Fungicide Resistance Action Group (FRAG)

Aims & Objectives

Reporting Resistance

Guidelines

Meetings

Steering Group

Chairman: Dr F Burnett, Scottish Agricultural College (SRUC) (Email: Fiona Burnett)

Secretary: Mr P Ashby, HSE (Email: Paul Ashby)

Latest News and Guidelines

News:

• FRAG-UK Statement on SDHI fungicides and resistance risk in cereals in the UK - May 2013
• FRAG-UK Statement on azole usage and Septoria tritici resistance issues in the UK - November 2012
• An EPPO Workshop on Azole fungicides and Septoria leaf blotch control, held at BBSRC, Rothamsted, Harpenden on the 7th-9th December 2010, discussed the latest information on the resistance to azoles in this disease and the implications for disease control management. The full conclusions and recommendations from this workshop, together with a number of the platform presentations and posters are available from the EPPO website.

New Guidelines:

• Fungicide Resistance Management in Turfgrass - updated May 2013
• Fungicide Resistance Management in Cereals - updated 2013 version
• General guideline and list of resistance problems known in the UK - updated March 2012
• Fungicide Resistance in Potato Pathogens; Potato Tuber Diseases - updated November 2010
• Potato late blight: Guidelines for managing fungicides resistance - updated March 2009

Aims and Objectives

• To gather and interpret information on fungicide resistance and its management and arrive at a United Kingdom (UK) consensus view.
• To promote practical guidance on the status and management of fungicide resistance in the UK.
• To indicate areas where Research and Development are required.
• To provide an interface between industry's Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) official bodies and independent research organisations.
• To produce, publish and promote educational material that will assist in the understanding of and reduce the incidence of resistance in plant pathogens.

Download the full constitution (amended November 2006)

FRAG-UK Interactive Search Facility

An interactive search facility is available which will generate information on which fungicide groups and modes of action are approved for a selected crop, to assist the user in identifying fungicides from different groups which could be used in spray programmes for anti-resistance management. Codes and comments courtesy of FRAC. Chemical groupings follow classification as used in the Pesticide Manual 14th Edition.

Reporting Incidences of Fungicide Resistance

FRAG are collating reports of fungicide resistance in the UK. This is both to monitor the extent of known resistance problems and to detect possible new occurrences.

If you are aware of a possible case of fungicide resistance please print out and complete one of the forms available below.

Please remember that there may be other reasons why fungicides fail to control a disease to the extent expected. These include using too low a dose, applying the fungicide at the wrong time and adverse weather conditions during or after application. Please consider whether factors such as these may account for the poor performance of a fungicide before making a report.

Please print out and complete page 1 of one of the forms below before returning to the address at the end of the form.

• Word format
• Adobe Acrobat format

Guidelines and other Publications

Fungicide Resistance Leaflet

General guideline and list of resistance problems known in the UK includes

• Guidance on strategies against resistance
• Glossary of resistance terms
• List of known and potential resistance problems in the UK
• Updated March 2012

Guidelines for Preventing and Managing Resistance in Cereal Pathogens

• The new updated 2013 version of the Fungicide Resistance Management in Cereals is now available

Older information still available

Information and guidance for Septoria tritici resistance management in cereals (Jan 2004)

Original Jan 2003 Statement on resistance in Septoria to QoI fungicides

• Further guidance on wheat disease management and fungicide strategies is available from the HGCA.

Possible resistance in Tan Spot:

Although sporadic in the UK, Tan spot (Pyrenophora tritici-repentis) has been known to cause occasional serious problems in wheat. Although no resistance has been found in the UK, the genes conferring resistance to QoI fungicides have been identified elsewhere in Europe. FRAG-UK will keep the issue under review, in the meantime further information and advice may be available from the FRAC QoI working group.

Oilseed Rape

• Fungicide resistance management in oilseed rape
  (pdf, 4 pages) Guidance on Resistance Management in Oilseed Rape (published April 2008)

Potatoes

• Potato late blight: Guidelines for managing fungicides resistance - (updated March 2009) (pdf, 8 pages)
• Potato late blight: Guidelines for managing fungicide resistance - (updated June 2007) (pdf, 6 pages)
• Potato Tuber Diseases (Updated November 2010)

published by the Potato Council

Latest late blight situation
There have been recent changes in the proportions of different strains of Potato Blight present in the UK which appear to be linked to an increase in resistance to phenylamides. While the current levels of phenylamide resistance are high, they are not unprecedented. It remains vital that phenylamides are used as part of a resistance management strategy and due to the current situation the number of sprays should be restricted. Refer to the manufacturer for the latest advice.

Apples and Pears

• Fungicide resistance in apple and pear pathogens
  (pdf, 5 pages)

Turf

• Fungicide Resistance Management in Turfgrass

Published May 2013

Other Publications

• Report of the fungicide resistance discussion forum at the BCPC International Congress, Crop Science and Technology, 2003.

Meetings

Date of the next meeting: November 2013

Summary minutes of meetings

• 18th Meeting, 11th March 2005.
• 19th Meeting, 5th October 2005.
• 20th Meeting, 16th March 2006.
• 21st Meeting, 15th November 2006.
• 22nd Meeting, 21st March 2007.
• 23rd Meeting, 8th November 2007
• 24th Meeting, 6th March 2008
• 25th Meeting, 5th November 2008
• 30th Meeting, 9th November 2011
• 31st Meeting, 8th March 2012
• 32nd Meeting, 15th November 2012