Fungicide enhancers effective for treating plants infected with fungal pathogens

1. A method of treating a plant or seed of a plant infected by or at the risk of infection by a plant fungal pathogen, the method comprising:

contacting the plant or seed of a plant with a composition comprising:

a) copper octanoate and an enhancer selected from N-(m-tolyl)-[1, 1′-biphenyl]-4-sulfonamide, S-heptyl 2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbothioate, 3-(N-(4-bromophenyl) sulfamoyl)-N-(3-nitrophenyl) benzamide, or (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide;

b) myclobutanil, and an enhancer selected from N-(m-tolyl)-[1, 1′-biphenyl]-4-sulfonamide, S-heptyl 2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbothioate, 3-(N-(4-bromophenyl) sulfamoyl)-N-(3-nitrophenyl) benzamide, or (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide;

c) propiconazole and an enhancer selected from N-(m-tolyl)-[1, 1′-biphenyl]-4-sulfonamide or 3-(N-(4-bromophenyl) sulfamoyl)-N-(3-nitrophenyl) benzamide;

d) tebuconazole and an enhancer selected from N-(m-tolyl)-[1, 1′-biphenyl]-4-sulfonamide, S-heptyl 2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbothioate or 3-(N-(4-bromophenyl) sulfamoyl)-N-(3-nitrophenyl) benzamide

e) copper hydroxide and (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide;

f) prothioconazole and (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide; or

g) difenoconazole and (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant fungal pathogen is Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum graminicola, Fusarium oxysporum, Sclerotiana sclerotiorum, Verticillium dahlia, Mycospharella gramincola , or Sphacelotheca reliana.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant is a fruit bearing plant, vegetable bearing plant, nut bearing plant or grain plant.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant is strawberry, banana, corn, soybean, tobacco, wheat or cotton.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a diluent.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of the fungicide is not effective for treating a fungus.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of the fungicide is effective for treating a fungus and is adapted for application to a fungicide-resistant fungus.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enhancer is provided at 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 7.5, and 10% weight to weight enhancer to fungicide.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enhancer is provided at 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 7.5, and 10% volume to volume enhancer to fungicide.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is synergistic and the weight ratio of the fungicide to the enhancer is between about 500:1 and 5000:1.

11. A method of treating infection by a fungal pathogen that is resistant to a copper class or triazole fungicide, the method comprising:

a) contacting the fungal pathogen with a composition comprising copper octanoate or in combination with a fungal apyrase inhibitor selected from N-(m-tolyl)-[1, 1′-biphenyl]-4-sulfonamide, S-heptyl 2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbothioate, 3-(N-(4-bromophenyl) sulfamoyl)-N-(3-nitrophenyl) benzamide, or (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide;

b) contacting the fungal pathogen with a a composition comprising myclobutanil and a fungal apyrase inhibitor selected from N-(m-tolyl)-[1, 1′-biphenyl]-4-sulfonamide, S-heptyl 2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbothioate, 3-(N-(4-bromophenyl) sulfamoyl)-N-(3-nitrophenyl) benzamide, or (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide;

c) contacting the fungal pathogen with a composition comprising propiconazole and a fungal apyrase inhibitor selected from N-(m-tolyl)-[1, 1′-biphenyl]-4-sulfonamide or 3-(N-(4-bromophenyl) sulfamoyl)-N-(3-nitrophenyl) benzamide;

d) contacting the fungal pathogen with a composition comprising tebuconazole and a fungal apyrase inhibitor selected from N-(m-tolyl)-[1, 1′-biphenyl]-4-sulfonamide, S-heptyl 2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbothioate or 3-(N-(4-bromophenyl) sulfamoyl)-N-(3-nitrophenyl) benzamide,

e) contacting the fungal pathogen with a composition comprising copper hydroxide and the fungal apyrase inhibitor (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide;

f) contacting the fungal pathogen with a composition comprising prothioconazole and the fungal apyrase inhibitor (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide; or

g)contacting the fungal pathogen with a composition comprising difenoconazole and the fungal apyrase inhibitor (E)-3-methyl-N′-(1-(naphthalen-2-yl) ethylidene) benzohydrazide;

wherein the fungal apyrase inhibitor prevents the fungus from at least one of detoxifying the fungicide or exporting the fungicide.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fungal pathogen is a plant pathogen selected from at least one of Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum graminicola, Fusarium oxysporum, Sclerotiana sclerotiorum, Verticillium dahlia, Mycospharella gramincola , or Sphacelotheca reliana.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fungal pathogen is a plant pathogen and a plant treated is a fruit bearing plant, vegetable bearing plant, nut bearing plant or grain plant.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fungal pathogen is a plant pathogen and a plant treated is strawberry, banana, corn, soybean, tobacco, wheat or cotton.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the composition is synergistic and the weight ratio of the fungicide to the apyrase inhibitor is between about 500:1 and 5000:1.