Patent ID: 8282949

Claim:
A method of killing, controlling and/or inhibiting the growth of fungi on plants said method comprising applying a bioactive composition to the soil in which the seed, crop or plant is or is to be planted; to the aqueous environment in which the plants are growing; or to the plants in their growing environment; said bioactive composition comprising, as a critical component thereof an efficacious antifungal active consisting essentially of a combination of i) at least one carboxylic acid selected from citric acid, valeric acid, itaconic acid, acetic, citriconic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, succinic acid, aldaric acid, malonic acid, proprionic acid, malonic acid, maleic acid, salicylic acid, glutaric acid, tartaric acids, and benzoic acid, ii) at least one antimicrobial metal ion or ion source, wherein the antimicrobial metal ions are selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, zinc, a combination of silver and zinc, a combination of silver and copper, a combination of copper and zinc and a combination of silver copper and zinc and iii) optionally, at least one surfactant, wherein the acid is present in the bioactive composition at a level of 0.01 to 10 weight percent and in at least a 2 times molar excess relative to the metal ions, the pH of the acid/antimicrobial metal ion combination in purified water is at least 2 and less than 6, and the antimicrobial metal ion is present in the bioactive composition in an amount of 500 ppm or less in the case of a single metal ion or 1000 ppm or less in the case or multiple metal ions, and wherein the rate of application of the bioactive composition to the soil or plants is such that no more than about 500 grams per acre of the metal ion(s) (determined as metal) is applied: said composition being free of and applied independent of any conventional antifungal bioactive agrichemical in an amount which manifests efficacious or synergistic antifungal activity or manifests synergy with the metal/acid antifungal active.