NOVELTY - An antimicrobial material (A) comprises an antimicrobial compound (a) in a stabilized form, or primary precursor of (a). The primary precursor is present along with a conversion agent (b) that converts it into (a); or is obtained from secondary precursor. The secondary precursor is present along with a conversion agent (c) that converts it into the primary precursor. (a) Is a microthecin or its derivative.    USE - For preventing and/or inhibiting growth of microorganism in a material e.g. seed or plant (such as cereal, barley, wheat, maize, triticale, rice, oats, rye, field beans, apple, pear, strawberry, pea, tomato, grape, Brassica, tobacco, lettuce, sorghum, cotton, sugarcane, legume, ornamentals, pot plant, turf grasses, sugar beet, celery, crucifers, plantain, banana, grasses, oilseed rape, sunflower, soybean and peanut), foodstuff and animal feed; for killing Botrytis, crown and root rot and mildew; for killing plant pathogens e.g. downey mildew, powdery mildew, Mycosphaerella, Paracercospora, Ascomycetes, Leptosphaeria, Phoma, Xanthomonas, Pseudomonas, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Pythium, Phytophthora, Thielaviopsis, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Ascochyta, Botrytis, Cercospora, Diplodia, Erysiphe, Gaeumanomyces, Helminthosporium, Macrophomina, Nectria, Phymatotrichum, Plasmopara, Podosphaera, Puccinia, Puthium, Pyrenophora, Pyricularia, Sclerotium, Sclerotinia, Septoria, Uncinula, Venturia, Verticillium, Penicillium, Blumeria graminis, Erysiphe graminis, Botrytis cinerea, Bremia lectucae, Uromyces, Bipolaris, Drechslerea, Helmintosporium, Exserohilum, Sclerotinia, Fusarium oxysporum, Septoria tritici, Stagonospora nodorum, Phoma lingam, Eutypalata, Albugo spp., Amyloporia spp., Cladosporium spp., Claviceps spp., Coniophora spp., Colletotrichum spp., Diplocarpon spp., Donkioporia spp., Fibroporia spp., Geotrichum spp., Guignardia spp., Gymnosporangium spp., Hemileia spp., Kabatiella spp., Marssonina spp., Monilinea spp., Merulus spp., Peronophythora spp., Peronospora spp., Phellerias spp., Phomopsis spp., Plasmophora spp., Porai spp., Pseufocercosporella spp., Pseudoperonospora spp., Rhizopus spp., Sclerophthora spp., Sclerotium spp., Serpula spp., Sphaerotheca spp., Taphrina spp., Tilletia spp., Trichoderma spp. and Ustilago spp. (claimed); in personal hygiene products (e.g. skin wash such as cleanser, moisturizer, and shampoo) for treating skin conditions e.g. acne, fine lines, age spots, itching and pain from insect bites, bee stings and fungi, flaking, and/or scaly skin; in cosmetic and agrochemical formulations; for preserving food products and feed for animals; in livestock nutrition; for producing silage; and for treating poorly healing wounds.    ADVANTAGE - The material is stable; effectively inhibits and/or kills microorganisms; can be readily and cheaply synthesized; overcomes the problems of low activity resulting from the instability of microthecin; controls fungal pathogens on plant during cultivation; and exhibits good plant tolerance and environmental acceptability. The antimicrobial compound exhibits low toxicity and low persistence.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for a kit for preparing (A) comprising (b) and the primary precursor, or (c) and the secondary precursor in separate packages or containers optionally with instruction for mixing and/or contacting and/or use.