Fungicidal composition comprising a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative and a compound capable of inhibiting the ergosterol biosynthesis

1. A composition comprising

a) a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative of formula (I)

or 2-pyridine N-oxides thereof,

in which

p is an integer equal to 1, 2, 3 or 4;

q is an integer equal to 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;

each substituent X, independently of the others, is halogen, alkyl or haloalkyl;

each substituent Y, independently of the others, is halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, amino, phenoxy, alkylthio, dialkylamino, acyl, cyano, ester, hydroxy, aminoalkyl, benzyl, haloalkoxy, halosulphonyl, halothioalkyl, alkoxyalkenyl, alkylsulphonamide, nitro, alkylsulphonyl, phenylsulphonyl or benzylsulphonyl;

and

b) a triazole derivative capable of inhibiting ergosterol biosynthesis in a (a)/(b) weight ratio of from 0.01 to 20, wherein the triazole derivative is azaconazole, bitertanol, bromuconazole, cyproconazole, difenoconazole, diniconazole, epoxiconazole, fenbuconazole, fluquinconazole, flusilazole, flutriafol, hexaconazole, imibenconazole, ipconazole, metconazole, myclobutanil, penconazole, propiconazole, prothioconazole, simeconazole, tebuconazole, tetraconazole, triadimefon, triadimenol, triticonazole, diclobutrazole, etaconazole, fluotrimazole, furconazole, furconazole-cis, triamiphos or triazbutil, and

c) a further fungicidal compound (c) different from a) and b) selected from the group consisting of trifloxystrobin, fluoxastrobin, picoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, azoxystrobin, dimoxystrobin, and metominostrobin.

2. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein p is 2.

3. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein q is 2.

4. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein X, independently of the others, is halogen or haloalkyl.

5. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein X, independently of the others, is a chloro atom or a trifluoromethyl group.

6. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein Y, independently of the others, is halogen or haloalkyl.

7. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein Y, independently of the others, is a chloro atom or a trifluoromethyl group.

8. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (I) is

N-{2-[3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]ethyl}-2-trifluoromethylbenzamide;

N-{2-[3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]ethyl}-2-iodobenzamide; or

N-{2-[3,5-dichloro-2-pyridinyl]ethyl}-2-trifluoromethylbenzamide.

9. A composition according to claim 8 , wherein the compound of formula (I) is N-{2-[3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]ethyl}-2-trifluoromethylbenzamide.

10. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the fungicidal compound (c) is trifloxystrobin.

11. A composition according to claim 1 further comprising an agriculturally acceptable support, carrier, filler and/or surfactant.

12. A method for preventively or curatively controlling phytopathogenic fungi of crops, wherein an effective and non-phytotoxic amount of a composition according to claim 1 is applied to the seed, the plant and/or to the fruit of the plant or to the soil in which the plant is growing or in which it is desired to grow.

13. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the triazole derivative is prothioconazole.

14. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein (a) the pyridylethylbenzamide derivative of formula (I) is N-{2-[3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]ethyl}-2-trifluoromethylbenzamide, (b) the triazole derivative capable of inhibiting the ergosterol biosynthesis is prothioconazole, and (c) the further fungicidal compound is trifloxystrobin.