Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: WIPO "tomato" A method of increasing at least one growth characteristic of a plant, the method comprising exposing the plant to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by a Cladosporium sphaerospermum strain grown under aseptic conditions in or on a medium; where said exposure causes an increase in at least one growth characteristic of the treated plant compared to the growth characteristics of a plant of the same age not exposed to said VOCs.