The effect of oxadixyl-based fungicidal mixtures on the development of late blight and the buildup of resistance ofPhytophthora infestans to oxadixyl was studied in potato crops (cv. Alpha) grown in plastic houses. Half-rates of SAN 518F (mancozeb + oxadixyl) applied weekly provided better disease control and reduced resistance buildup more effectively than the full rates of the mixture applied biweekly. Mancozeb applied weekly at full rate was less effective than SAN 518F at half-rate. The data suggest that lowering the dosage together with shortening the interval between sprays is an efficient strategy to combat mixed populations — sensitive and resistant to phenylamides — ofP. infestans when phenylamide-based fungicidal sprays are used.

Propamocarb (Previcur-N; propyl-[3-dimethylamino-propyl] carbamate-monohydrochloride) was testedin vivo against 32 field isolates ofPhytophthora infestans from six countries. Fungicide dosages required to achieve 90% control of the blight ranged between 676 and 1530 ppm a.i. in potted potato (cv. ‘Alpha’) plants and between 1135 and 2648 ppm in potato tuber slices. Isolates from Israel were less sensitive to the fungicide than isolates from Europe or North America. Toxicity of propamocarb was not related to resistance or sensitivity to phenylamide fungicides (e.g. metalaxyl). Nevertheless, most metalaxyl-resistant isolates from Israel were less sensitive to propamocarb than most metalaxyl-sensitive isolates from this country. Monocyclic epidemics conducted with the 20 Israeli isolates in the field showed that 1081–2012 ppm of the fungicide was required to achieve 90% control of the disease. Laboratory experiments revealed that the fungicide was poorly active against sporangial germination and had a limited curative efficacy. It exhibited a translaminar translocation in leaves but a poor acropetal or basipetal systemicity from foliage. Propamocarb + mancozeb mixtures (1:1, v/w) were synergistically effective in controlling the blight. Growers in Israel use tank mixtures of propamocarb (Dynone) and mancozeb to combat late blight in potato fields where phenylamide-resistant isolates ofP. infestans are prevalent.

Potato crops (cv. Alpha) were grown in 19 walk-in plastic tunnels (33 m2) in fall 1986 and spring 1987. Beginning 4–5 weeks after planting, crops were treated, at 2-week intervals, with oxadixyl or oxadixyl-containing fungicidal formulations. One day before the first spray, crops were inoculated with a 9:1 mixture of oxadixyl-sensitive (S) and -resistant (R) sporangia of Phytophthora infestans. Late blight development and the proportion of R in the fungal population were estimated for 8 weeks after inoculation. Results showed that in the absence of fungicide treatment the proportion of the R isolate increased to 85% and then, towards the end of the epidemic, declined to 28%. In crops treated with SAN371F (oxadixyl), SAN518F (oxadixyl + mancozeb), Pulsan and Sandocur-M (oxadixyl + mancozeb + cymoxanil), the proportion of R reached a final level of 100, 97, 34 and 22%, respectively. In sprayed crops, blight development was positively correlated (R2 = 0·86) with the mean proportion of R in the fungal population. Tuber yield was inversely (R2 = −0·98) related to the area under the disease progress curve.

Potato crops (cv. Alpha) were grown in walk‐in plastic tunnels (33 m2) in winter 1987 and spring 1988. Crops were left untreated or treated (four sprays at intervals of 2 weeks) with either metalaxyl, Ridomil‐MZ (metalaxyl+ mancozeb) or Ridocym (metalaxyl +mancozeb+cymoxanil). Crops were inoculated with sporangial suspensions of Phytophthora infestans containing 01, 1 or 10% metalaxyl‐resistant sporangia. Disease progress and percentage resistant sporangia in tunnels were estimated for a period of 50 days. In the treated crops cumulative disease, rate of disease progress and increase in frequency of resistant phenotypes (selection coefficient) were higher in metalaxyl‐treated crops than in Ridomil‐MZ or Ridocym‐treated crops. Cumulative disease, rate of disease progress and increase in frequency of resistant phenotypes were unaffected by the frequency of resistant sporangia in the original inoculum. Metalaxyl, Ridomil‐MZ and Ridocym speeded up the selection for resistance by 92, 29 and 17%, respectively, relative to untreated crops. The time interval required for the resistant subpopulation to predominate in treated crops was inversely related to initial resistance. It was longest in crops inoculated with 0.1 % resistant sporangia and treated with Ridocym. Results indicated that metalaxyl mixtures were advantageous over metalaxyl alone, both in delaying the buildup of resistance and in improving disease control, but did not prevent resistant subpopulations increasing from 01 to 100% in a single season.

Four field trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of various fungicide formulations in controlling late blight in potato crops artificially inoculated with A2 metalaxyl-resistant isolates ofPhytophthora infestans. Two trials (Winter 1986, Spring 1987) were performed at the research farm of Bar-IIan University (central coastal plain) and two trials (Winter 1987, Spring 1988) at the Besor Experiment Farm (western Negev), with seven formulations tested in each trial. At Bar-IIan, Mancur (mancozeb + cymoxanil, 4:1) applied once a week was most effective in controlling the blight. Sandocur-M and Pulsan (mancozeb + oxadixyl + cymoxanil, 7:1:2 and 7:1:0.4, respectively) applied at biweekly intervals were the second best, while SAN 518F (mancozeb + oxadixyl, 7:1) and Ridomil-MZ (mancozeb + metalaxyl, 7.5:1) applied at biweekly intervals, and mancozeb or cymoxanil applied once a week, were the least effective. At the Besor farm Ridomil-MZ at biweekly intervals was the least effective, but the efficacy of the other formulations varied between the two trials. Mancur, Sandocur-M, Previcur-N and mancozeb were highly effective in Winter 1987 but less so in Spring 1988. In the latter season Mancur, Sandocur-M and Previcur-N were significantly more effective than mancozeb or Ridomil-MZ. The correlation coefficient between yield and final disease level was -0.5322.

The mixture of mancozeb and cymoxanil (Mancur) and mixtures of mancozeb, cymoxanil, and oxadixyl (Pulsan and Sandocur-M) were highly effective and synergistic in controlling the phenylamide-resistant isolate of the late blight fungus. The cymoxanil mixtures may be suitable for late blight control in areas of Israel where phenylamide-resistant populations of P. infestans prevail

The efficacy of cymoxanil, Pulsan (oxadixyl + mancozeb + cymoxanil, 1:7:0.4) and Sandocur-M (oxadixyl + mancozeb + cymoxanil, 1:7:2) in controlling late blight was examined in potatoes (cv. ‘Alpha’). Nine oxadixyl-sensitive and seven oxadixyl-resistant isolates ofPhytophthora infestons from six countries were tested. ED90 values of cymoxanil ranged between 64 and 467 mg a.i./l. No relationship was observed between sensitivity to cymoxanil and sensitivity to oxadixyl. Isolate S6A (1305) from California was the most sensitive to cymoxanil (ED90 = 64 mg/l), whereas isolate R11 from Israel was the least sensitive (ED90 = 467 mg/l). Most isolates from Israel were less sensitive (ED90 = 151–467 mg/l) than isolates from Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico or California (ED90 = 64–152 mg/l). Three-way mixtures of cymoxanil with mancozeb and oxadixyl were more inhibitory than cymoxanil alone, regardless of the isolate. Sandocur-M was, for most isolates, more effective than Pulsan. The correlation coefficient between sensitivity to cymoxanil and sensitivity to Sandocur-M was 0.67, while that between cymoxanil and Pulsan was 0.76.

Field-grown potatoes (cv. Alpha) were sprayed with fungicides at the commercially recommended rates 0–15 days before being inoculated with a phenylamide-resistant isolate of Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) DeBary. Numbers of lesions, or disease severity, in fungicide-treated versus fungicide-free plants were used to calculate the percentage control efficacy of fungicides over time. Efficacy over time fitted a declining logistic model in 26 out of 31 cases. Non-transformed data showed a significantly longer duration of > 90% efficacy of the cymoxanil mixtures Mancur (mancozeb + cymoxanil, 4 + 1), Pulsan (mancozeb + oxadixyl + cymoxanil, 7 + 1 + 0 · 4) and Sandocur-M (mancozeb + oxadixyl + cymoxanil, 7+1+2) (9–11 days) compared with SAN-518 (mancozeb + oxadixyl, 7+1), Ridomil-MZ (mancozeb + metalaxyl, 1 + 7 · 5), mancozeb or Curzate (4–6 days). Predicted T 50 values (number of days with >50% efficacy) were significantly larger for Pulsan and Sandocur-M (16 days) than for Ridomil-MZ (11 days), SAN-518 (10 days), mancozeb (9 · 5 days) and Curzate (7 · 5 days). Numeric integration of the area under the predicted control efficacy curves gave significantly larger values for Pulsan and Sandocur-M compared with the other fungicides except Mancur. Linear regression of logit disease control values over time resulted in the smallest slope for Sandocur-M. Analysis of variance showed no significant interaction between fungicide and cumulative rain. We predict that Pulsan and Sandocur-M may effectively control phenylamide-resistant Phytophthora infestans in the field at 14-day spray intervals, and Mancur at 10-day intervals.

AbstractOf eleven tomato cultivars ‘Baby’ was the most susceptible to Phytophthora infestans. The sporangium concentration of the fungus and the methods of fungicide application had a significant effect on the efficacy of oxadixyl, mancozeb and cymoxanil when tested singly or in mixture against sensitive and phenylamide resistant strains of P. infestans on tomato. Mancozeb was the least effective fungicide, its activity decreased significantly with increasing numbers of sporangia used for inoculation (increasing disease pressure) and its efficacy was dependent on the method of application. Oxadixyl and cymoxanil showed much stronger antifungal activities (except oxadixyl against resistant strains) which did not depend on the number of sporangia or method of fungicide application. The mixture of oxadixyl, mancozeb and cymoxanil was equally active and was independent of application type, sporangium concentration and level of sensitivity of the fungus. Mixtures of the single components showed synergistic interactions up to levels of 20, depending on the activity of the individual fungicide and the different disease intensities. Three‐way mixtures containing oxadixyl, mancozeb, and cymoxanil represent therefore promising possibilities in practice for strong disease pressure, even when resistance problems are expected.

Uptake and translocation of the fungicide cymoxanil was studied using tomato and potato plants infected with Phytophthora infestans and grape plants infected with Plasmopara viticola. Translocation of cymoxanil was mainly translaminar and acropetal from roots and stems to leaves to an extent similar to that of the phenylamide fungicide oxadixyl. Basipetal translocation from upper to lower leaves, as well as lateral movement, was also observed but to a lesser extent. Plant parts that grew after application were protected against P. infestans and P. viticola because of systemic activity up to 7 days by cymoxanil alone and up to 14 days when cymoxanil was used as part of a three-way mixture with oxadixyl and mancozeb. Drench application of cymoxanil and a simultaneous spray application of mancozeb against P. infestans and P. viticola resulted in a significant synergistic interaction. The spray application of the three-way mixture oxadixyl/mancozeb/cymoxanil was more effective against both sensitive and phenylamide-resistant strains of P. infestans and P. viticola than the individual components alone, representing significant levels of synergistic interactions. Synergy ratios were higher for resistant than for sensitive strains of both pathogens.

SUMMARYSingle foliar sprays of oxadixyl, mancozeb or cymoxanil alone or the mixtures oxadixyl/mancozeb and oxadixyl/cymoxanil were applied to tomato plants (cv. Baby) one day before inoculating with a sensitive or a phenylamide‐resistant strain of Phytophthora infestans. Fungicide mixtures were far more effective in controlling both sensitive and resistant strains compared to the individual components alone, representing significant levels of synergistic interactions. When analysed by the Abbott method, synergy ratios continuously decreased with increasing amounts of fungicides in the mixture. All fungicide mixtures showed higher synergy ratios against resistant strains when using the Abbott method, whereas only mixtures containing cymoxanil showed this phenomenon when using the Wadley method for interpretation of interactions. Synergism significantly decreased when the components were used as foliar split applications with intervals of 48 and 72 h. A combination of a drench application of oxadixyl and a single spray application of mancozeb or cymoxanil resulted in a high level of synergism. The explanation of synergism may be that the exposure of sporangia to sublethal concentrations of one fungicide affects them to an extent that sublethal doses of the other fungicide becomes detrimental.