Effect of Fungicides and Application Intervals for the Control of Black Spot of Roses

Abstract

The efficacy of the fungicide pydiflumetofen + difenoconazole (Postiva) was evaluated at varying application rates and intervals to control black spot disease (Diplocarpon rosae) in rose (Rosa spp. ‘Coral Drift’). Container-grown roses were arranged in a completely randomized design with five single-plant replications. Experiments were conducted under greenhouse and shade-house conditions (56% shade) in 2021/2022 and 2023. Black spot disease in roses was developed naturally. Pydiflumetofen + difenoconazole at 1.1, 1.6, and 2.2 mL·L–1, and standard fungicide azoxystrobin + benzovindiflupyr (Mural) at 0.5·g L–1 were sprayed on foliage to runoff on a 2- or 4-week interval. Plants that were not treated with fungicide served as the controls. Plants were evaluated weekly for disease severity (0%–100% foliage affected) and defoliation (0%–100% defoliation). The season-long area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) and area under the defoliation progress curve (AUDFC) were calculated for the evaluation period. Pydiflumetofen + difenoconazole reduced significantly black spot disease severity, AUDPC, defoliation, and AUDFC both in greenhouse and shade-house conditions compared with control plants, and was as effective as azoxystrobin + benzovindiflupyr. All the application rates and intervals of pydiflumetofen + difenoconazole were equally effective in reducing black spot severity and AUDPC. Our findings suggest that pydiflumetofen + difenoconazole at the lowest rate with the longest application interval is the most cost-effective, and has similar efficacy as treatments with higher rates and more frequent intervals.