Sensitivity of Botrytis cinerea to fungicides used in New Zealand wine grape spray programmes

Abstract

Fungicide resistance development in Botrytis cinerea threatens the efficacy of anilinopyrimidine (AP) fungicides, which have been used for botrytis bunch rot control in New Zealand vineyards for about 20 years. A 2016 survey of 33 vineyards in Gisborne, Hawke's Bay and Marlborough showed that the majority of 670 isolates tested in agar-based assays were sensitive to the AP cyprodinil (EC50 < 1 mg/litre), although 18% showed low-resistance (EC50 1-10 mg/litre) and 10% showed medium-resistance (EC50 >10 mg/litre). There was high cross-resistance to the APs cyprodinil and pyrimethanil. The survey also established baseline sensitivity to the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide boscalid and >90% of isolates were sensitive (EC50 < 5 mg/litre). There was a low degree of cross-resistance between the SDHIs boscalid and fluopyram. There was also high sensitivity to fludioxonil (0.009 to 0.018 mg/litre) and to fenhexamid (0.49 to 0.76 mg/litre).