State of Israel, Ministry of Agriculture

Elazar Fallik

Yigal Elad

Noach Ben-Shalom

Rivka Pinto

The invention relates to a method for controlling plant diseases caused by the fungi Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata, by applying to a growing plant or to fruit or vegetables before or after harvesting, a composition which comprises an effective amount for controlling said fungi of at least one oligosaccharide ingredient, active against Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata, and selected from oligosaccharides obtainable by hydrolysis of chitin, .beta.-glucan and other similarly active polysaccharides, excluding chitosan, of cell walls of fungi, yeasts, marine plants and exoskeletons of arthropods, The composition also forms part of the invention, as does an analogous method and composition for a method for controlling plant diseases caused by Botrytis cinerea, and utilizing at least one oligosaccharide ingredient, active against Botrytis cinerea selected from oligosaccharides obtainable by hydrolysis of chitosan, and having a molecular weight within the range of about 500 to about 10,000 daltons, provided that in this instance the composition excludes acetic acid.

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Rehovot, Israel

Elazar Fallik