Gummy stem blight (Didymella bryoniae) is one of the most important diseases of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) wordwide. Chemical control, although widely adopted, cannot always avoid disease progress in the field. Resistance of the causal agent to some active ingredients has been reported in Europe, Japan and in the United States, but no such study has been done in Brazil. This work reports results of three in vitro assays for fungicide resistance, as measured by the rate of mycelial growth. In the first test, seven isolates were evaluated against nine fungicides at half the recommended commercial doses. Evidence of resistance to Methyl Thiophanate (TM) and Carbendazim (CARB) (Benzimidazoles) as well as to the mixture of Methyl-Thiophanate and Chlorotalonil (TM+CHLO) was detected. No resistance was suggested to Mancozeb, Difenoconazole, Tebuconazole and the mixtures Mancozeb + Difenoconazole or Trifloxistrobine + Propiconazole. The test was repeated with the same seven isolates of D. bryoniae against TM, CARB, TM+CHLO and Copper Oxichlorate at ¼, ½, 1 and 2 times the recommended doses. Only Copper Oxichlorate consistently caused a decrease in the mycelial growth rates with increasing doses. TM had no effect on the mycelial growth rates at any of the concentrations tested, and CARB and TM+CHLO showed very minor effects with increasing product concentrations. Finally, a collection of 31 isolates from seven Brazilian states was tested for resistance against TM at the recommended dose (490 ppm). Eighty-one per cent of the isolates, from most Brazilian states, proved to be highly resistant. Resistant and sensitive isolates were found in the same geographic regions. Considering the prevalence of isolates resistant to both TM and CARB, an evidence of cross-resistance, the use of benzimidazoles should be avoided for gummy stem blight control.
benzimidazoles; sensitivity to fungicides; Ascochyta cucumis
