Methods and Compositions for Plant Pest Control

Abstract

Provided are methods and compositions to improve fungal disease resistance and/or nematode resistance in various crop plants. Also provided are combinations of compositions and methods to improve fungal disease resistance and/or nematode resistance in various crop plants.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a plant exhibiting an improvement in fungal and/or nematode disease resistance comprising topically applying to a plant surface a composition that comprises:
 a. at least one polynucleotide that comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to a DND1 gene or to a transcript of said gene; and   b. a transfer agent, wherein said plant exhibits an improvement in fungal and/or nematode disease resistance that results from suppression of said DND1 gene.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide molecule comprises sense ssDNA, sense ssRNA, dsRNA, dsDNA, a double stranded DNA/RNA hybrid, anti-sense ssDNA, or anti-sense ssRNA. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59, or wherein said polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, or 33. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 (a) the plant is a cucumber plant, the gene or the transcript is a cucumber DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 7, 11, or 19;   (b) the plant is a soybean plant, the gene or the transcript is a soybean DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide molecule is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59, or the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 21, or 31;   (c) the plant is a lettuce plant, the gene or the transcript is a lettuce DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 5 or 9;   (d) the plant is a tomato plant, the gene or the transcript is a tomato DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 6 or 10;   (e) the plant is a barley plant, the gene or the transcript is a barley DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 8 or 12;   (f) the plant is a cotton plant, the gene or the transcript is a cotton DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 13, 14, 18, 25 or 26;   (g) the plant is a melon plant, the gene or the transcript is a melon DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 15, 27, or 28;   (h) the plant is a maize plant, the gene or the transcript is a maize DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 16, 20, 29, or 30;   (i) the plant is a rice plant, the gene or the transcript is a rice DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 17, 22, 32, or 33; or,   (j) the plant is a wheat plant, the gene or the transcript is a wheat DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 23 or 24.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises any combination of two or more polynucleotide molecules. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises a non-polynucleotide herbicidal molecule, a polynucleotide herbicidal molecule, a polynucleotide that suppresses an herbicide target gene, an insecticide, a fungicide, a nematocide, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transfer agent comprises an organosilicone preparation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is not operably linked to a viral vector. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is not integrated into the plant chromosome. 
     
     
         10 . A plant obtained by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A processed product of said plant of  claim 10 , wherein said processed product exhibits an improved attribute relative to a processed product of an untreated control plant and wherein said improved attribute results from said fungal and/or nematode disease resistance. 
     
     
         12 . A composition comprising a polynucleotide molecule that comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to a DND1 gene or transcript of said gene, wherein said polynucleotide is not operably linked to a promoter; and, b) a transfer agent. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein said polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59, or wherein said polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, or 33. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein:
 (a) the plant is a cucumber plant, the gene or the transcript is a cucumber DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 7, 11, or 19;   (b) the plant is a soybean plant, the gene or the transcript is a soybean DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide molecule is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59, or the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 21, or 31;   (c) the plant is a lettuce plant, the gene or the transcript is a lettuce DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 5 or 9;   (d) the plant is a tomato plant, the gene or the transcript is a tomato DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 6 or 10;   (e) the plant is a barley plant, the gene or the transcript is a barley DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 8 or 12;   (f) the plant is a cotton plant, the gene or the transcript is a cotton DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 13, 14, 18, 25 or 26;   (g) the plant is a melon plant, the gene or the transcript is a melon DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 15, 27, or 28;   (h) the plant is a maize plant, the gene or the transcript is a maize DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 16, 20, 29, or 30;   (i) the plant is a rice plant, the gene or the transcript is a rice DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 17, 22, 32, or 33; or,   (j) the plant is a wheat plant, the gene or the transcript is a wheat DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 23 or 24.   
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein said composition further comprises a non-polynucleotide herbicidal molecule, a polynucleotide herbicidal molecule, a polynucleotide that suppresses an herbicide target gene, an insecticide, a fungicide, a nematocide, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein said transfer agent is an organosilicone preparation. 
     
     
         17 . A plant comprising an exogenous polynucleotide that comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to a DND1 gene or transcript of said gene, wherein said exogenous polynucleotide is not operably linked to a promoter or to a viral vector, is not integrated into the chromosomal DNA of the plant, and is not found in a non-transgenic plant; and, wherein said plant exhibits an improvement in fungal and/or nematode disease resistance that results from suppression of the DND1 gene. 
     
     
         18 . The plant of  claim 17 , wherein said plant further comprises an organosilicone compound or a component thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The plant of  claim 17 , wherein said polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59, or wherein said polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, or 33. 
     
     
         20 . The plant of  claim 17 , wherein:
 (a) the plant is a cucumber plant, the gene or the transcript is a cucumber DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 7, 11, or 19;   (b) the plant is a soybean plant, the gene or the transcript is a soybean DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide molecule is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59, or the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 21, or 31;   (c) the plant is a lettuce plant, the gene or the transcript is a lettuce DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 5 or 9;   (d) the plant is a tomato plant, the gene or the transcript is a tomato DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 6 or 10;   (e) the plant is a barley plant, the gene or the transcript is a barley DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 8 or 12;   (f) the plant is a cotton plant, the gene or the transcript is a cotton DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 13, 14, 18, 25 or 26;   (g) the plant is a melon plant, the gene or the transcript is a melon DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 15, 27, or 28;   (h) the plant is a maize plant, the gene or the transcript is a maize DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 16, 20, 29, or 30;   (i) the plant is a rice plant, the gene or the transcript is a rice DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 17, 22, 32, or 33; or,   (j) the plant is a wheat plant, the gene or the transcript is a wheat DND1 gene or transcript, and the polynucleotide comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides that are essentially identical or essentially complementary to SEQ ID NO: 23 or 24.