Abstract

Alternaria solani, cause of early blight, threatens potato yields. Fungicide resistance has made control of early blight difficult and there are concerns that in-season fungicide use results in resistance to boscalid, fluopyram, and chlorothalonil. Concern of high levels of resistance to boscalid a group 7 fungicide may confer cross-resistance to fungicides of the same group such as fluopyram. From 2014 to 2015, A. solani isolates were collected from field plots treated with boscalid, fluopyram, and chlorothalonil to test resistance levels. Isolates were determined resistant if EC50 values were higher than 5 µg ml-1. Boscalid and chlorothalonil mean EC50 values decreased two fold from 2014 to 2015, while fluopyram values increased two fold. A negative correlation between fluopyram and boscalid indicate no cross-resistance. Higher resistance levels to fluopyram (17.1 µg ml-1) were observed in the treatment C-14 where only fluopyram was applied in 2014. Treatments D-14 and D-15, only treated with chlorothalonil, had the highest mean EC50 values to chlorothalonil (2.3 and 1.1 µg ml-1, respectively). Field trials show fluopyram+chlorothalonil had lowest disease severity of 6.6 to 6.8%. Leaf residues of boscalid fluopyram, and chlorothalonil measured an average of 10.2, 4.9, and 55.0 ppm on leaves throughout the canopy. After 14 days average residues diminished to 0.74, 0.39, and 16.9 ppm for boscalid, fluopyram and chlorothalonil, respectively. Boscalid is not effective for early blight control because of high resistance; fluopyram resistance is increasing as treatments of fluopyram are applied; and chlorothalonil does not seem to be affected by continued fungicide application.

Degree

College and Department

Life Sciences; Plant and Wildlife Sciences

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/