TREATMENT AGAINST THE DISEASE OF THE DUTCH ELMOS.

摘要

A preventive treatment of elms disease is described which gives susceptible elms an induced resistance to fungi that cause elms disease such as Opiostoma ulmi. The treatment comprises administering to an susceptible elm an effective amount of an agent that causes a defense reaction in the tree. The defense reaction comprises a cascade of events that include the accumulation of mansonones by the tree, which are quinquones of sesquiterpene with antifungal properties. The preferred provocative agent for use as a treatment for elms disease is a new provocative agent isolated from O. ulmi cultures. The preferred provocative agent is non-toxic and thermally stable and is shown to be effective in inducing elms disease resistance in elms likely to suffer from it.