Patent Description:
The above-referred mixtures are herein below also referred to as "inventive mixtures".

Moreover, the invention relates to a method for controlling harmful fungi, using the inventive mixtures and to the use of Mefentrifluconazole with at least one compound of component <NUM>) for preparing such mixtures, and also to compositions comprising such mixtures.

Additionally, the present invention also comprises a method for the protection of plant propagation material (preferably seed) from harmful fungi comprising contacting the plant propagation materials (preferably seeds) with an inventive mixture in fungicidally effective amounts.

The term "plant propagation material" is to be understood to denote all the generative parts of the plant such as seeds and vegetative plant material such as cuttings and tubers (e. potatoes), which can be used for the multiplication of the plant. This includes seeds, roots, fruits, tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, shoots, sprouts and other parts of plants, including seedlings and young plants, which are to be transplanted after germination or after emergence from soil. These young plants may also be protected before transplantation by a total or partial treatment by immersion or pouring. In a particular preferred embodiment, the term propagation material denotes seeds.

The present invention further relates to plant-protecting active ingredient mixtures of Mefentrifluconazole with at least one compound of component <NUM>) for synergistically improving the health of plants, and to a method of applying such inventive mixtures to the plants.

Mefentrifluconazole and its fungicidal activity is known from <CIT>. <NUM>-(Difluoromethyl)-N-(<NUM>-fluoro-<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>-trimethyl-indan-<NUM>-yl)-<NUM>-methyl-pyrazole-<NUM>-carboxamide is known from <CIT>. N-[(2Z)-<NUM>-[<NUM>-chloro-<NUM>-(<NUM>-cyclopropylethynyl)-<NUM>-pyridyl]-<NUM>-isopropoxyimino-ethyl]-<NUM>-(difluoromethyl)-<NUM>-methyl-pyrazole-<NUM>-carboxamide is known from <CIT>.

One typical problem arising in the control of phytopathogenic fungi lies in the need to reduce the dosage rates of the used active ingredients, in order to reduce or avoid unfavorable environmental or toxicological effects whilst still allowing effective control of the fungi.

There also exists the need for fungicidal agents that combine knock-down activity with prolonged control, that is, fast action with long lasting action.

Another difficulty in relation to the use of fungicides is that the repeated and exclusive application of an individual fungicidal compound leads in many cases to a rapid selection of harmful fungi, which have developed natural or adapted resistance against the active compound in question. Therefore, there is a need for fungicidal agents that help prevent or overcome resistance.

Another problem underlying the present invention is the desire for compositions that improve plants, a process which is commonly and hereinafter referred to as "plant health".

The term plant health comprises various sorts of improvements of plants that are not connected to the control of pests. For example, advantageous properties that may be mentioned are improved crop characteristics including: emergence, crop yields, protein content, oil content, starch content, more developed root system (improved root growth), improved stress tolerance (e.g. against drought, heat, salt, UV, water, cold), reduced ethylene (reduced production and/or inhibition of reception), tillering increase, increase in plant height, bigger leaf blade, less dead basal leaves, stronger tillers, greener leaf color, pigment content, photosynthetic activity, less input needed (such as fertilizers or water), less seeds needed, more productive tillers, earlier flowering, early grain maturity, less plant verse (lodging), increased shoot growth, enhanced plant vigor, increased plant stand and early and better germination; or any other advantages familiar to a person skilled in the art.

It was therefore an object of the present invention to provide fungicidal mixtures which solve the problems of reducing the dosage rate and / or combining knock-down activity with prolonged control and / or avoiding the development of resistance and/or promoting the health of plants.

We have found that this object is in part or in whole achieved by the mixtures comprising the active compounds defined in the outset.

Especially, it has been found that the mixtures as defined in the outset show markedly enhanced fungicidal action compared to the control rates with the individual compounds and/or are suitable for improving the health of plants when applied to plants, parts of plants, seeds, or at their locus of growth.

It has been found that the action of the inventive mixtures comprising Mefentrifluconazole and at least one compound of component <NUM>) goes far beyond the fungicidal and/or plant health improving action of the active compounds present in the mixture alone (synergistic action).

Moreover, we have found that simultaneous, that is joint or separate, application of Mefentrifluconazole and at least one compound of component <NUM>), or successive application of Mefentrifluconazole and at least one compound of component <NUM>) allows enhanced control of harmful fungi, compared to the control rates that are possible with the individual compounds (synergistic mixtures).

Moreover, we have found that simultaneous, that is joint or separate, application of Mefentrifluconazole and at least one compound of component <NUM>), or successive application of Mefentrifluconazole and at least one compound of component <NUM>) provides enhanced plant health effects compared to the plant health effects that are possible with the individual compounds.

The ratio by weight of Mefentrifluconazole and component <NUM>) is from <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>, preferably from <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>, more preferably from <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>, most preferably from <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM> and in particular from <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>, including also ratios from <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>, <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>, or <NUM>:<NUM>.

All inventive mixtures are compiled in the following Table <NUM>:.

The inventive mixtures can further contain one or more insecticides, fungicides, herbicides as additional active ingredient(s).

The inventive mixtures can be converted into customary types of agrochemical compositions, e. solutions, emulsions, suspensions, dusts, powders, pastes, granules, pressings, capsules, and mixtures thereof. Examples for composition types are suspensions (e.g. SC, OD, FS), emulsifiable concentrates (e.g. EC), emulsions (e.g. EW, EO, ES, ME), capsules (e.g. CS, ZC), pastes, pastilles, wettable powders or dusts (e.g. WP, SP, WS, DP, DS), pressings (e.g. BR, TB, DT), granules (e.g. WG, SG, GR, FG, GG, MG), as well as gel formulations for the treatment of plant propagation materials such as seeds (e.g. GF). These and further compositions types are defined in the "<NPL>.

The compositions are prepared in a known manner, such as described by <NPL>; or<NPL>.

Suitable auxiliaries are solvents, liquid carriers, solid carriers or fillers, surfactants, dispersants, emulsifiers, wetters, adjuvants, solubilizers, penetration enhancers, protective colloids, adhesion agents, thickeners, humectants, repellents, attractants, feeding stimulants, compatibilizers, bactericides, anti-freezing agents, anti-foaming agents, colorants, tackifiers and binders.

Suitable solvents and liquid carriers are water and organic solvents, such as mineral oil fractions of medium to high boiling point, e.g. kerosene, diesel oil; oils of vegeable or animal origin; aliphatic, cyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons, e. toluene, paraffin, tetrahydronaphthalene, alkylated naphthalenes; alcohols, e.g. ethanol, propanol, butanol, benzylalcohol, cyclohexanol; glycols; DMSO; ketones, e.g. cyclohexanone; esters, e.g. lactates, carbonates, fatty acid esters, gamma-butyrolactone; fatty acids; phosphonates; amines; amides, e.g. N-methylpyrrolidone, fatty acid dimethylamides; and mixtures thereof.

Suitable solid carriers or fillers are mineral earths, e.g. silicates, silica gels, talc, kaolins, limestone, lime, chalk, clays, dolomite, diatomaceous earth, bentonite, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium oxide; polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose, starch; fertilizers, e.g. ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium nitrate, ureas; products of vegeable origin, e.g.
cereal meal, tree bark meal, wood meal, nutshell meal, and mixtures thereof.

Suitable surfactants are surface-active compounds, such as anionic, cationic, nonionic and amphoteric surfactants, block polymers, polyelectrolytes, and mixtures thereof. Such surfactants can be used as emusifier, dispersant, solubilizer, wetter, penetration enhancer, protective colloid, or adjuvant. Examples of surfactants are listed in <NPL>.

Suitable anionic surfactants are alkali, alkaline earth or ammonium salts of sulfonates, sulfates, phosphates, carboxylates, and mixtures thereof. Examples of sulfonates are alkylarylsulfonates, diphenylsulfonates, alpha-olefin sulfonates, lignine sulfonates, sulfonates of fatty acids and oils, sulfonates of ethoxylated alkylphenols, sulfonates of alkoxylated arylphenols, sulfonates of condensed naphthalenes, sulfonates of dodecyl- and tridecylbenzenes, sulfonates of naphthalenes and alkylnaphthalenes, sulfosuccinates or sulfosuccinamates. Examples of sulfates are sulfates of fatty acids and oils, of ethoxylated alkylphenols, of alcohols, of ethoxylated alcohols, or of fatty acid esters. Examples of phosphates are phosphate esters. Examples of carboxylates are alkyl carboxylates, and carboxylated alcohol or alkylphenol ethoxylates.

Suitable nonionic surfactants are alkoxylates, N-subsituted fatty acid amides, amine oxides, esters, sugar-based surfactants, polymeric surfactants, and mixtures thereof. Examples of alkoxylates are compounds such as alcohols, alkylphenols, amines, amides, arylphenols, fatty acids or fatty acid esters which have been alkoxylated with <NUM> to <NUM> equivalents. Ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide may be employed for the alkoxylation, preferably ethylene oxide. Examples of N-subsititued fatty acid amides are fatty acid glucamides or fatty acid alkanolamides. Examples of esters are fatty acid esters, glycerol esters or monoglycerides. Examples of sugar-based surfactants are sorbitans, ethoxylated sorbitans, sucrose and glucose esters or alkylpolyglucosides. Examples of polymeric surfactants are home- or copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone, vinylalcohols, or vinylacetate.

Suitable cationic surfactants are quaternary surfactants, for example quaternary ammonium compounds with one or two hydrophobic groups, or salts of long-chain primary amines. Suitable amphoteric surfactants are alkylbetains and imidazolines. Suitable block polymers are block polymers of the A-B or A-B-A type comprising blocks of polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide, or of the A-B-C type comprising alkanol, polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide. Suitable polyelectrolytes are polyacids or polybases. Examples of polyacids are alkali salts of polyacrylic acid or polyacid comb polymers. Examples of polybases are polyvinylamines or polyethyleneamines.

Suitable adjuvants are compounds, which have a neglectable or even no pesticidal activity themselves, and which improve the biological performance of the inventive mixtures on the target. Examples are surfactants, mineral or vegeable oils, and other auxilaries. Further examples are listed by Knowles, Adjuvants and additives, Agrow Reports DS256, T&F Informa UK, <NUM>, chapter <NUM>.

Suitable thickeners are polysaccharides (e.g. xanthan gum, carboxymethylcellulose), anorganic clays (organically modified or unmodified), polycarboxylates, and silicates.

Suitable bactericides are bronopol and isothiazolinone derivatives such as alkylisothiazolinones and benzisothiazolinones.

Suitable anti-freezing agents are ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, urea and glycerin.

Suitable anti-foaming agents are silicones, long chain alcohols, and salts of fatty acids.

Suitable colorants (e.g. in red, blue, or green) are pigments of low water solubility and water-soluble dyes. Examples are inorganic colorants (e.g. iron oxide, titan oxide, iron hexacyanoferrate) and organic colorants (e.g. alizarin-, azo- and phthalocyanine colorants).

Suitable tackifiers or binders are polyvinylpyrrolidons, polyvinylacetates, polyvinyl alcohols, polyacrylates, biological or synthetic waxes, and cellulose ethers.

Examples for composition types and their preparation are:.

The compositions types i) to xi) may optionally comprise further auxiliaries, such as <NUM>-<NUM> wt% bactericides, <NUM>-<NUM> wt% anti-freezing agents, <NUM>-<NUM> wt% anti-foaming agents, and <NUM>-<NUM> wt% colorants.

The resulting agrochemical compositions generally comprise between <NUM> and <NUM>%, preferably between <NUM> and <NUM>%, in particular between <NUM> and <NUM>%, by weight of active substances. The active substances are employed in a purity of from <NUM>% to <NUM>%, preferably from <NUM>% to <NUM>% (according to NMR spectrum).

Solutions for seed treatment (LS), Suspoemulsions (SE), flowable concentrates (FS), powders for dry treatment (DS), water-dispersible powders for slurry treatment (WS), water-soluble pow ders (SS), emulsions (ES), emulsifiable concentrates (EC) and gels (GF) are usually employed for the purposes of treatment of plant propagation materials, particularly seeds. The compositions in question give, after two-to-tenfold dilution, active substance concentrations of from <NUM> to <NUM>% by weight, preferably from <NUM> to <NUM>%, in the ready-to-use preparations. Application can be carried out before or during sowing. Methods for applying the inventive mixtures and compositions thereof, respectively, on to plant propagation material, especially seeds include dressing, coating, pelleting, dusting, soaking and in-furrow application methods of the propagation material. Preferably, the inventive mixtures or the compositions thereof, respectively, are applied on to the plant propagation material by a method such that germination is not induced, e. by seed dressing, pelleting, coating and dusting.

When employed in plant protection, the amounts of active substances applied are, depending on the kind of effect desired, from <NUM> to <NUM> per ha, preferably from <NUM> to <NUM> per ha, more preferably from <NUM> to <NUM> per ha, and in particular from <NUM> to <NUM> per ha.

In treatment of plant propagation materials such as seeds, e. by dusting, coating or drenching seed, amounts of active substances of from <NUM>-<NUM>, preferably from <NUM>-<NUM>, more preferably from <NUM>-<NUM> per <NUM> of plant propagation material (preferably seeds) are generally required.

When used in the protection of materials or stored products, the amount of active substances applied depends on the kind of application area and on the desired effect. Amounts customarily applied in the protection of materials are <NUM> to <NUM>, preferably <NUM> to <NUM>, of active substances per cubic meter of treated material.

Various types of oils, wetters, adjuvants, fertilizer, or micronutrients, and further pesticides (e.g. herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators, safeners) may be added to the active substances or the compositions comprising them as premix or, if appropriate not until immediately prior to use (tank mix). These agents can be admixed with the compositions according to the invention in a weight ratio of <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>, preferably <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>.

The user applies the composition according to the invention usually from a predosage device, a knapsack sprayer, a spray tank, a spray plane, or an irrigation system. Usually, the agrochemical composition is made up with water, buffer, and/or further auxiliaries to the desired application concentration and the ready-to-use spray liquor or the agrochemical composition according to the invention is thus obtained. Usually, <NUM> to <NUM> liters, preferably <NUM> to <NUM> liters, of the ready-to-use spray liquor are applied per hectare of agricultural useful area.

According to one embodiment, individual components of the composition according to the invention such as parts of a kit or parts of a binary mixture may be mixed by the user himself in a spray tank or any other kind of vessel used for applications (e. seed treater drums, seed pelleting machinery, knapsack sprayer) and further auxiliaries may be added, if appropriate. Consequently, one embodiment of the invention is a kit for preparing a usable fungicidal composition, the kit comprising a) a composition comprising Mefentrifluconazole and at least one auxiliary; and b) a composition comprising at least one component <NUM>) and at least one auxiliary; and optionally c) a composition comprising at least one auxiliary and optionally a further active component as defined herein.

As said above, the present invention comprises a method for controlling phytopathogenic fungi, wherein the fungi, their habitat, breeding grounds, their locus or the plants to be protected against fungal attack, the soil or plant propagation material (preferably seed) are treated with a fungicidal effective amount of an inventive mixture.

In particular, the present invention comprises a method for controlling harmful fungi, wherein the fungi, their habitat, breeding grounds, their locus or the plants to be protected against fungal attack, the soil or plant propagation material (preferably seed) are treated with a fungicidal effective amount of an inventive mixture.

The mixtures according to the present invention are also suitable for controlling harmful fungi in the protection of stored products or harvest and in the protection of materials.

The term "protection of materials" is to be understood to denote the protection of technical and non-living materials, such as adhesives, glues, wood, paper and paperboard, textiles, leather, paint dispersions, plastics, cooling lubricants, fiber or fabrics, against the infestation and destruction by harmful microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria. As to the protection of wood and other materials, the particular attention is paid to the following harmful fungi: Ascomycetes such as Ophiostoma spp. , Ceratocystis spp. , Aureobasidium pullulans, Sc/erophoma spp. , Chaetomium spp. , Humicola spp. , Petriella spp. , Trichurus spp. ; Basidiomycetes such as Coniophora spp. , Coriolus spp. , Gloeophyllum spp. , Lentinus spp. , Pleurotus spp. , Poria spp. , Serpula spp. and Tyromyces spp. , Deuteromycetes such as Aspergillus spp. , Cladosporium spp. , Penicillium spp. , Trichoderma spp. , Alternaria spp. , Paecilomyces spp. and Zygomycetes such as Mucor spp. , and in addition in the protection of stored products and harvest the following yeast fungi are worthy of note: Candida spp. and Saccharomyces cerevisae.

The mixtures according to the present invention are particularly important for controlling a multitude of fungi on various cultivated plants, such as bananas, cotton, vegetable species (for example cucumbers, beans and cucurbits), cereals such as wheat, rye, barley, rice, oats; grass coffee, potatoes, corn, fruit species, soya, tomatoes, grapevines, ornamental plants, sugar cane and also on a large number of seeds.

In a preferred embodiment, the inventive mixtures are used for controlling fungal diseases of vines, citrus fruit (e.g. oranges, mandarins, lemon, grapefruit) or pome fruit (apples, pears).

A fungicidal effective amount of the mixtures / compositions will also vary according to the prevailing conditions such as desired pesticidal effect and duration, weather, target species, locus, mode of application, and the like.

"Locus" means a plant, plant propagation material (preferably seed), soil, area, material or environment in which a pest is growing or may grow.

As said above, the present invention comprises a method for improving the health of plants, wherein the plant, the locus where the plant is growing or is expected to grow or plant propagation material, from which the plant grows, is treated with a plant health effective amount of an inventive mixture.

The term "plant effective amount" denotes an amount of the inventive mixtures, which is sufficient for achieving plant health effects as defined herein below. More exemplary information about amounts, ways of application and suitable ratios to be used is given below. Anyway, the skilled artisan is well aware of the fact that such an amount can vary in a broad range and is dependent on various factors, e.g. the treated cultivated plant or material and the climatic conditions.

When preparing the mixtures, it is preferred to employ the pure active compounds, to which further active compounds against pests, such as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides or else herbicidal or growth-regulating active compounds or fertilizers can be added as further active components according to need.

The inventive mixtures are employed by treating the fungi, or the plants, plant propagation materials (preferably seeds), materials or soil to be protected from fungal attack with a fungicidal effective amount of the active compounds. The application can be carried out both before and after the infection of the materials, plants or plant propagation materials (preferably seeds) by the fungi.

In the context of the present invention, the term plant refers to an entire plant, a part of the plant or the propagation material of the plant.

The inventive mixtures and compositions thereof are particularly important in the control of a multitude of phytopathogenic fungi on various cultivated plants, such as cereals, e. wheat, rye, barley, triticale, oats or rice; beet, e. sugar beet or fodder beet; fruits, such as pomes, stone fruits or soft fruits, e. apples, pears, plums, peaches, almonds, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or gooseberries; leguminous plants, such as lentils, peas, alfalfa or soybeans; oil plants, such as rape, mustard, olives, sunflowers, coconut, cocoa beans, castor oil plants, oil palms, ground nuts or soybeans; cucurbits, such as squashes, cucumber or melons; fiber plants, such as cotton, flax, hemp or jute; citrus fruit, such as oranges, lemons, grape-fruits or mandarins; vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, asparagus, cabbages, carrots, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, cucurbits or paprika; lauraceous plants, such as avocados, cinnamon or camphor; energy and raw material plants, such as corn, soybean, rape, sugar cane or oil palm; corn; tobacco; nuts; coffee; tea; bananas; vines (grapes and grape juice grape vines); hop; turf; sweet leaf (also called Stevia); natural rubber plants or ornamental and forestry plants, such as flowers, shrubs, broad-leaved trees or evergreens, e. conifers; and on the plant propagation material, such as seeds, and the crop material of these plants.

Preferably, the inventive mixtures and compositions thereof, respectively are used for controlling a multitude of phytopathogenic fungi on field crops such as potatoes, sugar beets, tobacco, wheat, rye, barley, oats, rice, corn, cotton, soybeans, rape, legumes, sunflowers, coffee or sugar cane; fruits; vines; ornamentals; or vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, beans or squashes; on citrus fruit such as oranges, mandarins, lemon and grapefruit) or on pome fruit such as apples and pears.

Preferably, treatment of plant propagation materials with the inventive mixtures and compositions thereof, respectively, is used for controlling a multitude of phytopathogenic fungi on cereals such as wheat, rye, barley and oats; on potatoes, tomatoes, vines, rice, corn, cotton and soybeans; on citrus fruit (e.g. oranges, mandarins, lemon, grapefruit) or pome fruit (apples, pears).

The term "cultivated plants" is to be understood as including plants which have been modified by breeding, mutagenesis or genetic engineering including but not limiting to agricultural biotech products on the market or in development (cf. http://cera-gmc. org/, see GM crop database therein). Genetically modified plants are plants, which genetic material has been so modified by the use of recombinant DNA techniques that under natural circumstances cannot readily be obtained by cross breeding, mutations or natural recombination. Typically, one or more genes have been integrated into the genetic material of a genetically modified plant in order to improve certain properties of the plant. Such genetic modifications also include but are not limited to targeted post-translational modification of protein(s), oligo- or polypeptides e. by glycosylation or polymer additions such as prenylated, acetylated or farnesylated moieties or PEG moieties.

Plants that have been modified by breeding, mutagenesis or genetic engineering, e. have been rendered tolerant to applications of specific classes of herbicides, such as auxin herbicides such as dicamba or <NUM>,<NUM>-D; bleacher herbicides such as hydroxylphenylpyruvate dioxy-genase (HPPD) inhibitors or phytoene desaturase (PDS) inhibittors; acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors such as sulfonyl ureas or imidazolinones; enolpyruvylshikimate-<NUM>-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) inhibitors, such as glyphosate; glutamine synthetase (GS) inhibitors such as glufosinate; protoporphyrinogen-IX oxidase inhibitors; lipid biosynthesis inhibitors such as acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors; or oxynil (i. bromoxynil or ioxynil) herbicides as a result of conventional methods of breeding or genetic engineering. Furthermore, plants have been made resistant to multiple classes of herbicides through multiple genetic modifications, such as resistance to both glyphosate and glufosinate or to both glyphosate and a herbicide from another class such as ALS inhibitors, HPPD inhibitors, auxin herbicides, or ACCase inhibitors. These herbicide resistance technologies are e. described in <NPL>; <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>; <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>; <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>; <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>; <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>; <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>; <NPL>; <NPL>; <NPL>; and references quoted therein. Several cultivated plants have been rendered tolerant to herbicides by conventional methods of breeding (mutagenesis), e. Clearfield® summer rape (Canola, BASF SE, Germany) being tolerant to imidazolinones, e. imazamox, or ExpressSun® sunflowers (DuPont, USA) being tolerant to sulfonyl ureas, e. tribenuron. Genetic engineering methods have been used to render cultivated plants such as soybean, cotton, corn, beets and rape, tolerant to herbicides such as glyphosate and glufosinate, some of which are commercially available under the trade names RoundupReady® (glyphosate-tolerant, Monsanto, U. ), Cultivance® (imidazolinone tolerant, BASF SE, Germany) and LibertyLink® (glufosinate-tolerant, Bayer CropScience, Germany).

Furthermore, plants are also covered that are by the use of recombinant DNA techniques capable to synthesize one or more insecticidal proteins, especially those known from the bacterial genus Bacillus, particularly from Bacillus thuringiensis, such as δ-endotoxins, e. CrylA(b), CrylA(c), CrylF, CrylF(a2), CryllA(b), CrylllA, CryIIIB(b1) or Cry9c; vegetative insecticidal proteins (VIP), e. VIP1, VIP2, VIP3 or VIP3A; insecticidal proteins of bacteria colonizing nematodes, e. Photorhabdus spp. or Xenorhabdus spp. ; toxins produced by animals, such as scorpion toxins, arachnid toxins, wasp toxins, or other insect-specific neurotoxins; toxins produced by fungi, such Streptomycetes toxins, plant lectins, such as pea or barley lectins; aggluti-nins; proteinase inhibitors, such as trypsin inhibitors, serine protease inhibitors, patatin, cystatin or papain inhibitors; ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIP), such as ricin, maize-RIP, abrin, luffin, saporin or bryodin; steroid metabolism enzymes, such as <NUM>-hydroxysteroid oxidase, ecdysteroid-IDP-glycosyl-transferase, cholesterol oxidases, ecdysone inhibitors or HMG-CoA-reductase; ion channel blockers, such as blockers of sodium or calcium channels; juvenile hormone esterase; diuretic hormone receptors (helicokinin receptors); stilben synthase, bibenzyl synthase, chitinases or glucanases. In the context of the present invention these insecticidal proteins or toxins are to be understood expressly also as pre-toxins, hybrid proteins, truncated or otherwise modified proteins. Hybrid proteins are characterized by a new combination of protein domains, (see, e. Further examples of such toxins or genetically modified plants capable of synthesizing such toxins are disclosed, e. , in <CIT>, <CIT>,.

<CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> und <CIT>. The methods for producing such genetically modified plants are generally known to the person skilled in the art and are described, e. in the publications mentioned above. These insecticidal proteins contained in the genetically modified plants impart to the plants producing these proteins tolerance to harmful pests from all taxonomic groups of athropods, especially to beetles (Coeloptera), two-winged insects (Diptera), and moths (Lepidoptera) and to nematodes (Nematoda). Genetically modified plants capable to synthesize one or more insecticidal proteins are, e. , described in the publications mentioned above, and some of which are commercially available such as YieldGard® (corn cultivars producing the Cry1Ab toxin), YieldGard® Plus (corn cultivars producing Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 toxins), Starlink® (corn cultivars producing the Cry9c toxin), Herculex® RW (corn cultivars producing Cry34Ab1, Cry35Ab1 and the enzyme Phosphinothricin-N-Acetyltransferase [PAT]); NuCOTN® 33B (cotton cultivars producing the Cry1Ac toxin), Bollgard® I (cotton cultivars producing the Cry1Ac toxin), Bollgard® II (cotton cultivars producing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab2 toxins); VIPCOT® (cotton cultivars producing a VIP-toxin); NewLeaf® (potato cultivars producing the Cry3A toxin); Bt-Xtra®, NatureGard®, KnockOut®, BiteGard®, Protecta®, Bt11 (e. Agrisure® CB) and Bt176 from Syngenta Seeds SAS, France, (corn cultivars producing the Cry1Ab toxin and PAT enyzme), MIR604 from Syngenta Seeds SAS, France (corn cultivars producing a modified version of the Cry3A toxin, c. <CIT>), MON <NUM> from Monsanto Europe S. , Belgium (corn cultivars producing the Cry3Bb1 toxin), IPC <NUM> from Monsanto Europe S. , Belgium (cotton cultivars producing a modified version of the Cry1Ac toxin) and <NUM> from Pioneer Overseas Corporation, Belgium (corn cultivars producing the Cry1F toxin and PAT enzyme).

Furthermore, plants are also covered that are by the use of recombinant DNA techniques capable to synthesize one or more proteins to increase the resistance or tolerance of those plants to bacterial, viral or fungal pathogens. Examples of such proteins are the so-called "pathogenesis-related proteins" (PR proteins, see, e. <CIT>), plant disease resistance genes (e. potato cultivars, which express resistance genes acting against Phytophthora infestans derived from the mexican wild potato Solanum bulbocastanum) or T4-lysozym (e. potato cultivars capable of synthesizing these proteins with increased resistance against bacteria such as Erwinia amylvora). The methods for producing such genetically modified plants are generally known to the person skilled in the art and are described, e. in the publications mentioned above.

Furthermore, plants are also covered that are by the use of recombinant DNA techniques capable to synthesize one or more proteins to increase the productivity (e. bio mass production, grain yield, starch content, oil content or protein content), tolerance to drought, salinity or other growth-limiting environmental factors or tolerance to pests and fungal, bacterial or viral pathogens of those plants.

Furthermore, plants are also covered that contain by the use of recombinant DNA techniques a modified amount of substances of content or new substances of content, specifically to improve human or animal nutrition, e. oil crops that produce health-promoting long-chain omega-<NUM> fatty acids or unsaturated omega-<NUM> fatty acids (e. Nexera® rape, DOW Agro Sciences, Canada).

Furthermore, plants are also covered that contain by the use of recombinant DNA techniques a modified amount of substances of content or new substances of content, specifically to improve raw material production, e. potatoes that produce increased amounts of amylopectin (e. Amflora® potato, BASF SE, Germany).

The separate or joint application of the compounds of the inventive mixtures is carried out by spraying or dusting the seeds, the seedlings, the plants or the soils before or after sowing of the plants or before or after emergence of the plants.

Customary application rates in the protection of materials are, for example, from <NUM> to <NUM> of active compounds per m<NUM> treated material, desirably from <NUM> to <NUM> per m<NUM>.

For use in spray compositions, the content of the mixture of the active ingredients is from <NUM> to <NUM> weight %, preferably from <NUM> to <NUM> weight % and most preferably from <NUM> to <NUM> weight %.

The fungicidal action of the mixtures according to the invention can be shown by the tests described below.

The visually determined percentages of infected leaf areas are converted into efficacies in % of the untreated control.

The efficacy (E) is calculated as follows using Abbot's formula: <MAT>.

An efficacy of <NUM> means that the infection level of the treated plants corresponds to that of the untreated control plants; an efficacy of <NUM> means that the treated plants were not infected. The expected efficacies of active compound combinations may be determined using Colby's formula (<NPL>) and compared with the observed efficacies.

Claim 1:
Fungicidal mixtures comprising, as active components,
<NUM>) Mefentrifluconazole and
<NUM>) at least one of the following compounds: <NUM>-(difluoromethyl)-N-(<NUM>-fluoro-<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>-trimethyl-indan-<NUM>-yl)-<NUM>-methyl-pyrazole-<NUM>-carboxamide, or N-[(2Z)-<NUM>-[<NUM>-chloro-<NUM>-(<NUM>-cyclopropylethynyl)-<NUM>-pyridyl]-<NUM>-isopropoxyimino-ethyl]-<NUM>-(difluoromethyl)-<NUM>-methyl-pyrazole-<NUM>-carboxamide.