Baseline Sensitivity of Didymella bryoniae to Cyprodinil and Fludioxonil and Field Efficacy of these Fungicides Against Isolates Resistant to Pyraclostrobin and Boscalid

To prevent yield reductions from gummy stem blight, fungicides often must be applied to watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and muskmelon (Cucumis melo). Didymella bryoniae, the ascomycete fungus that causes gummy stem blight, is resistant to thiophanate-methyl, quinone-outside inhibitors (QoI), boscalid, and penthiopyrad. In place of these fungicides, premixtures of cyprodinil and fludioxonil (Switch 62.5WG) or cyprodinil and difenoconazole (Inspire Super 2.82SC) are used. The objectives of this study were to examine baseline isolates of D. bryoniae for sensitivity to cyprodinil and fludioxonil and to determine the efficacy of cyprodinil-fludioxonil and cyprodinil-difenoconazole against isolates resistant to QoI fungicides and boscalid. Colony diameters of 146 isolates of D. bryoniae collected in South Carolina and other U.S. states prior to 2008 were measured on glucose minimal medium amended with cyprodinil or fludioxonil. Mean effective concentration values that reduced relative colony diameter by 50% were 0.052 and 0.099 mg/liter cyprodinil and fludioxonil, respectively. In autumn 2008, 2009, and 2011, field-grown watermelon inoculated with isolates resistant to QoI fungicides and boscalid was treated with boscalid-pyraclostrobin alternated with chlorothalonil, cyprodinil-fludioxonil alternated with chlorothalonil, cyprodinil-difenoconazole alternated with chlorothalonil, tebuconazole alternated with chlorothalonil, chlorothalonil, or water. In 2008 and 2011, both cyprodinil treatments reduced disease severity compared with the water control treatment and chlorothalonil alone. In 2008 and 2009, cyprodinil-fludioxonil reduced severity compared with boscalid-pyraclostrobin and, in 2008, cyprodinil-difenoconazole and tebuconazole also did. Use of cyprodinil-fludioxonil should control gummy stem blight effectively and may delay development of resistance to cyprodinil and fludioxonil in D. bryoniae. However, because Botrytis cinerea became resistant to both cyprodinil and fludioxonil after multiple applications of cyprodinil-fludioxonil per season, prudent fungicide rotations should be followed when using cyprodinil-containing fungicides against D. bryoniae.