Biologicals and their use in plants

Abstract

Entomopathogenic fungal strains, compositions, and methods of using the strains for reducing overall insect damage.

1 .- 65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . A method of increasing resistance of a plant to a plant pathogen, a pest, or an insect comprising inoculating a plant, a plant part, or an environment of a plant or a plant part with a composition comprising a fungal entomopathogen selected from the group consisting of  Metarhizium robertsii  15013-1 , Metarhizium robertsii  23013-3, and  Metarhizium anisopliae  3213-1. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the composition further comprises a biocontrol agent selected from the group consisting of a bacteria, a fungus, a yeast, a protozoa, a virus, an entomopathogenic nematode, a botanical extract, a protein, a nucleic acid, a secondary metabolite, and an inoculant. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the composition further comprises an agrochemically active compound selected from the group consisting of an insecticide, a fungicide, a bactericide, and a nematicide. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein the agrochemically active compound is a fungicide. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the fungicide comprises a fungicide composition selected from the group consisting of azoxystrobin, thiabendazole, fludioxonil, metalaxyl, tebuconazole, prothioconazole, ipconazole, penflufen, and sedaxane. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the composition further comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of a safener, a lipo-chitooligosaccharide, a triglucosamine lipoglycine salt, an isoflavone, and a ryanodine receptor modulator. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the plant, the plant part, or the environment of the plant or the plant part further comprises a genetically modified or transgenic plant or plant part, or an environment of a genetically modified or transgenic plant or plant part. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 72 , wherein the genetically modified or transgenic plant or plant part comprises a Coleopteran insecticidal trait. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the Coleopteran insecticidal trait comprises a Bt trait, a silencing element or a non-Bt insecticidal protein. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the genetically modified plant part is a seed. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the genetically modified plant part is a leaf. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen comprises a spore. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen comprises a conidia. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the fungal entomopathogen comprises a microsclerotia. 
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the non-Bt insecticidal protein is selected from the group consisting of a plant-derived insecticidal protein, non-Bt bacterial/archeal-derived insecticidal protein, an animal-derived insecticidal protein, an AfIP-1A and/or AfIP-1B polypeptide, a PHI-4 polypeptide, a PIP-47 polypeptide, a PIP-72 polypeptide, a PtIP-50 polypeptide and a PtIP-65 polypeptide, a PtIP-83 polypeptide, and a PtIP-96 polypeptide. 
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the silencing element targets a gene selected from the group consisting of PAT3, RyanR, Sec23, Snf7, vATPase, a COPI α, β, or γ coatomer subunit, and RPS10. 
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the Bt trait comprises an event selected from the group consisting of event MON863, event MIR604, event 5307, event DAS-59122, event DP-4114, event MON 87411, and event MON88017. 
     
     
         83 .- 129 . (canceled)