JP2024122929A - Plant activators - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] The objective is to provide a plant activator that can promote growth and increase yield. [Solution] The plant activator is characterized by containing at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof. [Selected Figure] None

Description

The present invention relates to a plant activator.

Technologies for regulating plant growth have been developed with the aim of improving the supply efficiency of grain plants and horticultural plants. In addition to measures such as optimizing temperature and sunlight conditions and fertilization, methods have been reported for activating plants using plant activators that have plant growth regulating effects such as promoting growth, suppressing dormancy, and suppressing stress.

Patent Document 1 describes a plant activator for improving the protein content in plants containing green plant cells, and describes the use of a substance that improves the protein content by 3% or more as the plant activator. One of the substances used as the plant activator is a monovalent fatty acid or a derivative thereof that includes an oxyalkylene group.

Patent Document 2 discloses a plant stimulant that uses fatty acids or their derivatives to improve the absorption of at least one of the main components of plant fertilizer, nitrate ions, phosphate ions, and potassium ions, by 10% or more.

However, the improvement in protein content of the plant activator described in Patent Document 1 was not sufficient, and the plant activator described in Patent Document 2 still did not sufficiently improve the absorption efficiency of fertilizer components.

JP 2002-58342 A JP 2001-288011 A

There is a demand for efficient plant activators that have excellent plant activation effects, such as disease resistance induction effects and growth promotion effects, and can increase the yield of cultivated plants without causing problems such as soil contamination, damage to human health, or the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a plant activator that can safely, stably, and effectively exhibit growth-promoting effects and disease resistance-inducing effects when appropriately sprayed or irrigated onto plants.

The present invention relates to a plant activator that contains at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof.

The unsaturated oxo fatty acid preferably has four or more carbon atoms. This is because the carbonyl group and the double bond in the oxo fatty acid are more stable when conjugated.

The unsaturated oxo fatty acid has the following formula (I):
HOOC-(R ¹ )-CH=CH-C(=O)-R ² (I)
[In formula (I), R ¹ represents a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms. R ² represents an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more branches and/or double bonds.]
Or, the following formula (II):
HOOC-(R ³ )-C(=O)-CH=CH-R ⁴ (II)
[In formula (II), R ³ represents a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group containing 3 to 10 carbon atoms. R ⁴ represents a hydrocarbon group having 4 to 11 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more branches and/or double bonds.]
It is preferable that the fatty acid is an unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by the formula:

In the formula (I), it is preferable that R ¹ contains a double bond which forms a conjugated double bond with the double bond between the α and β carbons of the carbonyl group in the formula (I), and that R ⁴ in the formula (II) contains a double bond which forms a conjugated double bond with the double bond between the α and β carbons of the carbonyl group in the formula (II).

It is preferable that the unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by formula (I) and the unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by formula (II) are ketooctadecadienoic acid.

In the formula (I), it is preferable that R ¹ is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 9 carbon atoms and R ² is an alkyl group having 5 carbon atoms, and in the formula (II), R ³ is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 7 carbon atoms and R ⁴ has a carbon number of 7 and has the structure CH ₃ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CH=CH-.

The unsaturated oxo fatty acid is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of 9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid, 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid, 5-oxo-6,8-octadecadienoic acid, 6-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 8-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 10-oxo-8,12-octadecadienoic acid, 11-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 12-oxo-9,13-octadecadienoic acid, and 14-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid.

In the plant activator, it is preferable that the unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by formula (I) is 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid, and the unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by formula (II) is 9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid.

It is preferable that the hydroxylated fatty acid is an unsaturated fatty acid. In addition, in the case of an unsaturated hydroxylated fatty acid, it is more stable if no hydroxyl group is bonded to the carbon atoms bonded to each other by a double bond, so it is preferable that the number of carbon atoms is four or more.

The hydroxylated fatty acid is represented by the following formula (III) and/or (IV):
HOOC-(R ⁵ )-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH=CH-CH(OH)-R ⁶ (III)
HOOC-(R ⁵ )-CH(OH)-CH=CH-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-R ⁶ (IV)
[Wherein,
^R5 is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 4 to 12 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more double bonds and/or OH groups, and when it contains a double bond, the position of the double bond is not limited;
R ⁶ is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more double bonds and/or OH groups, and when it contains a double bond, the position of the double bond is not limited.

It is preferred that in the hydroxylated fatty acid, the hydrocarbon group at ^R5 has 6 to 8 carbon atoms and the hydrocarbon group at ^R6 has 4 to 6 carbon atoms.

In the above hydroxylated fatty acid, R ⁵ preferably has a structure of --(CH ₂ ) _n -- (n is an integer of 4 to 12) and R ⁶ preferably has a structure of C _n H _2n+1 -- (n is an integer of 2 to 8).

In the above hydroxylated fatty acid, R ⁵ is preferably an alkylene group having 7 carbon atoms (-(CH ₂ ) ₇ --) and R ⁶ is preferably an alkyl group having 5 carbon atoms (CH ₃ CH ₂ CH ₂ CH ₂ CH ₂ --).

The hydroxylated fatty acid is preferably hydroxyoctadecenoic acid.

The hydroxylated fatty acid is preferably 9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid or 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid.

The plant activator of the present invention may contain at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acids or derivatives or salts thereof, at least one compound selected from hydroxylated fatty acids or derivatives or salts thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof. By containing both types of compounds, an unsaturated oxo fatty acid and a hydroxylated fatty acid, the plant activator may be more effective in promoting the immunity, health, and growth of plants and/or the yield of cultivated crops.

When the plant activator of the present invention contains both compounds, an unsaturated oxo fatty acid and a hydroxylated fatty acid, the weight ratio of the compound consisting of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid, or a derivative or a salt thereof, to the compound consisting of the hydroxylated fatty acid, or a derivative or a salt thereof, is desirably 5 to 100 parts by weight of the compound consisting of the hydroxylated fatty acid, or a derivative or a salt thereof per 100 parts by weight of the compound consisting of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid, or a derivative or a salt thereof. This is because if the content of the compound consisting of the hydroxylated fatty acid, or a derivative or a salt thereof exceeds 100 parts by weight, the plant activation effect may decrease.

The plant activator is preferably for improving yield.

It is preferable that the plant activator is a plant activator used as a spray or immersion agent that is brought into contact with stems, leaves, or roots, or as a soil drenching agent.

It is preferable that the plant activator is used for a plant selected from the Brassicaceae, Poaceae, Leguminosae (excluding soybean), Solanaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Malvaceae.

The plant activator of the present invention may be a plant activator (excluding soybean).

In addition, "9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid" is also written as "9,10,13-trihydroxyoctadec-11-enoic acid" or commonly known as "9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid." The structural formula of "9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid" is shown in the following structural formula (1).

Similarly, the above-mentioned "9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid" is also written as "9,12,13-trihydroxyoctadec-10-enoic acid" or "9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid." The structural formula of "9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid" is shown in the following structural formula (2).

The plant activator of the present invention has low soil contamination and toxicity, and exhibits excellent plant growth and yield-increasing effects.

FIG. 1 shows the results of an analysis of above-ground shoot length in lettuce. FIG. 1 shows the results of analysis of aboveground wet weight of lettuce. FIG. 1 shows the results of analysis of the wet weight of underground parts of lettuce. FIG. 1 shows the results of an analysis of above-ground part length in radish sprouts. FIG. 1 is a graph showing the results of analysis of the wet weight of aboveground parts of radish sprouts. FIG. 1 is a graph showing the results of an analysis of the wet weight of the underground parts of radish sprouts. FIG. 1 shows the results of an analysis of above-ground part length in pea seedlings. FIG. 1 shows the results of analysis of the wet weight of aboveground parts of pea seedlings. FIG. 1 shows the results of an analysis of the wet weight of the underground parts of pea seedlings.

Plant Activator The plant activator of the present invention is characterized by containing at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof.

In the present invention, "plant" may mean the whole plant, a plant organ (e.g., leaf, branch, stem, root, rootlet, shoot, fruit, etc.) or a plant cell, and in particular means a plant organ such as a leaf. In this specification, soybean means soybean (scientific name Glycine max), an annual plant of the legume family. In addition, as used herein, "plant" includes field crops, vegetable crops and fruits. "Plant" may be field crops, vegetable crops and fruits other than soybean. Here, it does not matter whether the crops and fruits are genetically modified or non-genetically modified.

In the present invention, "plant activation" means adjusting the plant's growth activity in some way to activate or maintain it, and includes plant growth regulation effects such as growth promotion (a concept that includes the expansion of stems and leaves, and the promotion of tuber and root growth), dormancy suppression, induction and conferring of resistance to plant stress (e.g., disease), and anti-aging.

The plant activator of the present invention contains at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof as active ingredients for plant activation. The at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof of the present invention can impart a growth promoting effect to a plant by being applied to a part of the stems, leaves, or roots of a plant.

For example, compared to untreated plants, increases in leaf length and leaf weight, which are indicators of plant growth, and increases in tuber or tuberous root weight can be confirmed. Inoculation with the plant activator of the present invention can promote plant growth and increase the yield of cultivated crops. Therefore, in the present invention, the "plant activation" effect can mean, among other things, the effect of promoting plant growth and increasing the edible part per individual, thereby increasing the yield of the plant. The plant activator of the present invention has a very high plant growth promotion effect, which can result in excellent yield increase effects and improved harvest efficiency for commercial crops. Furthermore, by applying the plant activator of the present invention to a part of the stems, leaves, or roots of a plant, it is possible to activate the salicylic acid pathway related to resistance induction in the plant, and as a result, it is possible to induce resistance to diseases and the like in the plant.

The plant activator of the present invention contains, as an active ingredient for activating plants, at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof.

The oxo fatty acid of the present invention is an unsaturated oxo fatty acid, which is an unsaturated fatty acid. In the case of an unsaturated oxo fatty acid, it is preferable that the carbonyl group and the double bond in the oxo fatty acid are conjugated to each other, so that the compound can exist more stably. Therefore, it is preferable that the number of carbon atoms of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid of the present invention is 4 or more.

The unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or salt thereof used in the present invention is
The following formula (I):
HOOC-(R ¹ )-CH=CH-C(=O)-R ² (I)
[In formula (I), R ¹ represents a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms. R ² represents an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more branches and/or double bonds.]
Or, the following formula (II):
HOOC-(R ³ )-C(=O)-CH=CH-R ⁴ (II)
[In formula (II), R ³ represents a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group containing 3 to 10 carbon atoms. R ⁴ represents a hydrocarbon group having 4 to 11 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more branches and/or double bonds.]
or a derivative or a salt thereof.

The unsaturated oxo fatty acids and compounds represented by formula (I) or (II) above include all geometric isomers and stereoisomers thereof having the same structural formula. As used herein, the term "stereoisomer" may refer to any of the various stereoisomeric configurations that may exist in the compounds of the present disclosure. For example, compounds of formula (I) or (II) of the present disclosure include double bonds in which the substituents may be in the E or Z configuration.

In one embodiment of the present invention, ^R1 in the above formula (I) may contain a double bond that forms a conjugated double bond with the double bond between the α and β carbons of the carbonyl group in formula (I), and ^R4 in the above formula (II) may contain a double bond that forms a conjugated double bond with the double bond between the α and β carbons of the carbonyl group in formula (II).

For example, ketooctadecadienoic acid is a suitable example of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid used in the present invention. Preferably, in the above formula (I), R ¹ may be a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 9 carbon atoms, and R ² may be an alkyl group having 5 carbon atoms. In addition, in the above formula (II), R ³ may be a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 7 carbon atoms, and when R ⁴ has 7 carbon atoms, it is preferred that it has the structure CH ₃ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CH=CH-.

For example, specific examples of ketooctadecadienoic acids include 9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid (9-oxoODA), 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (13-oxoODA), 5-oxo-6,8-octadecadienoic acid, 6-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 8-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 10-oxo-8,12-octadecadienoic acid, 11-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 12-oxo-9,13-octadecadienoic acid, and 14-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid. For example, the unsaturated oxo fatty acid of the present invention may be 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid or 9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid.

As a derivative of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid of the present invention, an ester is preferable. Examples of the ester of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid of the present invention include, but are not limited to, methyl ester, ethyl ester, propyl ester, butyl ester, pentyl ester, isopentyl ester, octyl ester, etc.

The salt of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid is not particularly limited as long as it is one or more agriculturally acceptable salts, such as alkali metal salts, such as sodium salts and potassium salts, and ammonium salts, such as alkyl ammonium salts, such as ammonium salts and tetramethylammonium salts.

The unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or salt of the present invention may contain two or more kinds of unsaturated oxo fatty acids or its derivative or salt. By combining two or more kinds of unsaturated oxo fatty acids, the plant activator of the present invention may exhibit an even higher plant activation effect. For example, the two kinds of unsaturated oxo fatty acids may be a combination of at least one unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by the above formula (I) and at least one unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by the above formula (II). For example, preferably, the two kinds of unsaturated oxo fatty acids may be a combination of 9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid (9-oxoODA) and 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (13-oxoODA).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the plant activator of the present invention contains 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid or a salt or derivative thereof and 9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid or a salt or derivative thereof as unsaturated oxo fatty acids. For example, the ratio of the content of 9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid or a salt or derivative thereof to the content of 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid or a salt or derivative thereof is about 0.1 to 10 by weight, and preferably about 0.3 to 2.0.

The unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or salt used in the present invention is not particularly limited in terms of origin. The unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or salt such as ketooctadecadienoic acid of the present invention may be obtained by chemical synthesis, or may be produced by using a microorganism or may be obtained by acting an enzyme derived from a microorganism on a substrate such as a fatty acid. The plant activator of the present invention may contain at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or salt, hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or salt, and fatty acid peroxide or its salt at a desired concentration. For example, when an unsaturated oxo fatty acid produced by a microorganism is used as the unsaturated oxo fatty acid, a mixture containing unsaturated oxo fatty acid may be used.

The hydroxylated fatty acid of the present invention is preferably an unsaturated fatty acid. In the case of an unsaturated hydroxylated fatty acid, the number of carbon atoms in the unsaturated hydroxylated fatty acid of the present invention is preferably 4 or more, since the compound can exist more stably if no hydroxyl groups are bonded to the carbon atoms bonded to each other by a double bond.

The hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or salt thereof used in the present invention is represented by the following formula (III) and/or (IV):
HOOC-(R ⁵ )-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH=CH-CH(OH)-R ⁶ (III)
HOOC-(R ⁵ )-CH(OH)-CH=CH-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-R ⁶ (IV)
[Wherein,
^R5 is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 4 to 12 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more double bonds and/or OH groups, and when it contains a double bond, the position of the double bond is not limited;
R ⁶ is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more double bonds and/or OH groups, and when it contains a double bond, the position of the double bond is not limited.
A hydroxylated fatty acid having the structural formula: or a derivative or salt thereof can be suitably used.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the hydrocarbon group of R ⁵ in the hydroxylated fatty acid has 6 to 8 carbon atoms, and the hydrocarbon group of R ⁶ has 4 to 6 carbon atoms. In another embodiment, R ⁵ in the hydroxylated fatty acid has a structure of -(CH ₂ ) _n - (n is an integer from 4 to 12), and R ⁶ has a structure of C _n H _2n+1 - (n is an integer from 2 to 8). In yet another embodiment, it is preferred that R ⁵ in the hydroxylated fatty acid is an alkylene group having 7 carbon atoms (-(CH ₂ ) ₇ -), and R ⁶ is an alkyl group having 5 carbon atoms (CH ₃ CH ₂ CH ₂ CH ₂ CH ₂ -).

Specific examples of hydroxylated fatty acids of the present invention include hydroxyoctadecenoic acids. For example, hydroxyoctadecenoic acids include, but are not limited to, 9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid and/or 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid and their isomers.

As the derivative of hydroxylated fatty acid, ester is preferable. Examples of ester of hydroxylated fatty acid of the present invention include, but are not limited to, methyl ester, ethyl ester, propyl ester, butyl ester, pentyl ester, isopentyl ester, octyl ester, etc. In addition, examples of salt of hydroxylated fatty acid include ammonium salt such as alkyl ammonium salt such as ammonium salt, tetramethylammonium salt, etc., alkaline earth metal salt such as calcium salt, magnesium salt, etc., alkali metal salt such as sodium salt, lithium salt, potassium salt, etc., metal salt such as cobalt salt, manganese salt, etc. However, there is no particular limitation as long as it is one or more kinds of salt that are agriculturally acceptable, such as salts contained in fertilizers, etc.

In addition, when at least one compound selected from the hydroxylated fatty acids or their derivatives or salts exemplified in this specification has isomers, all isomers that may exist can be used in the present invention unless otherwise specified.

As described above, the plant activator of the present invention contains at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid, or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a hydroxylated fatty acid, or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof. These unsaturated oxo fatty acids and hydroxylated fatty acids can also exist in nature, so the plant activator of the present invention is also excellent in that it places a small burden on the environment.

The plant activator of the present invention may contain an amino acid. For example, the amino acid may be appropriately selected from, but is not limited to, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, histidine, tyrosine, cysteine, aspartic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamic acid, glutamine, proline, glycine, alanine, and arginine, or may be a mixture of two or more of these.

The plant activator of the present invention exhibits excellent growth-promoting effects by containing an amino acid in addition to at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acids or derivatives or salts thereof and hydroxylated fatty acids or derivatives or salts thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or salt thereof. Since amino acids are naturally occurring compounds, they have a low environmental impact, and the inclusion of amino acids in the plant activator does not adversely affect the plant to which they are applied. The addition of an amino acid further enhances the plant activating effect and yield-increasing effect of at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acids or derivatives or salts thereof and hydroxylated fatty acids or derivatives or salts thereof in the plant activator of the present invention.

In the present invention, for example, the amino acid may be contained in the plant activator at a weight ratio of about 200 times or less of the content of at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or its salt and hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or its salt. The preferred concentration of the amino acid that may be contained in the plant activator of the present invention may depend on the state of the plant body to which it is applied, and the lower limit of the amino acid concentration is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the amino acid is contained at a weight ratio of about 1 time or more of the content of at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or its salt and hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or its salt. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the amino acid may be about 5 to 50 times the weight of the content of at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or its salt and hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or its salt.

In addition, in the present invention, the plant activator may contain nucleic acids, terpenes, and/or phospholipids instead of or in addition to amino acids.

The plant activator of the present invention contains fatty acid peroxides or their salts, and it is hypothesized that such fatty acid peroxides activate genes that code for enzymes involved in the synthesis of glycoproteins and growth hormones necessary for plant growth.

As the fatty acid peroxide contained in the plant activator of the present invention, hydroperoxydecadienoic acid and the like can be used, and for example, 13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid and 9-hydroperoxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid can be preferably used. More specifically, (9Z,11E)-13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid and (10E,12Z)-9-hydroperoxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid are preferable. In addition, in (9Z,11E)-13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid, the carbon atom at the 13th position is an asymmetric carbon atom, but the stereoisomer may be either the S-form or the R-form. In addition, in (10E,12Z)-9-hydroperoxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid, the carbon atom at the 9th position is an asymmetric carbon atom, but the stereoisomer may be either the S-form or the R-form. These fatty acid peroxides are commercially available; for example, 3 mg/mL ethanol solutions are available from Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Corporation.

Examples of salts of fatty acid peroxides include ammonium salts such as ammonium salts and alkyl ammonium salts such as tetramethylammonium salts, alkaline earth metal salts such as calcium salts and magnesium salts, alkali metal salts such as sodium salts, lithium salts and potassium salts, and metal salts such as cobalt salts and manganese salts, but are not particularly limited as long as they are one or more agriculturally acceptable salts, such as salts contained in fertilizers, etc.

It is desirable that the fatty acid peroxide or its salt is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 10 times by weight relative to at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid, its derivative or its salt, and the hydroxylated fatty acid, its derivative or its salt.

The application amount of the plant activator according to the present invention can be varied within a wide range depending on the cultivation state and growth stage of the plant body to which it is applied, the application time and application method of the plant activator, etc. In addition, the content of the active ingredient in the plant activator may be appropriately set according to the appropriate application amount to the plant. For example, in one embodiment of the plant activator of the present invention, at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof can be used at a concentration of 10 mg/L or less. If the application concentration of at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof of the present invention exceeds 10 mg/L, there is a risk of causing phytotoxicity to the plant. The lower limit of the concentration of at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof is not particularly limited, but 0.01 mg/L or more is preferable. The plant activator of the present invention can be applied under conditions in which the concentration of at least one compound selected from the unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or its salt and the hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or its salt of the present invention is about 0.02 to 10 mg/L.

The plant activator of the present invention may contain, as necessary, a compatible surfactant and/or diluent or carrier suitable for use as a plant activator. For example, the diluent may improve the dispersibility of at least one compound selected from the unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or its salt and the hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or its salt in a solvent. In addition, in order to improve the solubility and dispersibility of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid derivative used in the present invention in the diluent, surfactants such as dispersing agents and wetting agents may be contained. These added components are not particularly limited as long as they are agriculturally acceptable agents that are normally used in pesticide formulations. In addition, the plant activator of the present invention may further contain components that are normally used in pesticide formulations, such as freeze-thaw stabilizers, biocides, preservatives, pigments, dyes, colorants, buffers or pH adjusters or neutralizers, foam inhibitors or defoamers, ultraviolet absorbers, ultraviolet scattering agents, spreading agents for increasing the spreading force on plants or soil, binders, antioxidants and stabilizers. Such agents are commercially manufactured and available through various companies. In this specification, "agriculturally acceptable agent" means an agent known and acceptable in the art for the preparation of compositions for agricultural or horticultural use. The plant activator of the present invention may further contain a plant-beneficial component, such as one or more fertilizer components, in addition to at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof.

The plant activator of the present invention may contain at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or its salt and hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or its salt, and peroxide of fatty acid or its salt, and there is no particular limitation on their origin. The unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or its salt, such as ketooctadecadienoic acid, and hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or its salt, may be obtained by chemical synthesis, or may be produced by using a microorganism or may be obtained by acting an enzyme derived from a microorganism on a substrate such as fatty acid. The plant activator of the present invention may contain at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative or its salt and hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative or its salt at a desired concentration, and for example, when unsaturated oxo fatty acid or hydroxylated fatty acid derivative produced by a microorganism is used as the unsaturated oxo fatty acid derivative or hydroxylated fatty acid derivative, a mixture containing unsaturated oxo fatty acid and/or hydroxylated fatty acid derivative may be used in the plant activator. When a biosurfactant secreted by a microorganism is contained in the mixture, the dispersibility of the plant activator of the present invention may be improved even without the inclusion of the additive components described above. When the unsaturated oxo fatty acid or its derivative, or the hydroxylated fatty acid or its derivative is itself insoluble or poorly soluble, it may be possible to emulsify it with a biosurfactant and disperse it in water.

As described above, the plant activator of the present invention, which contains at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof, is characterized by exhibiting a significantly excellent plant activating effect, which promotes the growth of the plant and increases the weight and length of the above-ground and below-ground parts of the plant when applied to the plant.

In other words, the plant activator of the present invention can promote the growth of the plant to which it is applied, and can increase the weight and/or number of leaves, stems, tuberous roots, or fruits per plant. Therefore, the plant activator of the present invention can be a yield-increasing agent in the plant.

The plant activator of the present invention can be applied to a plant body by any method. The application method is not particularly limited as long as it is a method that contacts the roots, stems, leaves, etc. of the plant body, and it acts suitably as an activator. The plant activator of the present invention may be applied so as to directly contact the plant body, or may be applied to a cultivation carrier such as soil or a medium to which the plant body is fixed. For example, the plant activator of the present invention can be used as a spray agent or a dipping agent that contacts the stems, leaves, or roots of a plant, for example, a hydrated agent that is suspended in water and used, or a soil irrigation agent. The specific application method can be appropriately selected depending on the cultivation form of the cultivated plant to be applied, and examples of the application method include ground liquid spraying, ground solid spraying, aerial liquid spraying, aerial solid spraying, liquid surface spraying, application within a facility, soil mixing application, soil irrigation application, surface treatment such as coating treatment, seedling box application, single flower treatment, and plant base treatment. The plant activator of the present invention may also be mixed with a fertilizer component of the plant and used as a plant fertilizer. In addition, the plant activator of the present invention may be contained in a porous structure or capsule, or impregnated in a sheet or the like, and used as a sustained-release drug.

The form of the plant activator of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, the plant activator of the present invention may be provided as a solid. Examples of solid formulations include powders, wettable powders, water-soluble powders, dustable powders, flow dust, crystals, granules, granules, encapsulated granules, fine granules, microcapsules, pellets, tablets, flakes, and the like. Alternatively, the plant activator of the present invention may be provided as a liquid. For example, examples of liquid formulations include solutions, concentrated solutions, aqueous solutions, suspensions, microcapsule suspensions, pastes, slurries, gels, and liquid-soluble gels. Preferably, the plant activator of the present invention further contains a solvent and is formulated as a liquid. The solvent used is preferably water. This is because it is not toxic to plants and does not pollute the soil. The plant activator of the present invention may be provided in a concentrated and/or diluted form of a liquid formulation. The concentrated plant activator may be appropriately diluted with a diluent before use. Preferably, the diluent is water. The plant activator of the present invention imparts a plant growth promoting effect to plants during plant cultivation, and in the plants to which it is applied, increases in yield due to an increase in the plant body, such as an increase in crop weight, resulting in increased yields and improved harvest efficiency.

The plant activator of the present invention can improve yields by simple treatment such as spraying, so there is no need to prepare special equipment, and in this respect, the present invention is also very advantageous. Furthermore, since ketooctadecadienoic acid and hydroxyoctadecenoic acid are oxides of naturally occurring fatty acids, the plant activator of the present invention has a low environmental impact and is excellent in that it causes almost no phytotoxicity to the plants to which it is applied.

The application of the plant activator of the present invention to a plant body and/or a cultivation carrier can be carried out, for example, by a method in which ketooctadecadienoic acid and/or hydroxyoctadecenoic acid, or a derivative thereof, a structural isomer or a salt thereof, and hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid or a salt thereof are applied to the plant body and/or a cultivation carrier in a liquid state in which they are dissolved or dispersed in water and/or a water-soluble solvent. For example, a liquid in which ketooctadecadienoic acid and/or hydroxyoctadecenoic acid, or a derivative thereof, a structural isomer or a salt thereof, and hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid or a salt thereof are dissolved or dispersed can be sprayed or applied to the above-ground parts (stems, leaves, etc.) of the target plant body. The application of the plant activator of the present invention to the target plant may be carried out, for example, at least once before flowering, and may be applied in multiple portions.

The plants to which the plant activator of the present invention can be applied are not particularly limited, and the plant activator can be used effectively on plants in general. For example, it can be suitably applied to plants of the Brassicaceae, Poaceae, Leguminosae, Solanaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Amaranthaceae, or Malvaceae families. In particular, cultivated plants of the Brassicaceae, Leguminosae (excluding soybean), soybean, and Asteraceae families are preferred. In addition, the plants to which the plant activator can be applied are not limited to wild-type plants, and may be, for example, mutants or transformants. In addition, the varieties of each plant are not particularly limited.

As will be understood from the manufacturing examples, working examples, and comparative examples described below, the plant activator of the present invention has a growth-promoting effect on plants even if it does not contain amino acids. However, if the plant activator contains amino acids, the plant growth-promoting effect is further enhanced.

The plant activator of the present invention may be a plant activator (excluding soybean).

The present invention will be described based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to only the examples.

Preparation of plant activator [Production Example 1]
As a raw material containing fatty acids, 580 g of linoleic acid with a purity of 90% (manufactured by NOF Corp.) was used, to which 216 g of potassium carbonate (manufactured by FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.), 280 g of dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (manufactured by FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.), and 13,000 mL of distilled water were added to prepare a test solution. The pH of the test solution at this time was 9.0.

40 mg of lipoxygenase (Nacalai Tesque, Inc., derived from soybeans) was added to the test solution, and the mixture was reacted at 15°C for 3 hours while being aerated with oxygen and stirred. The reaction mixture was then placed in a 90°C water bath for 90 minutes. The resulting reaction solution was designated as Solution A.

35 mL of phosphoric acid (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was added to 6,500 mL of solution A to adjust the pH to 7.0. This solution was aerated with oxygen and reacted at 50°C for 22 hours while stirring, and the reaction mixture was then placed in a water bath at 90°C for 2 hours. The resulting reaction solution was designated solution B.

The entire amount of solution A and the entire amount of solution B obtained above were mixed, and the resulting mixture was used as a standard substance, 13-oxoODA (13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid), 9-oxoODA (9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid), and 9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid (9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid), all manufactured by Cayman Chemical Co., Ltd., respectively. The concentrations of 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid and 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid were determined by the absolute calibration curve method using MS ² spectrum analysis with LC-MS (detection wavelengths: unsaturated oxo fatty acids: UV 272 nm, hydroxylated fatty acids: 210 nm).

The combined yield of isomers such as (E,E isomer) and (E,Z isomer) was 3.7% for 13-oxoODA. The yield of 9-oxoODA was 1.7%. The combined yield of 9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid and 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid was 1.2% (peaks could not be separated by LC-MS), and the recovery rate of linoleic acid was 84.1%.

The yield (%) was calculated based on the following formula.
Yield (%)=(wt% of 13-oxoODA, 9-oxoODA, 9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid, or 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid produced)/(initial wt% of raw linoleic acid used)

0.01 mL of 3 mg/mL ethanol solution of (9Z,11E,13S)-13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid was added to 0.1 mL of the mixture of solutions A and B obtained above, and this was diluted to 2000 mL with ion exchange water to give plant activator solution 1 (9-oxoODA/13-oxoODA<1). The concentration of 13-oxoODA in plant activator solution 1 was 0.0925 ppm, the concentration of 9-oxoODA was 0.0425 ppm, the combined concentration of 9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecaenoic acid and 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecaenoic acid was 0.03 ppm, and the concentration of (9Z,11E,13S)-13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid was 0.015 ppm.

[Example 1]
In 2000 mL of plant activator solution 1 prepared in the same manner as in Production Example 1, 2.3 mg of ground multi-amino acid (manufactured by FANCL Corporation: (ingredients: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine (threonine), tryptophan, valine, histidine, tyrosine, cysteine, aspartic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamic acid, glutamine, proline, glycine, alanine, arginine)) was dissolved to prepare a solution as plant activator solution 2.

[Comparative Example 1]
2000 mL of ion-exchanged water was used as comparative solution 1.

[Comparative Example 2]
A solution serving as comparative solution 2 was prepared by dissolving 2.3 mg of ground Multi Amino Acid (manufactured by FANCL Corporation) in 2,000 mL of ion-exchanged water.

[Comparative Example 3]
50 mg of stearic acid (manufactured by FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and 150 mg of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (manufactured by FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) were dispersed in ion-exchanged water to prepare 1 L of an aqueous solution (aqueous dispersion). 1.2 mg of ground multi-amino acid (manufactured by FANCL Corporation: (components: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine (threonine), tryptophan, valine, histidine, tyrosine, cysteine, aspartic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamic acid, glutamine, proline, glycine, alanine, arginine)) was added to this aqueous solution and dissolved, to prepare a solution as comparative solution 3.

Plant growth test using plant activator solution A) Plant growth test in lettuce Leaf lettuce (variety: Grand Rapid) seeds were sown in a 200-hole seedling pit tray containing vegetable and flower seed sowing soil (manufactured by Takii Seed Co., Ltd.). Germination was allowed to occur in an artificial weather machine (LH-60FL3-DT: manufactured by Nippon Medical and Chemical Machinery Co., Ltd.) with a daily cycle of 14 hours under fluorescent light at 23°C and 10 hours under light at 20°C. Seedlings were grown under the same conditions, and when the seedlings had 2 to 3 true leaves, plant activator solutions 1 and 2 and comparative solutions 1 to 3 were sprayed on the leaves at 1 mL per plant (10 plants per treatment area with each solution).

One day after spraying, the plants were transplanted into 6 cm pots and grown for 20 days until they had 4-5 true leaves, after which the growth of the test crops in each treatment area was investigated. No top dressing or pesticide spraying was performed. The growth of the test crops was investigated by measuring the above-ground length (cm), above-ground wet weight (g) and below-ground wet weight (g) of all 10 plants in each treatment area. The above-ground length was measured as the length (cm) from the base to the tip of the largest leaf for each test crop. The above-ground wet weight and below-ground wet weight were measured by measuring the weight of each plant and averaging the weights of the 10 plants in the same treatment area.

B) Plant growth test for radish sprouts Radish sprouts (variety: sprouts) were placed on 5 cm x 10 cm absorbent cotton pads, 80 seeds each, and six pads were prepared so that about one-third of the seeds were submerged in water. They were grown in a room at 20°C for four days, covered with aluminum foil.

After 4 days of cultivation, the aluminum foil was removed and it was confirmed that about 40 plants in each treatment area had grown to a stem length of about 5 cm. 10 mL each of plant activator solutions 1 and 2 and comparison solutions 1 to 3 were sprayed on the leaves of each treatment area.

After five days of growth after spraying, the test crops in each treatment area were surveyed for growth. No top dressing or spraying of pesticides was performed. The test crop growth survey was conducted by measuring the above-ground length (cm), above-ground wet weight (g), and underground wet weight (g). The number of samples is as follows. Five plants per treatment area were used for above-ground length, and five sets of 10 plants per treatment area were used for above-ground wet weight and underground wet weight. The above-ground length was measured by measuring the length (cm) from the base to the tip of the longest stem of the five test crop plants in each treatment area. The above-ground wet weight was measured by measuring the above-ground wet weight of each plant and taking the average of the 10 plants in the same treatment area. The underground wet weight was calculated per plant after measuring the underground parts of the plants cut off to measure the above-ground wet weight (i.e., 10 plants per treatment area).

C) Plant growth test for bean seedlings Commercially available bean seedlings (sold by Salad Cosmo Co., Ltd.) containing two edible pieces of 50 g each were cut horizontally at a height of 2 cm from the base of the stem, and the entire root was immersed in water. Five pieces were prepared for each 50 g edible portion, and cultivation was started by a window in a room at a temperature of 20°C.

On the first day of cultivation, 10 mL each of plant activator solutions 1 and 2 and comparison solutions 1 to 3 were sprayed onto the above-ground leaves of each treatment area.

After six days of growth after spraying, the test crops in each treatment area were surveyed for growth. No top dressing or spraying of pesticides was performed. The test crop growth survey was conducted by measuring the above-ground length (cm), above-ground wet weight (g), and underground wet weight (g). The number of samples is as follows. Five plants per treatment area were used for above-ground length, and five sets of 10 plants per treatment area were used for above-ground wet weight and underground wet weight. The above-ground length was measured by measuring the length (cm) from the base to the tip of the longest stem of the five test crop plants in each treatment area. The above-ground wet weight was measured by measuring the above-ground wet weight of each plant and averaging it for the 10 plants in the same treatment area. The underground wet weight was calculated per plant after measuring the underground parts of the plants (i.e., 10 plants per treatment area) that were cut off to measure the above-ground wet weight.

The measured above-ground part length (cm), above-ground wet weight (g), and below-ground wet weight (g) are shown in Figures 1 to 3 for lettuce, Figures 4 to 6 for radish sprouts, and Figures 7 to 9 for pea sprouts.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, lettuce plants treated with plant activator solution 1 (Production Example 1) containing fatty acid peroxide, or plant activator solution 2 (Example 1) containing fatty acid peroxide and amino acid, showed increased above-ground shoot length (cm), above-ground shoot wet weight (g), and below-ground shoot wet weight (g) compared to comparative solution 1 (Comparative Example 1) containing water only, or comparative solution 2 (Comparative Example 2) containing water with added amino acid. The increasing effect of comparative solution 3 (Comparative Example 3), in which amino acid was added to saturated fatty acid, was almost the same as comparative solution 2.

Similar results were obtained for above-ground shoot length (cm), above-ground shoot wet weight (g), and below-ground shoot wet weight (g) in radish sprouts and pea sprouts. As shown in Figures 4, 5, 7, and 8, plant activator solution 1 (Production Example 1) containing fatty acid peroxide, and plant activator solution 2 (Example 1) containing fatty acid peroxide and amino acid significantly increased above-ground shoot length (cm) and above-ground shoot wet weight (g) in radish sprouts and pea sprouts. Plant activator solution 1 (Production Example 1) without added amino acid also showed a higher increase effect than comparative solutions 1 to 3.

Claims (21)

A plant activator characterized by containing at least one compound selected from an unsaturated oxo fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a hydroxylated fatty acid or a derivative or a salt thereof, and a fatty acid peroxide or a salt thereof. The unsaturated oxo fatty acid has the following formula (I):
HOOC-(R ¹ )-CH=CH-C(=O)-R ² (I)
[In formula (I), R ¹ represents a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms. R ² represents an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more branches and/or double bonds.]
Or, the following formula (II):
HOOC-(R ³ )-C(=O)-CH=CH-R ⁴ (II)
[In formula (II), R ³ represents a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group containing 3 to 10 carbon atoms. R ⁴ represents a hydrocarbon group having 4 to 11 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more branches and/or double bonds.]
The plant activator according to claim 1, wherein the formula is The plant activator according to claim 2, wherein in formula (I), R ¹ contains a double bond which forms a conjugated double bond with the double bond between the α and β carbons of the carbonyl group in formula (I), and in formula (II), R ⁴ contains a double bond which forms a conjugated double bond with the double bond between the α and β carbons of the carbonyl group in formula (II). The plant activator according to claim 3, wherein the unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by formula (I) and the unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by formula (II) are ketooctadecadienoic acid. The plant activator described in claim 3, wherein in formula (I), R ¹ is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 9 carbon atoms, and R ² is an alkyl group having 5 carbon atoms, and in formula (II), R ³ is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 7 carbon atoms, and R ⁴ is a carbon number 7 group having the structure CH ₃ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CH=CH-. The plant activator according to claim 1, wherein the unsaturated oxo fatty acid is at least one selected from the group consisting of 9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid, 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid, 5-oxo-6,8-octadecadienoic acid, 6-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 8-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 10-oxo-8,12-octadecadienoic acid, 11-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 12-oxo-9,13-octadecadienoic acid, and 14-oxo-9,12-octadecadienoic acid. The plant activator according to claim 5, wherein the unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by formula (I) is 13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid, and the unsaturated oxo fatty acid represented by formula (II) is 9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid. The plant activator according to claim 1, wherein the hydroxylated fatty acid is an unsaturated fatty acid. The hydroxylated fatty acid is represented by the following formula (III) and/or (IV):
HOOC-(R ⁵ )-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH=CH-CH(OH)-R ⁶ (III)
HOOC-(R ⁵ )-CH(OH)-CH=CH-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-R ⁶ (IV)
[Wherein,
^R5 is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 4 to 12 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more double bonds and/or OH groups, and when it contains a double bond, the position of the double bond is not limited;
The plant activator according to claim 1, wherein R ⁶ is a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more double bonds and/or OH groups, and when it contains a double bond, the position of the double bond is not limited. The hydroxylated fatty acid is
The hydrocarbon group of ^R5 has 6 to 8 carbon atoms;
10. The plant activator according to claim 9, wherein the hydrocarbon group of R ⁶ has 4 to 6 carbon atoms. The hydroxylated fatty acid is
R ⁵ is a structure of -(CH ₂ ) _n - (n is an integer from 4 to 12);
11. The plant activator according to claim 10, wherein R ⁶ has a structure of C _n H _2n+1 --(n is an integer of 2 to 8). The hydroxylated fatty acid is
R ⁵ is an alkylene group having 7 carbon atoms (—(CH ₂ ) ₇ —),
12. The plant activator according to claim 11, wherein R ⁶ is an alkyl group having 5 carbon atoms (CH ₃ CH ₂ CH ₂ CH ₂ CH ₂ --). The plant activator according to claim 1, wherein the hydroxylated fatty acid is hydroxyoctadecenoic acid. The plant activator according to claim 12, wherein the hydroxylated fatty acid is 9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid or 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid. The plant activator according to claim 1, which contains at least one compound selected from unsaturated oxo fatty acids or their derivatives or salts, and at least one compound selected from hydroxylated fatty acids or their derivatives or salts. The plant activator according to claim 15, wherein the weight ratio of the compound consisting of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid, or a derivative thereof, or a salt thereof to the compound consisting of the hydroxylated fatty acid, or a derivative thereof, or a salt thereof is 5 to 100 for 100 of the compound consisting of the unsaturated oxo fatty acid, or a derivative thereof, or a salt thereof. The plant activator according to claim 1, which is used to improve yield. The plant activator according to claim 1, which is a spray or immersion agent for contact with stems, leaves or roots, or a soil drenching agent. The plant activator according to claim 1, which is used for plants selected from the Brassicaceae, Poaceae, Leguminosae (excluding soybean), Solanaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Malvaceae families. The plant activator according to claim 1, further comprising an amino acid. The plant activator according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the plant activator is a plant (excluding soybean) activator.

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