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Neofusicoccum species are endophytes and pathogens of woody hosts and members of the Botryosphaeriaceae. Leaf dieback is a new disease resulting in death of compound leaves and extensive defoliation of pecan trees (Carya illinoinensis) throughout the southeastern United States. Currently, the disease is consistently most severe on trees that are not managed with fungicides for pecan scab. Preliminary observations of the fungus isolated from symptomatic leaves indicated that it was a member of the genus Neofusicoccum. Our objectives were to confirm that this is the causal organism of leaf dieback disease of pecan and to determine whether this disease is caused by a new or previously described species of Neofusicoccum. Morphological observations of pure cultures, conidiomata, conidiogenous cells, and conidia were consistent with members of the genus Neofusicoccum. Using Koch's postulates, we established that Neofusicoccum sp. isolated from symptomatic leaves caused the disease. We sequenced the internal transcribed spacer of the rDNA (ITS), elongation factor 1-α (EF1-α), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), and β-tubulin (TUB2) of 11 isolates collected from Georgia and Texas. Phylogenetic and network analyses of these sequences combined with publicly available sequences of 40 members of the N. parvum-N. ribis species complex and the outgroup N. australe revealed that this fungus is a member of the species complex but is genetically distinct from previously described species. We determined that leaf dieback of pecan is caused by a novel species, named herein N. caryigenum.

Pecan scab, caused by Venturia effusa, is the most economically damaging disease of pecan in the southeastern United States, and annual epidemics are most effectively managed through multiple fungicide applications. The fungicide applications can be the single greatest operating cost for commercial growers and the return on that investment is impacted by fungicide resistance. V. effusa produces multiple generations of conidia per season, exhibits substantial genetic diversity, overwinters as stromata in the tree, and is under immense selection from the applied fungicides, all of which lead to a high risk for developing fungicide resistance. Since the mid-1970s, resistance or reduced sensitivity has been observed in isolates of V. effusa to the methyl benzimidazole carbamates, demethylation inhibitors, quinone outside inhibitors, organotin compounds, and the guanidines. Over the last 10 years, several studies have been conducted that have improved both scab management and fungicide resistance management in V. effusa. The aim of this review is to summarize recent developments in our understanding of fungicide resistance in V. effusa in the context of scab management in southeastern pecan orchards. The history, modes of action, general use of the labeled fungicides, and mechanisms and stability of fungicide resistance in V. effusa are discussed; conclusions and future research priorities are also presented.

An 18-ha commercial pecan orchard was sampled over 3 years to study the spatial and temporal variation in fungicide sensitivity of Venturia effusa, cause of pecan scab. The orchard was divided into a two-dimensional, 8 × 8 grid of 64 quadrats, each containing nine trees (unless there were missing trees), and samples were collected once per year from each quadrat to be tested for sensitivity to fentin hydroxide, propiconazole, and thiophanate-methyl. Averaged across the orchard, insensitivity to all three fungicides was significantly lower in 2016 compared with 2015, but significantly greater for fentin hydroxide and thiophanate-methyl in 2017. Although significant spatial autocorrelation was observed for sensitivity to propiconazole in 2017 and for thiophanate-methyl in 2015 and 2017, indicating clustering, all other fungicide-by-year combinations were not significant. Omnidirectional spatial dependence was observed for sensitivity to propiconazole and thiophanate-methyl in 2017. In both instances, the semivariance increased linearly with lag distance; however, the range of spatial dependence was >276.5 m and could not be estimated accurately. Additionally, a separate sampling was conducted in all 3 years to identify an appropriate sampling size and pattern for fungicide sensitivity screening. A leaflet sample size of 165 in 11 groups of 15 allowed for accurate sensitivity testing for the three fungicides in all 3 years; however, a sample size of 45 leaflets in three groups of 15 was sufficient for quantifying sensitivity for propiconazole and thiophanate-methyl, in most cases. These results indicate that considerable biological variation in fungicide sensitivity exists in orchard-scale populations of V. effusa and that the spatial characteristics of those populations may differ in two-dimensional space depending on the growing season.

Late leaf spot (Cercosporidium personatum) and peanut rust (Puccinia arachidis) are the most important diseases of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in Haiti. Traditional Haitian peanut varieties are not only susceptible to these diseases but are also typically grown without benefit of a fungicide program. Five trials were conducted from 2015 to 2017 to evaluate the performance of six Valencia varieties in Quartier-Morin, Haiti (with an additional trial in 2017 at the Central Plateau) with respect to yield, resistance to rust and leaf spot diseases, and response to a fungicide program. A split-plot design with four or six replications was used in these studies. In each, “variety” was the whole plot and presence or absence of a fungicide program was the subplot. Valencia market types 309 Red, 309 Tan, M2, M3, SGV0801 and a local landrace were compared with and without Muscle ADV (tebuconazole + chlorothalonil, Sipcam) (2.3 L/ha) applied at 45, 60 and 75 days after planting (DAP). Final disease ratings (late leaf spot and peanut rust) were assessed approximately 94 DAP and plots were harvested the day following. In all trials, 309 Tan variety had the least amount of leaf spot and rust, but resulted in the lowest yield in four out of five trials, averaging 1727 kg/ha across fungicide treatments. M3, M2 and 309 Red were generally the numerically highest-yielding varieties, averaging 2906, 2864 and 2541 kg/ha across fungicide treatments, respectively, but were not statistically higher than the local Haitian Valencia, averaging 2374 kg/ha. Three fungicide applications during the season significantly increased yields in most trials for all varieties except 309 Tan. The highest and lowest average increase in yield from fungicide was for 309 Red (1126 kg/ha) and 309 Tan (103 kg/ha), respectively. The results from this study conducted over 2 years and 4 seasons document that while resistance to late leaf spot and rust is available in Valencia varieties, yield potential is not directly associated with that resistance. Also, use of fungicide improves yield potential in more susceptible varieties.

Multiple demethylation-inhibiting (DMI) fungicides are used to control pecan scab, caused by

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) producers rely on costly fungicide programs to manage stem rot, caused by Sclerotium rolfsii. Planting disease-resistant cultivars could increase profits by allowing for the deployment of less-expensive, lower-input fungicide programs. Field experiments were conducted to characterize stem rot and early and late leaf spot (caused by Passalora arachidicola and Nothopassalora personata, respectively), yield, and overall profitability of cultivars Georgia-06G (stem-rot-susceptible) and Georgia-12Y (stem-rot-resistant) as influenced by seven commercial fungicide programs. Stem rot incidence was consistently lower on Georgia-12Y for all fungicides when compared with Georgia-06G and was lowest for both cultivars in plots treated with prothioconazole plus a tank mixture of penthiopyrad and tebuconazole. Leaf spot severity was similar for both the resistant and susceptible cultivars, and the greatest reduction occurred in plots treated with prothioconazole plus a tank mixture of penthiopyrad and tebuconazole. Fungicide programs gave similar yield and net return on Georgia-12Y; however, plots of Georgia-06G treated with prothioconazole plus a tank mixture of penthiopyrad and tebuconazole had the greatest yield and net return. Yields and economic return from the highest level of fungicide inputs on Georgia-06G were numerically less than those of Georgia-12Y treated with only chlorothalonil. These results show the value of fungicides in peanut disease management with susceptible cultivars, as well as the benefits of planting stem-rot-resistant cultivars in high-risk situations.

Sensitivity monitoring of Venturia effusa, cause of pecan scab, has revealed insensitivity to fentin hydroxide and tebuconazole, but recent research indicates that the insensitivity to fentin hydroxide is not stable. A study was undertaken to determine if a fitness cost may be responsible for this instability. In this study, experiments were conducted to evaluate fitness components and phenotypic stability of insensitivity of V. effusa to fentin hydroxide and tebuconazole. Conidial production, conidial germination, microcolony growth, sensitivity to osmotic stress, and sensitivity to oxidative stress in the absence of fungicide were compared for isolates with differing sensitivities to both fungicides. Percent conidial germination decreased linearly with increasing fentin hydroxide insensitivity, and microcolony growth on 1.0 mM H2O2 decreased linearly with increasing tebuconazole insensitivity. Stability of resistance was assessed on concentrations of 1.0, 3.0, and 10 µg/ml of both fungicides prior to and after five transfers on non-fungicide-amended medium. Tebuconazole insensitivity was stable after transfers, but fentin hydroxide insensitivity on 1.0 and 3.0 µg/ml decreased significantly after transfers, indicating instability. Here we provide evidence that in V. effusa tebuconazole insensitivity is stable and fentin hydroxide insensitivity is not. These results suggest that fentin-hydroxide-resistant V. effusa isolates have reduced conidial viability compared with sensitive isolates, which may allow the population to regain sensitivity in the absence of this frequently used fungicide.

Scab on pecan is caused by Venturia effusa, and epidemics of the disease can cause substantial yield loss and associated cost of control. Phosphonate fungicides have been widely used since 2011 to manage this disease, and are a valuable class of fungicide due to their low risk of resistance development, and the fact that V. effusa has developed reduced sensitivity to at least four classes of the seven used to control scab in the southeastern USA. As with many other pesticides, use of phosphonates can result in residues in produce destined for human or animal consumption. Indeed, in 2013, the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) for phosphonate in pecan and other agricultural produce was set to 2 ppm by the EU, based on new legislation. Recently the EU revised legislation pertaining to nut crops and granted a permanent MRL of 500 ppm for this commodity group. Even though phosphonate fungicides are labelled for use on pecan in the USA, it is not known how foliar (canopy) application affects residue in pecan nutmeats. In both 2016 and 2017 we compared how number of applications, and timing of those applications affected phosphonate residue in nutmeats. Phosphonate residue increased with the number applications during the season. The relationship between the number of phosphonate applications and the log ppm was linear. Residue accumulation varied depending on experiment, with a percentage increase for each additional spray 94, 26 and 45% per additional spray, depending on experiment. The maximum residue recorded was 928.0 ppm and was from a tree receiving 9 sprays of phosphonate. In a further three experiments, timing of single sprays did not appear to have a profound or consistent effect on residue level at harvest, although nutmeats from trees receiving later applications tended to have the highest phosphonate residues. The vast majority (96.2%) of nutmeat samples from individual trees in the six experiments receiving a range of 1–9 sprays per season had phosphonate residue

The quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides are known for their inherently high resistance risk owing to substitutions in amino acid residues 129, 137, or 143 of the cytochrome b gene of phytopathogens. In Venturia effusa, cause of pecan scab, an intron adjacent to position 143 likely reduces this risk; however, the effects of a recently discovered substitution at position 137 (G137S) are unknown. Traditional in vitro assays are not useful for determining sensitivity of isolates of V. effusa to the QoI fungicides, owing to the fungitoxic effects of required alternative oxidase inhibitors. A detached leaf assay was developed to quantify the sensitivity of 59 isolates to azoxystrobin: 45 wild-type isolates and 14 carrying G137S. Isolate EC50 values ranged from 50 values for wild-type isolates ranged from 50 values for G137S isolates ranged from 0.0033 to 0.3047 µg/ml (median 0.0178 µg/ml). The median EC50 value for G137S isolates was significantly greater than that of the wild-type isolates; however, there was overlap between the two groups. This is the first report of sensitivity of V. effusa isolates to a QoI fungicide and evidence of G137S as a potential mechanism of partial resistance. However, although a complete control failure is unlikely, the impact of this substitution on QoI efficacy in Georgia pecan orchards remains to be determined.

Field, greenhouse, and growth chamber experiments were conducted to determine the level of resistance to Puccinia arachidis Speg. in newly developed breeding lines of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). These lines were developed in the UF150 project of the Peanut Collaborative Research and Support Program (Peanut CRSP) as part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Field experiments were carried out in Citra, FL and Tifton, GA from 2010 to 2013. Five genotypes Tifrust-10 and Tifrust-13, and CRSP breeding lines PTBOL3-3, 97x36-HO2-1-B2G-3-1-2-2, and BOL3-7 had the lowest standardized area under the disease progress curve and final disease severity score for rust. The CRSP breeding lines 97x36-HO2-1-B2G-3-1-2-2 and BOL3-7 also appeared to be highly resistant to late leaf spot, caused by Cercosporidium personatum (Berk & M. A. Curtis Deighton). In growth chamber studies, genotypes with longer latent periods generally had lower infection frequencies at 7, 11, and 16 d after inoculation, and smaller percent diseased areas. Latent period and percent diseased area were significantly correlated with stAUDPC. CRSP breeding lines 97x36-HO2-1-B2G-3-1-2-2 and BOL3-7, and plant introductions PI562530, PI568164, and PI298115, were among the genotypes with the lower scores for these components. Several genotypes with multiple disease resistance in different environments and under high disease pressure were identified in these studies. These results indicate sources of rust resistance in the CRSP breeding lines, including several genotypes that could be used as parents in peanut germplasm enhancement programs, and indicate that latent period, percent diseased area, and lesion diameter may be used as indicators for rust resistance in growth chamber studies.

Truffle fungi are esteemed for their aromatic qualities and are among the most widely cultivated edible ectomycorrhizal fungi. Here we document a successful method for establishing Tuber lyonii, the pecan truffle, on pecan (Carya illinoinensis) seedlings in a field setting. We assessed the impacts of soil fumigation and varying concentrations of truffle spore inoculum on the ectomycorrhizal fungal and the complete fungal communities as well as the colonization of T. lyonii on pecan roots at three nurseries in Georgia, United States. To identify fungal communities on pecan seedlings, we performed high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the fungal ITS1 rDNA region. Our 5-year long field experiment demonstrates that fumigation and inoculation together resulted in the highest persistence of T. lyonii on pecan roots. While fungal OTU numbers fluctuated over the years of our experiments, there was no statistical support to demonstrate diversification of communities when Shannon diversity metrics were used. However, we did find that older seedlings were less likely to be dominated by T. lyonii compared to younger ones, suggesting successional changes in the fungal community over time. This suggests that transplanting inoculated seedlings after 2 or 3 years post-inoculation is optimal for future truffle propagation efforts. Our results demonstrate that T. lyonii can be established in situ with methods that are compatible with current pecan nursery industry practices and that fungal communities on pecan seedlings vary depending on the experimental treatments used during planting. While the pecan truffle is not yet widely cultivated, our results provide insights for future large-scale cultivation of this and perhaps other Tuber species.

Aspergillus flavus infects peanuts and produces a mycotoxin called aflatoxin, a potent human carcinogen. In infected peanuts, it can also affect peanut seed quality by causing seed rot and reducing seed viability, resulting in low germination. In 2020, peanut seeds in Georgia had lower than expected germination and a high frequency of A. flavus contamination. A total of 76 Aspergillus isolates were collected from seven seed lots and their identity and in vitro reaction to QoI (quinone outside inhibitor) fungicide (azoxystrobin) were studied. The isolates were confirmed as A. flavus by morphological characteristics and a PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based method using species-specific primers. In vitro, these isolates were tested for sensitivity to azoxystrobin. The mean EC50 values ranged from 0.12 to 297.22 μg/mL, suggesting that some isolates were resistant or tolerate to this fungicide. The sequences of cytochrome b gene from these isolates were compared and a single nucleotide mutation (36.8% isolates) was found as Cyt B G143A, which was associated with the total resistance to the QoIs. Another single mutation (15.8% isolates) was also observed as Cyt B F129L, which had been documented for QoI resistance. Therefore, a new major single mutation was detected in the A. flavus natural population in this study, and it might explain the cause of the bad seed quality in 2020. The high frequency of this new single nucleotide mutation exists in the natural population of A. flavus and results in the ineffectiveness of using azoxystrobin seed treatment. New seed treatment fungicides are needed.

In peanut (Arachis hypogaea) production, in-furrow applications of the premix combination of the succinate-dehydrogenase-inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide and nematicide fluopyram and the insecticide imidacloprid are used primarily for management of nematode pests and for preventing feeding damage on foliage caused by tobacco thrips (Frankliniella fusca). Fluopyram is also active against many fungal pathogens. However, the effect of in-furrow applications of fluopyram on early leaf spot (Passalora arachidicola) or late leaf spot (Nothopassalora personata) has not been characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of in-furrow applications of fluopyram + imidacloprid or fluopyram alone on leaf spot epidemics. Field experiments were conducted in Tifton, GA in 2015, 2016, and 2018 to 2020. In all experiments, in-furrow applications of fluopyram + imidacloprid provided extended suppression of early leaf spot and late leaf spot epidemics compared with the nontreated control. In 2020, there was no difference between the effects of fluopyram + imidacloprid and fluopyram alone on leaf spot epidemics. Results indicated that fluopyram could complement early-season leaf spot management programs. Use of in-furrow applications of fluopyram should be considered as an SDHI fungicide application for resistance management purposes.

In the southeastern USA, the most widespread and damaging disease of pecan is scab, caused by Venturia effusa. Although scab can be controlled using conventional chemical methods, organic pecans that attract a premium price mandate the use of organic fungicides. Also, organic production is an environmentally sustainable method. However, where susceptible pecan cultivars are grown, there are limited options for organic management of scab. We conducted experiments to compare organic fungicides to control scab on the susceptible cv. Desirable in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016. The alternatives compared included Bordeaux mixture, compost tea, sodium bicarbonate, Bacillus subtilis, sulfur, cuprous oxide, and extract of the Giant Knotweed (Reynoutria sachalinensis). Rainfall and scab severity differed between seasons. There was consistently low severity on foliage, with little or no difference between treatments. Similarly at the time of the first fruit assessment, the severity was low and the differences in severity small and inconsistent between seasons and treatments. However, by the time of the second fruit assessment, severity of scab had increased and consistent differences among treatments existed (except in the drought year of 2011, when scab severities were very low and similar to the control). In all other years, the control treatment had significantly more severe scab compared to some (2012 and 2014) or all other treatments (2015 and 2016). Extract of the Giant Knotweed as a fungicide was included in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and fruit on those trees had less severe scab in all years compared to that on fruit of the control trees. In three seasons (2012, 2015, and 2016), applications of Bordeaux mixture resulted in a reduction in scab severity. Compost tea, Sodium bicarbonate, B. subtilis, sulfur, and cuprous oxide significantly reduced scab compared to the control in one or two seasons, but were not consistent among seasons, and were never more efficacious compared to the extract of the Giant Knotweed. Extract of the Giant Knotweed and Bordeaux mixture appear to offer the greatest potential as organic approaches for managing scab in pecan. However, wherever possible, planting of scab resistant cultivars should be considered as a first line of defense.

Pecan scab (Venturia effusa) is the most important yield-limiting disease of pecan (Carya illinoinensis) in the southeastern USA. On susceptible cultivars, which are widely grown, conventional fungicides are applied intensively to minimize losses to the disease. Producers of organic pecan must either select resistant cultivars at planting or find alternative methods to manage scab if the cultivars are susceptible. There has been little research on the efficacy of organic products against scab, although historically, Bordeaux mixture was applied (until the late 1950s). We assessed the efficacy of Bordeaux mixture on the cultivar Stuart at two locations in Georgia from 2011 to 2016. Rainfall varied among seasons and locations and impacted severity on the non-treated controls. Thus, on mature fruit at the end of the season, the most severe scab occurred at the Colquitt location (46.63 to 71.84% fruit area diseased) compared to the Byron location (2.98 to 25.27% fruit area diseased). There was a significant reduction in the severity of scab on fruit due to the Bordeaux mixture treatment at the Byron location in 2011 (F = 17.0, P

The efficacy of early-season prothioconazole applications on stem rot (Sclerotium rolfsii) epidemics of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) planted on different dates was evaluated to better understand stem rot development and obtain more consistent disease control. The industry standard cultivar (Georgia-06G) was planted on four different dates at about 2-week intervals starting 25 April of both 2012 and 2013. Plots were either not treated or treated with prothioconazole (0.16 kg a.i./ha) at 21 or 35 days after planting (DAP) applied in a 30-cm band. All plots received chlorothalonil (2.09 kg a.i./ha) for leaf spot control. The mean final stem rot incidence in nontreated plots for planting dates 1 to 4 were 32, 15, 13, and 9% in 2012 and 25, 13, 24, and 6% in 2013, respectively. Final incidence of stem rot in plots treated with prothioconazole followed a similar pattern, but disease incidence was reduced by an average of 36 and 46% in 2012 and 4 and 14% in 2013 for the 21 and 35 DAP applications, respectively. Pod yields in nontreated plots for planting dates 1 to 4 (chlorothalonil only) were 6,446, 6,578, 5,479, and 2,613 kg/ha in 2012 and 2,914, 6,456, 5,399, and 3,123 kg/ha in 2013, respectively. Prothioconazole-treated plots (at either 21 or 35 DAP) averaged 475 and 600 kg/ha higher yield than nontreated plots in 2012 and 2013, respectively, but the differences between these two timings were not significant (P > 0.10). Both 2012 and 2013 had relatively cooler spring temperatures and lower risk of early stem rot. The efficacy and yield increase from the early prothioconazole application may have been greater in a warmer spring.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) cultivars with resistance or tolerance to Cercospora arachidicola and/or Cercosporidium personatum, the causes of early and late leaf spot, respectively, are needed for organic production in the southeastern U.S. To determine the potential of new breeding lines for use in such production systems, field experiments were conducted in Tifton, GA, in 2014 and 2015 in which nine breeding lines and two cultivars, Georgia-06G and Georgia-12Y, were grown without foliar fungicide applications. In one set of trials, cultivar Georgia-12Y and most of the breeding lines evaluated had early season vigor ratings, early-season canopy width measurements, final plant populations, and pod yield that were greater than those of standard cultivar Georgia-06G. In those trials, final late leaf spot Florida scale ratings were lower and canopy reflectance measured as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), was higher all the breeding lines than those of Georgia-06G. In another set of trials, two of those same breeding lines had final late leaf spot ratings similar to those of Georgia-12Y in 2014, whereas in 2015, six of those breeding lines had final leaf spot ratings that were lower than those of Georgia-12Y. Yields were similar for Georgia-12Y and all the breeding lines in the Gibbs Farm trials. Across years and breeding lines at the Lang Farm, the relationship between visual estimates of defoliation and NDVI was described by a two sector piecewise regression with NDVI decreasing more rapidly with increasing defoliation above approximately 89%. The utility of NDVI for spot comparisons among breeding lines appears to be limited to situations where there are differences in defoliation. Georgia-12Y and multiple breeding lines evaluated show potential for use in situations such as organic production where acceptable fungicides available for seed treatment and leaf spot control are limited.

Scab is the most damaging disease of pecan in the southeastern United States. Pecan trees can attain 44 m in height, so managing disease in the upper canopy is a problem. Fungicide is ordinarily applied using ground-based air-blast sprayers. Although mechanical hedge-pruning and topping of pecan is done for several reasons, improved management of scab is an important reason in the humid, wet Southeast. Resulting shoot growth on cut limbs of susceptible cultivars could lead to more severe scab. In three experiments over three years, we explored the effect of hedge-pruning trees to ∼12 to 14 m compared with non-hedge-pruned trees. All trees received fungicide treatments (air-blast sprays and ≤3 aerial applications). Hedge-pruning either had no effect, or increased or decreased scab severity only slightly on leaflets, immature, or mature fruit (a –9.95 to +14.63% difference in scab severity compared with the control). However, height in the canopy invariably had a large and significant effect on scab severity, and amounted to a 0.05 to 73.77% difference in severity between the lowest and highest sample in the canopy. Fruit weight depended on sample height, with fruit most often weighing less when collected at greater sample heights. A robust relationship between fruit weight and scab severity was found at the highest sample heights where scab was also most often severe (R2 = 0.21 to 0.67, P < 0.0001). Hedge-pruning and topping pecan tree canopies to manage tree size will enable better fungicide coverage, reducing risk of a scab epidemic as more of the canopy is assured efficacious fungicide spray coverage.

Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of prescription fungicide programs, based upon Peanut Rx, to reduce combined effects of early leaf spot (ELS), caused by Passalora arachidicola (Cercospora arachidicola), and late leaf spot (LLS), caused by Nothopassalora personata (syn. Cercosporidium personatum), but the potential of Peanut Rx to predict each disease has never been formally evaluated. From 2010 to 2016, non-fungicide-treated peanut plots in Georgia and Florida were sampled to monitor the development of ELS and LLS. This resulted in 168 cases (unique combinations of Peanut Rx risk factors) with associated total leaf spot risk points ranging from 40 to 100. Defoliation ranged from 13.9 to 100%, and increased significantly with increasing total risk points (conditional R2 = 0.56; P < 0.001). Leaf spot onset (time in days after planting [DAP] when either leaf spot reached 1% lesion incidence), ELS onset, and LLS onset ranged from 29 to 140, 29 to 142, and 50 to 143 DAP, respectively, and decreased significantly with increasing risk points. Standardized AUDPC of ELS was significantly affected by risk points (conditional R2 = 0.53, P < 0.001), but not for LLS. After removing redundant Peanut Rx factors, planting date, rotation, historical leaf spot prevalence, cultivar, and field history were used as fixed effects in mixed effect regression models to evaluate their contribution to leaf spot, ELS or LLS prediction. Results from mixed effects regression confirmed that the selected Peanut Rx risk factors contributed to the variability of at least one measurement of development of combined or separate epidemics of ELS and LLS, but not all factors affected ELS and LLS equally. Historical leaf spot prevalence, a new potential preplant risk factor, was a consistent predictor of the dominant disease(s) observed in the field. Results presented here demonstrate that Peanut Rx is a very effective tool for predicting leaf spot onset regardless of which leaf spot is predominant, but also suggest that associated risk does not reflect the same development for each disease. These data will be useful for refining thresholds for differentiating high, moderate, and low risk fields, and reevaluating the timing of fungicide applications in reduced input programs with respect to disease onset.

A total of 33 additive stem rot QTLs were identified in peanut genome with nine of them consistently detected in multiple years or locations. And 12 pairs of epistatic QTLs were firstly reported for peanut stem rot disease. Stem rot in peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is caused by the Sclerotium rolfsii and can result in great economic loss during production. In this study, a recombinant inbred line population from the cross between NC 3033 (stem rot resistant) and Tifrunner (stem rot susceptible) that consists of 156 lines was genotyped by using 58 K peanut single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and phenotyped for stem rot resistance at multiple locations and in multiple years. A linkage map consisting of 1451 SNPs and 73 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was constructed. A total of 33 additive quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for stem rot resistance were detected, and six of them with phenotypic variance explained of over 10% (qSR.A01-2, qSR.A01-5, qSR.A05/B05-1, qSR.A05/B05-2, qSR.A07/B07-1 and qSR.B05-1) can be consistently detected in multiple years or locations. Besides, 12 pairs of QTLs with epistatic (additive × additive) interaction were identified. An additive QTL qSR.A01-2 also with an epistatic effect interacted with a novel locus qSR.B07_1-1 to affect the percentage of asymptomatic plants in a row. A total of 193 candidate genes within 38 stem rot QTLs intervals were annotated with functions of biotic stress resistance such as chitinase, ethylene-responsive transcription factors and pathogenesis-related proteins. The identified stem rot resistance QTLs, candidate genes, along with the associated SNP markers in this study, will benefit peanut molecular breeding programs for improving stem rot resistance.

Sensitivity monitoring of

Field trials were conducted in 2015 and 2016 in Tifton, GA to determine the effects of planting dates (24 and 27 April, 4, 11, 19, and 26 May 2015; and 11, 18, and 25 April and 2, 9, and 16 May 2016), peanut (Arachis hypogaea) cultivar (Georgia-06G and Georgia-12Y), and seed treatment (nontreated and treated with azoxystrobin, fludioxonil, and mefenoxam) on epidemics of late leaf spot (Nothopassalora personata), plant populations, and peanut yield. Final severity and AUDPC of late leaf spot increased with later planting dates in both years. For most planting dates in 2015 and the final planting date in 2016, final leaf spot severity and AUDPC were lower for Georgia-12Y than for Georgia-06G. Seed treatment increased plant populations for the 27 April and 4 May planting dates in 2015 and across all other treatments in 2016. Yields were higher for Georgia-12Y than for Georgia-06G in both years. In 2015, yields of both cultivars decreased according to linear functions of day of year of planting date, but there was no effect of planting date on yield in 2016. The combination of early planting with Georgia-12Y shows potential utility for management of leaf spot in situations such as organic production where fungicide use is minimal.

A double-crop of cucumber-snap bean was grown continuously for 4 years and compared with rotations of 1, 2, or 3 years of bahiagrass followed by vegetables. No nematicides or soil fungicides were applied. Root and hypocotyl disease severity in snap bean from Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 and Pythium spp. was decreased after 2 years of bahiagrass compared with 1 year of bahiagrass and 1 year of vegetables or continuous vegetables. Root galling caused by Meloidogyne incognita was less following 2 or 3 years, but not 1 year, of bahiagrass than following continuous vegetables. The beneficial effect of the rotation with bahiagrass lasted only 1 year. Then root injury from soilborne pathogenic fungi and root-knot nematodes was similar to that in continuous vegetables. Plant populations and yield of vegetables were greater following 3 years of bahiagrass than following 1 year of bahiagrass and 3 years of vegetables or continuous vegetables. Two years of bahiagrass followed by 1 or 2 years of vegetables did not increase yield of vegetables consistently.

Diseases caused by Rhizoctonia solani lead to significant reductions in peanut yields and quality throughout the world. A subset of accessions from the peanut germ plasm core collection plus the commercial cultivars Florunner, Southern Runner, Georgia Browne, and Georgia Green were evaluated for resistance to limb and seedling hypocotyl infections caused by R. solani. Georgia Green and core accessions 95 (PI 497351), 197 (PI 331326), 208 (PI 274193), 244 (PI 343361), 246 (PI 343398), and 524 (PI 288178) had levels of resistance comparable to Georgia Browne, the only commercial cultivar reported to have partial resistance to Rhizoctonia limb rot. Eleven core accessions, representing the full range of disease expression, and the commercial cultivars were evaluated in growth chambers to quantify their susceptibility to seedling hypocotyl infections and to determine if evaluating seedlings could serve as a primary screening method to identify potential sources of limb rot resistance. The most resistant core accessions to seedling hypocotyl infections were 234 (PI 159664) and 366 (PI 268968), and the most resistant commercial cultivar was Georgia Green. There was not a significant correlation between resistance to limb rot in the field and the severity of hypocotyl infections in growth chambers, indicating that resistance to hypocotyl infections is not a good indicator of resistance to Rhizoctonia limb rot.

Two microplot studies were conducted with peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in 2000, 2001, and 2002 to determine the effects of plant spacing, inoculation date, and cultivar on stem rot development caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc., tomato spotted wilt incidence, and microclimate (temperature and relative humidity). Stem rot severity and incidence decreased as plant spacings were increased in 5-cm increments from 5 to 30 cm. Two cultivars with similar susceptibility but different growth habits were compared. Perhaps due to heavy irrigation and extensive vegetative growth, stem rot was similar for ‘Florida MDR-98’ and ‘Georgia Browne’. Plants inoculated later in the year (90 days after planting [DAP]) had less disease at harvest, but often developed more severe symptoms within the first week of inoculation than plants inoculated at 50 or 70 DAP. Canopy microclimate was different than ambient conditions for all treatments; however, differences among treatments were inconsistent and did not explain differences in disease among spacings. Generally, as plant spacing decreased and plant population increased, stem rot increased and tomato spotted wilt was reduced. These data demonstrate that the physical spacing between plants is a critical factor in disease development.

Field experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of integrated management of early leaf spot, caused by Cercospora arachidicola, and spotted wilt, caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), on peanut (Arachis hypogaea) using host resistance, two tillage systems, and varying fungicide programs. Effects on pod yield and economic return were assessed. Genotypes C-11-2-39 and Tifrunner demonstrated the best field resistance to TSWV, whereas cvs. DP-1 and GA-01R and line C-28-305 were among the genotypes with the best leaf spot resistance. Epidemics of both diseases were comparable or suppressed in strip-tilled plots compared with conventionally tilled plots. Leaf spot intensity decreased with increased fungicide applications, but to a lesser degree with use of resistance and strip tillage. Yields and net returns were similar between tillage treatments in 2002 and lower in strip tillage in 2003. Genotypes with the greatest yields and returns were C-11-2-39, C-99R, and GA-01R. Returns were comparable among the four-, five-, and seven-spray programs in both years, despite differences in yield. The standard production system, Georgia Green in conventional tillage with seven sprays, resulted in lower returns than half the integrated systems tested in 2002, but had comparable or higher returns than nearly all systems in 2003. When significant, yields and returns were correlated with spotted wilt intensity to a greater degree than leaf spot intensity.

Because of the importance of spotted wilt caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), most peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) breeding programs in the southeastern United States are focusing on developing resistance to TSWV. Many of the cultivars with improved resistance to TSWV are late maturing, requiring 150 days to reach optimum maturity. This factor could greatly impact disease problems at harvest. During November of 2004, an unknown disease was observed on peanut cvs. Georgia 02-C and Hull in a commercial field in Appling County. Symptoms included wilting stems with water-soaked lesions and a dense, gray mold growing on infected tissues. Final disease incidence was less than 5%. For isolation, diseased tissue was surface sterilized by soaking in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min, air dried, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 20°C. Botrytis cinerea Pers.:Fr., causal agent of Botrytis blight, was isolated from the margins of infected tissue. Mycelia were initially white but became gray after 72 h at which time tall, branched, septate conidiophores formed. Mature, unicellular, ellipsoid, hyaline conidia (8.9 × 10.4 μm) formed in botryose heads (1). Hard, black, irregular-shaped sclerotia formed after 2 weeks. Stems of greenhouse-grown peanut plants (cv. Georgia Green) were inoculated with PDA plugs colonized with either B. cinerea or B. allii Munn. Inoculations were made 3 cm below the last fully expanded leaf on wounded and nonwounded tissue. Noncolonized PDA plugs served as controls (n = 9). Plants were arranged in a dew chamber at 20°C in a randomized complete block design. Lesions and spore masses identical to those observed in the field appeared 3 to 5 days after being inoculated with B. cinerea. The B. allii inoculations caused only superficial lesions. After 5 days, mean lesion lengths for B. cinerea were 59 and 37 mm for wounded and nonwounded inoculations, respectively. B. cinerea was recovered from 100% of the symptomatic tissues. Botrytis blight is considered a late-season disease that occurs in cool, wet weather (3). Symptoms similar to those of Botrytis blight were observed on mature and over-mature peanut in Georgia and have been cited as “unpublished observations” (2); however, to our knowledge, this is the first report of the disease in Georgia. Although Botrytis blight is not considered a major peanut disease, it may become more prevalent at harvest as producers utilize late-maturing cultivars to manage spotted wilt. References: (1) H. L. Barnett and B. B. Hunter. Illustrated Guide of Imperfect Fungi. 4th ed. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1998. (2) K. H. Garren and C. Wilson. Peanut Diseases. Pages 262–333 in: The Peanut, the Unpredictable Legume. The National Fertilizer Assoc. Washington D.C. 1951. (3) D. M. Porter. Botrytis blight. Pages 10–11 in: Compendium of Peanut Diseases. 2nd ed. N. Kokalis-Burelle et al., eds. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN. 1997.

Two field studies were conducted in 2000, 2001, and 2002 to determine the effects of row pattern (91.4-cm single or 20.3-cm twin) and seeding rate (single: 12.5, 17.4, or 22.6 seed m-1or twin: 6.2, 8.9, or 11.5 seed m-1) on peanut stem rot (Sclerotium rolfsii) development. The first study was conducted in a naturally infested field and relative efficacy of azoxystrobin (Abound 2.08 F, applied at a rate of 0.3 kg a.i. ha-1 at 60 and 90 days after planting [DAP]) also was evaluated. In this study, stem rot incidence was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in single rows planted at high seeding rates than in twin rows planted at any of the seeding rates. Row pattern did not affect azoxystrobin efficacy, and disease incidence was nearly half as much in twin rows treated with fungicide than incidence in single rows treated with fungicide. In the second field study, individual peanut plants in fumigated plots were inoculated once with S. rolfsii at 50, 70, or 90 DAP. Stem rot incidence at harvest was significantly greater on plants inoculated 50 DAP than plants inoculated 70 or 90 DAP. The incidence of spread to adjacent rows was higher in plots where plants were inoculated at 50 than at 90 DAP. Plants inoculated 90 DAP had less disease at harvest, but often developed more severe symptoms within the first week after inoculation compared with plants inoculated 50 or 70 DAP. Symptoms were more severe in single than in twin rows, and at the higher seeding rates. Data from these studies suggest that the physical spacing between plants is a critical factor in stem rot development both on individual plants and in plant populations.

Field experiments were conducted in 2004 and 2005 to evaluate the response of several peanut cultivars to standard and reduced-input fungicide programs under production systems which differed in the duration of crop rotation, disease history within a field, or in the presence or absence of irrigation. Effects on early leaf spot (caused by Cercospora arachidicola), late leaf spot (caused by Cercosporidium personatum), and southern stem rot (caused by Sclerotium rolfsii), pod yields, and economic returns were assessed. Standard fungicide programs were similar for both sets of experiments and included applications of pyraclostrobin, tebuconazole, azoxystrobin, or chlorothalonil. Reduced-fungicide programs, comprising combinations of the aforementioned fungicides, resulted in two and four applications for the cultivar and irrigation experiment, respectively. Two additional programs (a seven-spray chlorothalonil and a nontreated control) were included in the cultivar experiment. Fungicide programs provided adequate levels of leaf spot suppression, and stem rot incidence was similar among fungicide programs within the two management systems. In the cultivar experiment, returns were significantly lower for the reduced program compared with the full program and seven-spray chlorothalonil program; however, they were significantly higher than the nontreated control. Significant differences in leaf spot, stem rot, and yield were observed among cultivars in both experiments. Overall, leaf spot intensity was lowest for the cvs. Georgia-03L and Georgia-01R and greatest for Georgia Green and Georgia-02C. Georgia-03L, Georgia-02C, and AP-3 consistently had lower incidence of stem rot than the other cultivars. Pod yields for all cultivars were equivalent to or greater than Georgia Green in both experiments; however, the performance of reduced-fungicide programs was inconsistent.

Stem rot of peanut, caused by the soilborne fungus Sclerotium rolfsii, is greatly influenced by environmental conditions. Disease management programs rely heavily on fungicides, which are applied on a calendar-based program. To determine whether improved control of stem rot could result from weather-based spray advisories, models were constructed using what is currently known about the biology of S. rolfsii and etiology of stem rot epidemics in peanut. Spray advisories based on soil temperature, precipitation, and host parameters were tested, along with advisories focusing on soil temperature and precipitation or precipitation alone. The advisories were evaluated and compared with the currently used calendar-based program over four locations annually for 3 years. Fungicide application timing had a significant effect on both stem rot control and resulting pod yields. In general, stem rot control following the advisories considering soil temperature, precipitation, and canopy growth was similar or better than that offered by the calendar-based program, but yields generally were comparable. The AU-Pnut advisory for foliar diseases also was effective for scheduling azoxystrobin applications for stem rot.

The efficacy of chemical control of stem rot (caused by Sclerotium rolfsii) of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) relies partially on increasing deposition and residual activity in the lower canopy. Tebuconazole (0.21 kg a.i./ha, four applications) and azoxystrobin (0.31 kg a.i./ha, two applications) were each applied on peanut plants in daylight or at night, when leaves were folded, in two Tifton, GA, field trials in 2007. Both timings of each fungicide provided similar control of early leaf spot (caused by Cercospora arachidicola). Night applications of azoxystrobin and tebuconazole reduced stem rot at digging and increased yield compared with day applications. Night applications of tebuconazole were also tested in Nicaragua from 2005 to 2007. Peanut plants had less stem rot, similar levels of rust (caused by Puccinia arachidis), and higher yield with night applications than with day applications. Residual activity of azoxystrobin and tebuconazole were improved on the bottom shaded leaves (on which fungicides would be better deposited with night application) compared with top, sun-exposed leaves (where most fungicide would be deposited with a day application) according to a bioassay with S. rolfsii. Increased fungicide residual activity within the bottom canopy may increase fungicide efficacy on stem rot and augment peanut yield.

Field experiments were conducted at Gainesville and Marianna, FL in 2004 and 2005 in which severity of spotted wilt, caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus, and pod yield were compared in six peanut (Arachis hypogaea) cultivars. The six cultivars included the moderately field resistant cultivars ANorden, C-99R, and Georgia Green; the highly field resistant cultivars AP-3 and DP-1; and the susceptible cultivar SunOleic 97R. There were four trials at each location, with four planting dates that ranged from late March to early June. Tomato spotted wilt severity in moderately resistant and susceptible cultivars was lower at Gainesville than at Marianna in both years in moderately resistant and susceptible cultivars. Trends in incidence for the two locations were less evident for AP-3 and DP-1. At Gainesville, there were few differences in tomato spotted wilt severity, and severity ratings were similar for Georgia Green and SunOleic 97R in two of four trials in 2004 and across all trials in 2005. At Marianna, severity ratings were lower for Georgia Green than for SunOleic 97R in six of the eight trials, and severity of tomato spotted wilt was lower for AP-3, C-99R, and DP-1 than for Georgia Green in all eight trials. In 2004, there was a trend toward decreasing severity ratings for Georgia Green and SunOleic 97R with later planting dates, but not for AP-3 or DP-1 at Marianna. Split-plot field experiments were also conducted at Tifton, GA in 2005 through 2007 in which incidence of tomato spotted wilt and pod yield were compared for peanut cultivars AP-3 and Georgia Green across planting dates ranging from late April through late May. Incidence of tomato spotted wilt was lower for AP-3 than for Georgia Green within each planting date of all years, and planting date effects were smaller in AP-3, if observed at all, than in Georgia Green. In most planting dates of all three trials, yields were higher for AP-3 than for Georgia Green. The relationships between yield and planting date were not consistent. These results indicate that the level of field resistance in AP-3 and DP-1 cultivars is sufficient to allow planting in late April without greatly increasing the risk of losses to tomato spotted wilt.

Venturia effusa, which causes pecan scab, has developed resistance to fungicides that were once effective. Over 2 years, laboratory-based sensitivity of fentin hydroxide (TPTH) and tebuconazole in V. effusa and their efficacy under field conditions were compared. Leaf and nut scab were assessed on pecan trees receiving 10 applications of TPTH, tebuconazole, azoxystrobin, azoxystrobin plus tebuconazole, TPTH plus tebuconazole, or no fungicide (NTC) per year. Sensitivity of V. effusa on leaflets collected from treated and nontreated trees was assessed in June and September, respectively. The mean relative germination (RGe) on TPTH at 30 µg/ml was 10.9 and 40.9% in 2016 and 4.2 and 0.6% in 2017. Mean relative growth (RGr) on tebuconazole at 1 µg/ml was 45.5 and 34.6% in 2016 and 69.3 and 56.3% in 2017. In both years, leaf and nut scab were significantly lower on trees treated with azoxystrobin, azoxystrobin + tebuconazole, or TPTH + tebuconazole when compared with NTC and tebuconazole-treated trees. Compared with the NTC, tebuconazole did not significantly reduce leaf scab in 2017 or nut scab in either year, indicating that an RGr value between 34.6 and 69.3% is likely to result in a control failure on tebuconazole-treated trees. Although better activity was expected, TPTH reduced scab with RGe values between 0.6 and 40.9%. These results are valuable for developing fungicide sensitivity thresholds to better predict fungicide performance.

Pecan scab, caused by Fusicladium effusum, is most effectively managed using multiple fungicide applications, including quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs). However, QoIs have a high risk for resistance developing in phytopathogenic fungi. QoI resistance is generally associated with amino-acid substitutions at positions 129, 137, and 143 of the cytochrome b (cytb) gene. A substitution at position 143 confers complete resistance, while an intron immediately downstream of this position prevents the substitution. The objective of this study was to assess the risk of QoI resistance by characterizing a partial fragment of the F. effusum cytb gene. Sequence analysis of the 1,919-bp fragment revealed the presence of a 1,407-bp intron immediately downstream of position 143. This intron was identified in 125 isolates collected from 16 counties across the state of Georgia. No substitutions were identified at positions 129 or 143 but, in seven of the isolates, glycine was replaced with serine at position 137. The ubiquitous nature of the detected intron provided strong evidence that the G143A substitution may not occur in F. effusum isolates, although resistance could still develop through intron loss events or the selection of intron-lacking genotypes, or as the result of other mutations in the cytb gene.

Sugar crops grown for biofuel production provide a source of simple sugars that can readily be made into advanced biofuels. In the mild climate of the southeastern USA, sugar beet can be grown as a winter crop, providing growers with an alternative crop that is complementary to existing summer crops. Experiments evaluated autumn planting dates from September to December on the yield of five varieties of sugar beet harvested in the spring. A linear relationship existed between sugar beet canopy width and thermal time. Plant canopy diameter increased

Sclerotium rolfsii, a destructive soil-borne fungal pathogen causes stem rot of the cultivated peanut, Arachis hypogaea. This study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes associated with peanut resistance and fungal virulence. Four peanut cultivars (A100-32, Georgia Green, GA-07W and York) with increasing resistance levels were inoculated with a virulent S. rolfsii strain to study the early plant-pathogen interaction. 454 sequencing was performed on RNAs from infected tissue collected at 4 days post inoculation, generating 225,793 high-quality reads. Normalized read counts and fold changes were calculated and statistical analysis used to identify differentially expressed genes. Several genes identified as differential in the RNA-seq experiment were selected based on functions of interest and real-time PCR employed to corroborate their differential expression. Expanding the analysis to include all four cultivars revealed a small but interesting set of genes showing colinearity between cultivar resistance and expression levels. This study identified a set of genes possibly related to pathogen response that may be useful marker assisted selection or transgenic disease control strategies. Additionally, a set of differentially expressed genes that have not been functionally characterized in peanut or other plants and warrant additional investigation were identified.

In recent years, succinate dehydrogenase inhibiting (SDHI) fungicides have become important for control of early leaf spot (Passalora arachidicola) and late leaf spot (Nothopassalora personata) of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in the southeastern U.S. In this study, pyraclostrobin, cyproconazole, and thiophanate-methyl were compared for efficacy alone and as mixing partners with SDHI fungicide penthiopyrad for control of late leaf spot. In all trials, mixtures of penthiopyrad + pyraclostrobin or penthiopyrad + cyproconazole improved leaf spot control compared to penthiopyrad alone based final percent defoliation, and in most cases based on area under the defoliation progress curve. Additional control provided by mixtures with thiophanate-methyl was minimal compared to penthiopyrad alone. In trials at Tifton and Plains, GA, efficacies of the mixtures of penthiopyrad + cyproconazole and penthiopyrad + pyraclostrobin were greater than expected based on performance of the respective individual fungicides, indicating synergistic effects of these fungicide combinations.

The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Heteroptera: Aphididae), was recently recognized as a pest of grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, in the southeastern United States. The objectives of the study reported herein were to evaluate the suitability of using a consensus-based scouting network and determine the timing of insecticide applications for management of sugarcane aphid in grain sorghum. The timing of insecticide applications was (1) application at 25 aphids per leaf, (2) application at 50 aphids per leaf, (3) a delayed application 1 week after occurrence of 50 aphids per leaf, or (4) not treated. Results showed that a single application of flupyradifurone at 15.4 g(AI)/ha consistently reduced populations to nearly zero for the remainder of the season, while aphid populations in the nontreated plots reached a peak of 300–400 aphids per leaf. Aphid populations on the upper leaves reached 50 aphids per leaf in nontreated plots 1 week after reaching the treatment threshold on the lower leaves. All plots receiving insecticide applications had similar estimated yields, which were >5 times greater than yields in nontreated plots. Results from the consensus-based scouting network showed that first detections and reported first commercial applications generally occurred within 1 week (range of 3–11 d) of the actual populations quantified in the research trials. These data suggest that initiating scouting for sugarcane aphid populations following notification of activity in the area through consensus reporting would provide adequate warning for preventing economic losses to sugarcane aphid.

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causes anthracnose fruit rot and leaf spot on blueberries. For controlling anthracnose, blueberry growers mostly rely on pre- and postharvest fungicide applications in addition to orchard sanitation. Single-site fungicides including quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs), such as pyraclostrobin and azoxystrobin as well as fungicides containing the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) boscalid are used frequently to control anthracnose rots and other diseases on blueberry; however, development of fungicide resistance is a real risk because a limited number of fungicides are now available for blueberry disease management. In 2019, three isolates of C. gloeosporioides were cultured from blueberry fruit collected from southern highbush blueberry cultivar ‘Farthing’ in two commercial blueberry fields in Pierce County, Georgia, where ripe rot had been a problem. Fungicide sensitivity tests were conducted using a mycelial growth inhibition assay as described previously. A total of nine fungicides were evaluated to determine the sensitivity of these C. gloeosporioides isolates. All three isolates were resistant to thiophanate-methyl, the QoI fungicide pyraclostrobin, and the SDHI fungicide boscalid. These findings suggest that continuous monitoring of fungicide resistance is necessary to avoid the unwarranted application of single-site fungicides.

Field experiments were conducted in Tifton, GA, in 2012-2014 to determine the effect of in-furrow applications of prothioconazole and early-season banded applications of prothioconazole or pyraclostrobin on incidence of early leaf spot (Cercospora arachidicola) of peanut (Arachis hypogaea). In each year, border rows were planted in May as a source of inoculum for plants in the treatment plots. Plots were planted in August or September after epidemics of early leaf spot were severe in the border plots. Fungicide application regimes included two rates (100 and 200 g a.i./ha) of prothioconazole applied in-furrow at planting, and 200 g a.i./ha of prothioconazole or 164 g a.i./ha of pyraclostrobin applied concentrated in a 30-cm band 21 days after planting (DAP). Incidence (percent of leaflets with one or more leaf spot) of early leaf spot was monitored until 54 to 57 days after planting in each year. In all years, disease incidence was below 10% at 28 DAP in plots treated with 200 g a.i./ha of prothioconazole in-furrow compared to over 40% in nontreated plots at the same time. In-furrow applications of 100 g a.i./ha of prothioconazole were less effective, but suppressed leaf spot incidence compared to the control. Banded applications of either fungicide at 21 DAP resulted in a decrease in leaf spot incidence, and prevented increase in leaf spot incidence for 19 days or longer. Accepted for publication 30 November 2015. Published 3 December 2015.

Many commercial pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] producers routinely spray foliar urea and sulfur (S) in combination with their fungicide sprays, despite very little information available in the scientific literature regarding the effects of these practices on pecan production. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of foliar application of elemental S and urea, alone and in combination, on pecan leaf tissue nitrogen (N) and S concentration, pecan nut quality, leaf chlorophyll index (LCI), and pecan scab control. Foliar S sprays increased pecan nut weight over the control in 2 of 3 years of study. Pecan nut weight was unaffected by foliar urea sprays compared with the control, but nut weight was lower for foliar urea sprays compared with foliar S sprays in the first 2 years of study. Neither foliar S nor urea sprays affected pecan scab incidence or severity. Foliar S sprays failed to increase leaf S concentration throughout the study. Pecan leaf N and leaf S concentrations were lower in the foliar urea treatment than in the control and foliar S treatments during the initial year of study; however, no treatment differences were observed for urea after Year 1. Foliar S application enhanced LCI in 2011 and 2012. Leaf chlorophyll index was also increased by the combination of foliar urea and S in 2012. These results suggest that foliar S sprays may provide pecan producers with a tool with which to maximize nut size and increase the profitability of their crop.