an organ, tissue, a cell or a part of a plant cell, for example in an organelle, wherein a DNA sequence which codes for YODA protein or wherein an endogenous DNA sequence which codes for a YODA protein is increased in the plant or plant cell in comparison with the original, or wild-type, plant. The invention also relates to plants, to parts of a plant, for example an organ, tissue, a cell or a part of a plant cell, for example an organelle, which are obtained by the above methods, and to the corresponding propagation material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of increasing the resistance to one or more pathogens, preferably fungal or bacterial pathogens, in a monocotyledonous or dicotyledonous plant or a part of a plant, for example in an organ, tissue, a cell or a part of a plant cell, for example in an organelle, wherein a DNA sequence which codes for YODA protein or wherein an endogenous DNA sequence which codes for a YODA protein is increased in the plant or plant cell in comparison with the original, or wild-type, plant. The invention also relates to plants, to parts of a plant, for example an organ, tissue, a cell or a part of a plant cell, for example an organelle, which are obtained by the above methods, and to the corresponding propagation material.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of protecting plants from pathogen attack through synergistic disease resistance attained by applying a conventional microbicide to immunomodulated plants. Immunomodulated plants are those in which SAR is activated and are therefore referred to as “SAR-on” plants. Immunomodulated plants may be provided in at least three different ways: by applying to plants a chemical inducer of SAR such as BTH, INA, or SA; through a selective breeding program based on constitutive expression of SAR genes and/or a disease-resistant phenotype; or by transforming plants with one or more SAR genes such as a functional form of the NIM1 gene. By concurrently applying a microbicide to an immunomodulated plant, disease resistance is unexpectedly synergistically enhanced; i.e., the level of disease resistance is greater than the expected additive levels of disease resistance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel antipathogenic peptides, to DNA sequences encoding said peptides, to vectors comprising said DNA sequences, to transgenic plants comprising a DNA sequence encoding said peptides, to compositions containing anti-pathogenic peptides and to the use of said peptides and compositions for controlling plant pathogens, Also comprised are methods of preparing antipathogenic peptides or compositions containing same and transgenic plants able to synthesize anti-pathogenically effective amounts of said peptides.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of protecting plants from pathogen attack through synergistic disease resistance attained by applying a conventional microbicide to immunomodulated plants. Immunomodulated plants are those in which SAR is activated and are therefore referred to as "SAR-on" plants. Immunomodulated plants may be provided in at least three different ways: by applying to plants a chemical inducer of SAR such as BTH, INA, or SA; through a selective breeding program based on constitutive expression of SAR genes and/or a disease-resistant phenotype; or by transforming plants with one or more SAR genes such as a functional form of the NIM1 gene. By concurrently applying a microbicide to an immunomodulated plant, disease resistance is unexpectedly synergistically enhanced; i.e., the level of disease resistance is greater than the expected additive levels of disease resistance.