Plant defense signaling peptides and applications thereof

1. A composition comprising an isolated plant defense signaling peptide and an agriculturally acceptable carrier, wherein the peptide has up to 20 amino acids in length comprising a motif of SEQ ID NO: 28; and wherein the agriculturally acceptable carrier is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, mineral or vegetable oils, calcium carbonate, talc, powdered magnesia, gypsum, and diatomaceous earth; and the composition is formulated with the agriculturally acceptable carrier in a form of emulsions, liquids, oils, water soluble powders, wettable powders, flowables, powders, subtilized granules, granules, aerosols, fumigants, and pastes.

2. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising salt.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plant defense signaling peptide is present in the composition in an amount effective in inducing systemic immune responses in a plant.

4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the plant defense signaling peptide is present in the composition at a concentration of 50 nM to 250 nM.

5. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the systemic immune responses are selected from the group consisting of production of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), generation of a plant hormone, and expression of an anti-herbivore or anti-pathogen protein.

6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the plant hormone is selected from the group consisting of jasmonate (JA), JA conjugated with amino acid isoleucine (JA-Ile), and salicylic acid (SA).

7. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the anti-herbivore or anti-pathogen protein is selected from the group consisting of proteinase inhibitor 1 (PI-1), proteinase inhibitor 2 (PI-2), pathogenesis-related protein 1b (PR-1b, CAPE1 precursor gene), beta-1,3-glucanase (PR-2), cys protease (PR-7), class ii chitinase (Chi2;1), ethylene response factor 5 (ERF5), and avrpto-dependent pto-interacting protein 3 (Adi3).

8. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising water.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the peptide consists of SEQ ID NO: 28.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the peptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 29-54.

11. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the plant defense signaling peptide is present in the composition at a concentration of 50 nM to 250 nM.

12. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the plant defense signaling peptide is present in the composition at a concentration of 50 nM to 250 nM.

13. A composition comprising an isolated plant defense signaling peptide and an agriculturally acceptable carrier, wherein the peptide consists of SEQ ID NO: 1; and wherein the agriculturally acceptable carrier is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, mineral or vegetable oils, calcium carbonate, talc, powdered magnesia, gypsum, and diatomaceous earth; and the composition is formulated with the agriculturally acceptable carrier in a form of emulsions, liquids, oils, water soluble powders, wettable powders, flowables, powders, subtilized granules, granules, aerosols, fumigants, or pastes.

14. The composition of claim 13 , further comprising salt.

15. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the plant defense signaling peptide is present in the composition in an amount effective in inducing systemic immune responses in a plant.

16. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the plant defense signaling peptide is present in the composition at a concentration of 50 nM to 250 nM.

17. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the systemic immune responses are selected from the group consisting of production of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), generation of a plant hormone, and expression of an anti-herbivore or anti-pathogen protein.

18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the plant hormone is selected from the group consisting of jasmonate (JA), JA conjugated with amino acid isoleucine (JA-Ile), and salicylic acid (SA).

19. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the anti-herbivore or anti-pathogen protein is selected from the group consisting of proteinase inhibitor 1 (PI-1), proteinase inhibitor 2 (PI-2), pathogenesis-related protein 1b (PR-1b, CAPE1 precursor gene), beta-1,3-glucanase (PR-2), cys protease (PR-7), class ii chitinase (Chi2;1), ethylene response factor 5 (ERF5), and avrpto-dependent pto-interacting protein 3 (Adi3).

20. The composition of claim 13 , further comprising water.

21. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the peptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2-27.

22. The composition of claim 21 , wherein the plant defense signaling peptide is present in the composition at a concentration of 50 nM to 250 nM.

23. A composition comprising an isolated plant defense signaling peptide and an agriculturally acceptable carrier, wherein the peptide has up to 20 amino acids in length comprising a motif of SEQ ID NO: 1; and wherein the agriculturally acceptable carrier is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, mineral or vegetable oils, calcium carbonate, talc, powdered magnesia, gypsum, and diatomaceous earth; and the composition is formulated with the agriculturally acceptable carrier in a form of emulsions, liquids, oils, water soluble powders, wettable powders, flowables, powders, subtilized granules, granules, aerosols, fumigants, or pastes, wherein the plant defense signaling peptide is present in the composition at a concentration of 50 nM to 250 nM.

24. The composition of claim 23 , further comprising salt.

25. The composition of claim 23 , further comprising water.

26. The composition of claim 23 , wherein said peptide has up to 15 amino acids in length.