Changes in the Sensitivity to Metalaxyl, Dimethomorph and Ethaboxam of Phytophthora infestans in Korea

Changes of control efficacy of chemical to potato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans in potato fields from 2001 to 2004 were examined. Control efficacy of metalaxyl was suddenly decreased from 100% in 2002 to 50% in 2004 and that of dimethomorph also was similar to those of metalaxyl. However, the control efficacy of ethaboxam no great change. Both A1 and A2 mating type isolates were isolated from 2001 to 2004 in several areas in Korea. The majority of the P. infestans isolates were A1 mating type. Total 939 isolates of P. infestans obtained from several areas in Korea from 2001 to 2004 were examined for changes of sensitivity to metalaxyl. Frequencies of metalaxyl resistance isolates were gradually increased from 17% in 2001 to 84.2% in 2004, but isolation frequencies of metalaxyl sensitive and intermediate resistant isolate were decreased. Cause of decreasing control efficacy of metalaxyl was thought by increase of resistance isolates in A1 mating type population according to increasing metalaxyl use. Most isolates were grown at 0.5 ${\mu}g /ml of dimethomorph and isolates grown at 1 ${\mu}g /ml of dimethomorph were approximately 10.2-22.9%. However, no isolate was able to grow at 5.0 ${\mu}g /ml. Based on these results, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of dimethomorph to P. infestans were determined to be 0.5-1.0 ${\mu}g /ml. Our results indicated that the reason decreasing control efficacy of dimethomorph was not caused by occurrence of resistant isolates. About 5% and 12.1% isolates among the total isolates collected in 2003 and 2004 were grown on V-8 juice rye agar containing 1.0 ${\mu}g /ml ethaboxam. The 2.1 and 25.4% isolates had MICs of 0.2-0.4 ${\mu}g /ml, and MIC values of 87.9% and 74.3% isolates were less than 0.2 ${\mu}g /ml concentrations of ethaboxam. Therefore, resistance development by P. infestans to ethaboxam is not likely to occur in the natural condition.