Experimental2.1. MaterialsThe hydrated rare earth (III) chlorides were prepared by dissolv-ing RE2O3(RE: La, Eu and Yb) in concentrated HCl. All chemicalsused were of analytical grade.Valsa mali Miyabe et Yamada (V. mali), Fusarium oxysporumf. sp. vasinfectum (F. oxysporum), Gaeumannomyces graminis (G.graminis), Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (C. gloeosporioides) andAlternaria brassicae (A. brassicae) were used as the test fungalstrains.