Fungicide Sensitivity of Species Causing Bitter Rot of Apple in the Mid-Atlantic U.S.A.

Apple growers in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.A. have reported increased losses to bitter rot of apple. We tested the hypothesis that this increase is because the population has developed resistance to commonly used single-mode-of-action (single-MoA) fungicides. We screened 220 isolates obtained from 38 apple orchards in the Mid-Atlantic region for resistance to 11 fungicides in Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) groups 1, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 29. Eleven (5%) of these isolates were resistant to FRAC group 1 with confirmed β-tubulin E198A mutations, and two (<1%) were also resistant to FRAC group 11 with confirmed cytochrome- G143A mutations. Such low frequencies of resistant isolates indicate that fungicide resistance is unlikely to be the cause of any regional increase in bitter rot. A subsample of isolates was subsequently tested in vitro for sensitivity to every single-MoA fungicide registered for apple in the Mid-Atlantic U.S.A. (22 fungicides; FRAC groups 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 29), and 13 fungicides were tested in field trials. These fungicides varied widely in efficacy both within and between FRAC groups. Comparisons of results from our in vitro tests with results from our field trials and other field trials conducted across the eastern U.S.A. suggested that EC values (concentrations that reduce growth by 25%) are better predictors of fungicide efficacy in normal field conditions than EC values. We present these results as a guideline for choosing single-MoA fungicides for bitter rot control in the Mid-Atlantic U.S.A.