it is also thought that changes in the soil microflora lead to changes in the gene expression pattern in plants and induction of heat shock proteins hsps antioxidant components and others the population of microorganisms which can be used in the present invention includes a plurality of species of thermophilic microorganisms specific species of these microorganisms include for example bacillus brevis bacillus stearothermophilus bacillus thermoamylovorans thermopholic actinomycetes and species closely related thereto among these species it is preferable that the population of microorganisms which is used in the present invention includes a population of microorganisms designated by the deposition number atcc pta 1773 and a population of microorganisms designated by the deposition number bp 1051 the population of microorganisms designated by the deposition number atcc pta 1773 is a mixture of microorganisms including a thermophilic bacterium c 1 which is a species closely related to bacillus brevis a thermophilic bacterium c 3 which is a species closely related to bacillus brevis and a thermophilic bacterium ch 4 which is a species closely related to bacillus stearothermophilus a thermophilic actinomycete mh 1 a thermophilic or heat resistant lactobacillus lm 1 which is a species closely related to bacillus coagulans and a thermophilic or heat resistant lactobacillus lm 2 which is a species closely related to bacillus coagulans it is preferable that a functional material according to the present invention includes a population of microorganisms of from about 10 8 cells g to about 10 9 cells.