Control of potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans) with a fenamidone-based product in the UK

Abstract

Fenomen(R) (common name fenamidone) is a novel fungicide, which acts on the potato late blight pathogen at a number of points in its life cycle. It is effective against all strains of blight and also has activity against tuber blight. Already launched in a number of countries, it is being developed in the UK in coformulation with mancozeb. In field trials in over a number of seasons, it has provided high levels of potato late blight control. Trials have been carried out both in commercial potato crops, where natural infection occurred, and also in experimental conditions where artificial inoculation and mist irrigation was employed to encourage disease development. This paper describes results from laboratory tests demonstrating its anti-sporulant and translaminar activity and demonstrates its field efficacy with reference to UK field trials, when used alone or in practical programmes with other blight control products.