Chemical control and resistance management of Botrytis diseases

Abstract

Chemical control remains the easiest way to manage Botrytis epidemics on many crops. Nevertheless, actual concerns about the environment, human health and control sustainability invite to a smarter use of fungicides, aiming to delay resistance evolution in pathogen populations. This chapter deals with the mode of action of botryticides (including multi-site toxicants and molecules affecting specifically respiration, cytoskeleton, osmoregulation, sterol and amino-acid biosynthesis) and associated resistance cases, mostly due to target site modifications. We also present original resistance mechanisms for fungi such as detoxification and multidrug resistance. Finally, this chapter introduces strategies available to decrease selection pressure exerted by fungicides on Botrytis spp. populations with the long-term aim to improve resistance management in the field.