Dynamics of pear-pathogenic Stemphylium vesicarium in necrotic plant residues in Dutch pear orchards

Brown spot disease on pear caused by Stemphylium vesicarium may affect leaves and fruits. Inoculum sources present on orchard floors play an important role in the epidemiology of pear brown spot. The pathogen can overwinter on plant residues and multiply and spread on the residues during the growing season. In the Netherlands, brown spot characteristically occurs only in a fraction of the orchards per season. Until now, no tools are available for Dutch pear growers to predict the risk of brown spot in specific orchards. As a consequence, preventive fungicide sprayings are common. The concentration of DNA of pear-pathogenic S. vesicarium was quantified by a specific TaqMan-PCR assay for various types of plant residues present on orchard floors to evaluate their importance as potential inoculum source. The pathogen was often found in residues of pear leaves, grasses and weeds, but only occasionally in mummies and prunings. Studies of the population dynamics showed that S. vesicarium decreased in dead pear leaves during early winter whereas pathogen populations developed with irregular pattern during the growing season on residues of weeds and grasses. Based on DNA concentrations of S. vesicarium in plant residue samples taken in 78 to 106 orchards in the springs of 2010, 2011 and 2012, the risk of brown spot development could be predicted for individual orchards. Such a risk prediction will allow growers to adapt their fungicide spray schedules to avoid unnecessary sprays in low-risk orchards.     

Control of brown spot of pear by reducing the overwintering inoculum through sanitation

Stemphylium vesicarium, the causal agent of brown spot of pear, overwinters in the leaf residues of pear and herbaceous plants of the orchard floor. Pseudothecia of the teleomorph, Pleospora allii, are formed on these residues where they produce ascospores. New methods were tested aimed at reducing this overwintering inoculum and increasing the efficacy of control of brown spot of pear. Sanitation methods were evaluated in nine trials in Girona (Spain) and Ferrara (Italy) over a 4-year period. The sanitation methods were leaf litter removal in December to February, and application of biological control agents (commercial formulates of Trichoderma spp.) to the orchard ground cover from February to May. Fungicides were also applied to the trees during the pear-growing season, scheduled according to the BSPcast model. The different methods were tested as stand-alone applications or in combination. All methods consistently reduced the disease incidence at harvest on fruit with an efficacy between 30 to 60% for leaf litter removal and more than 60% for the combination of leaf litter removal and biological control. Efficacy of sanitation alone (leaf litter removal and biological control) in reducing the brown spot level on fruit was similar in most of the trials to the efficacy obtained when fungicides were applied alone. However, integration of sanitation methods and fungicides did not improve the efficacy of disease control over the level provided by fungicides alone.     

The Epidemiology of Purple Leaf Blotch on Leeks in Victoria, Australia

The incidence of purple leaf blotch disease was investigated on seven successive commercial leek crops grown at Cranbourne, Victoria between 1996 and 1997. First symptoms occurred on older leaves, 54–69 days after transplanting. Lesions with typical symptoms were colonised by either Alternaria porri (6%), Stemphylium vesicarium (42%) or mixtures of both pathogens (52%). Purple leaf blotch was caused by a disease complex and was endemic at nobreak Cranbourne due to the continuous cropping of leeks. Disease incidence in all monitored crops increased as plants matured (123–158 days after transplanting) until harvest but never exceeded 11% due to fortnightly applications of mancozeb. Disease levels showed no significant correlation with weekly temperature, precipitation, relative humidity or leaf wetness duration. Disease levels were significantly (P < 0.05) higher on autumn/winter (May/June) 1997 crops when 38 periods of leaf wetness 8 h because of dew and low temperatures (10–13 °C). The weekly rate of increase of disease incidence was significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with days after transplantation. nobreak Concentrations of airborne A. porri and S. vesicarium conidia within leek crops showed a diurnal periodicity and maximum numbers were trapped between 11:00 and 15:00 h. The concentration of airborne S. vesicarium conidia was three to six times the concentration of airborne A. porri conidia. Conidia were more abundant during spring/summer (September–February). Ascospores of Pleospora allii were found during May–September. The greater concentrations of airborne S. vesicarium conidia suggest that it may be the dominant pathogen in the purple leaf blight complex. Fungicide sprays were unnecessary until 8–10 weeks after transplanting, and regular protectant sprays curtailed but did not eradicate purple leaf blight. The results indicated that predictive models, based on temperature and the frequency of leaf wetness periods 8 h, will assist in reducing fungicide inputs as plants mature and, in southern Victoria, fungicide applications on leeks should be timed for autumn/winter when infection periods occur.     

Pathogenicity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stemphylium vesicarium</Emphasis> from different hosts causing brown spot in pear

Stemphylium vesicarium (teleomorph: Pleospora herbarum) is the causal agent of brown spot disease in pear. The species is also able to cause disease in asparagus, onion and other crops. Saprophytic growth of the fungus on plant debris is common. The objective of this study was to investigate whether isolates of S. vesicarium from different hosts can be pathogenic to pear. More than hundred isolates of Stemphylium spp. were obtained from infected pear fruits, dead pear leaves, dead grass leaves present in pear orchard lawns as well as from necrotic leaf parts of asparagus and onion. Only isolates originating from pear orchards, including isolates from dead grass leaves, were pathogenic on pear leaves or fruits in bioassays. Non-pathogenic isolates were also present in pear orchards. Stemphylium vesicarium from asparagus or onion, with one exception, were not pathogenic to pear. Analysis of the genetic variation between isolates using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) showed significant concordance with host plants. Isolates from asparagus or onion belonged to clusters separate from the cluster with isolates from pear or grass leaves collected in pear orchards. Multilocus sequencing of a subset of isolates showed that such isolates were similar to S. vesicarium.     

Resistance to Dicarboximide Fungicides in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stemphylium vesicarium</Emphasis> of Italian Pear Orchards

Brown spot, caused by Stemphylium vesicarium, is the main fungal disease of pear in northern Italy where it may cause severe crop losses and it requires numerous fungicide applications. Monitoring work was performed by collecting fungal populations in Po valley between 1995 and 2003 in order to study the dicarboximides resistance already detected in the 1990s for procymidone as a result of control failures in field. Sensitivity tests showed that the resistant strains occur all over the monitored areas. Where present the efficacy of procymidone in field is completely lost in spite of what is observed often in other fungi. In most of the isolates (phenotype R₁), S. vesicarium resistance level to procymidone (Sialex) was shown to be very high (RF≅3000) whereas it was lower towards the other dicarboximides iprodione (Rovral), vinclozolin (Ronilan) and chlozolinate (Serinal) (RF≅10). Therefore the resistance is partially crossed even if a high level of resistance was rarely observed for all dicarboximides (phenotype R₂). At least two different mechanisms of resistance seem to be involved: one that may provide a moderate resistance and the other that may give a high resistance level. Monospore isolate sensitivity tests confirmed the qualitative response suggested by such high resistance factors.     

Managing apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) using Adem™

Current control of scab and mildew of apple in the UK requires the routine application of fungicides at 7 - 14-day intervals to achieve the blemish-free fruit required by the market. Such practices are generally effective, but with increased public concern about pesticides and rising costs to the grower, they are now less acceptable. The use of disease-warning systems offers scope for optimizing fungicide use by better timing of sprays. Adem^? is a PC-based system that warns of the risk of scab, mildew, Nectria fruit rot and canker and fireblight. In a 'key stage' strategy, warnings by Adem^? for scab and mildew integrated with practical pest and disease control resulted in similar or better control than a routine programme, with the additional benefit of reduced fungicide inputs and costs even in seasons exceptionally favourable for these diseases. Maximum savings in fungicide use were made by applying sprays curatively in response to scab warnings. However, this approach resulted in increased disease incidence to the crop and scab infection of fruit even in seasons unfavourable for scab attack.     

Growth and sporulation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stemphylium vesicarium</Emphasis>, the causal agent of brown spot of pear,on herb plants of orchard lawns

The inoculum sources of ascospores of Pleospora allii and of conidia of its anamorph Stemphylium vesicarium were investigated in relation to the brown spot disease epidemiology on pear. Dead and living leaves of three pear varieties (Abate Fétel, Conference and William), seven grasses (Poa pratensis, Festuca rubra, Festuca ovina, Lolium perenne, Digitaria sanguinalis and Setaria glauca) and Trifolium repens, which are used in pear orchard lawns, were inoculated with conidia of Stemphylium vesicarium virulent on pear and incubated under controlled-environment. Stemphylium vesicarium was always re-isolated from dead leaves of the considered plants, but not from symptomless green or yellowish living leaves. The fungus was occasionally re-isolated from leaf segments showing unspecific necrosis. Inoculation of pear leaves with isolates from grasses demonstrated that the fungus did not lose pathogenicity. Pseudothecia, ascospores and conidia were produced on all the dead inoculated leaves; differences between specimens were found for phenology of pseudothecia, their density and size, and for the number of conidia produced. Pseudothecia were produced faster in the lawn species than in pear leaves, and their density was higher, especially for S. glauca, L. perenne and P. pratensis. Ascospore maturation and ejection was more concentrated for the pseudothecia developed on pear leaves than for those on F. ovina and S. glauca. All the lawn species produced more conidia than pear leaves.     

Enhancement of Postharvest Disease Resistance in Ya Li Pear (Pyrus bretschneideri) Fruit by Salicylic Acid Sprays on the Trees during Fruit Growth

The Ya Li pear (Pyrus bretschneideri) trees were sprayed three times with 2.5 mM salicylic acid (SA) around 30, 60 and 90 days after full flowering. The fruit were harvested at commercial maturity (about 120 days after full flowering), inoculated with Penicillium expansum, and incubated at 20 °C, 95–100% RH. The results showed that resistance to the pathogen of the mature pear fruit was remarkably enhanced by the SA sprays. Disease incidence in the SA-treated fruit was 58.0% or 26.5%, and lesion diameter on SA-treated fruit was 58.4% or 29.0% lower than that in/on fruit without SA treatment (control) on day 12 or 17 after incubation, respectively. The SA spray applied to the trees around 30 days after full flowering notably enhanced accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the young fruit. Meanwhile, activities of defense enzymes, including peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chitinase or β-1,3-glucanase in the young fruit from SA-treated trees was 29.5%, 60.0%, 24.4% or 35.7% higher than that in the control fruit 4 days after the SA spraying. Furthermore, after harvest, activities of PAL, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase were still significantly higher in the mature pear fruit from the trees sprayed three times with SA than those of the control fruit. Activities of the antioxidant enzymes including catalase and ascorbate peroxidase in the young fruit were significantly reduced by SA spraying. However, the activity of another antioxidant enzyme, glutathione reductase in the young fruit was significantly enhanced by SA spraying. These results suggest that enzymes exerting their functions in different ways may be coordinately regulated by SA in the pear fruit. Our study indicates that treatment of SA sprays on the trees may provide further protection against postharvest disease of Ya Li pear fruit in practice and could be used as an alternative and economical approach to reduce application of chemical fungicides.     

Characterisation of the first <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stemphylium vesicarium</Emphasis> isolates resistant to strobilurins in Italian pear orchards

Up to 2005 the sensitivity of Stemphylium vesicarium (Wallr.) Simm., the causal agent of pear brown spot, to the strobilurin fungicides kresoxim-methyl, trifloxystrobin and pyraclostrobin was still comparable with baseline values associated with good efficacy in the field. During 2006, the first resistant isolates were detected in two commercial pear orchards in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), one of which was affected by considerable control failure linked to strobilurin treatments as demonstrated in a field trial. In vitro sensitivity tests with 0.5 mg l⁻¹ of kresoxim-methyl, trifloxystrobin and pyraclostrobin showed that in the population collected in the orchard with control failure the conidial germination was greater than 90% compared to an untreated control both in 2006 and in 2007, i.e. 1 year after the suspension of strobilurin applications. In the other orchard, where only a few symptomatic fruits were found and the strobilurins were still in use, the conidial germination was lower, about 50% in 2006 and 25% in 2007. The molecular analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of some monospore isolates with different levels of sensitivity confirmed the presence of the mutation causing G143A substitution in all the resistant isolates. In conclusion, both in vitro tests and molecular analysis confirmed the first occurrence of Stemphylium vesicarium resistance to all strobilurin fungicides tested.     

Sources and seasonal dynamics of inoculum for brown spot disease of pear

The dynamics of the production of Stemphylium vesicarium conidia and Pleospora allii ascospores from different inoculum sources on the ground were compared in a model system of a wildflower meadow mainly composed of yellow foxtail, creeping cinquefoil and white clover. The meadow was either inoculated (each October) or not inoculated with a virulent strain of S. vesicarium, and either covered or not covered with a litter of inoculated pear leaves. Spore traps positioned a few centimetres above the ground were exposed for 170 7-day periods between October 2003 and December 2006. Ascospores and conidia were trapped in 46 and 25% of samples, respectively. Ascospore numbers trapped from the pear leaf litter were about five times higher than those from the meadow, while conidial numbers were similar from the different inoculum sources. The ascosporic season was very long, with two main trapping periods: December–April, and August–October; the former was most important for the leaf litter, the latter for the meadow. The conidial season lasted from April to November, with 92% of conidia caught between July and September. The fungus persistently colonized the meadow: the meadow inoculated in early October 2003 produced spores until autumn 2006. The present work demonstrates that orchard ground is an important source of inoculum for brown spot of pear. Thus, it is important to reduce inoculum by managing the orchard ground all year long.     

A mechanistic model simulating ascosporic infections by Erysiphe necator,the powdery mildew fungus of grapevine

A new dynamic model for Erysiphe necator ascosporic infections on grapevine was developed. Between budbreak of vines and the time when the pool of ascospores is depleted, the model uses weather data for calculating, at daily intervals: curve of ascospore maturation; ascospore discharge events and relative proportion of the discharged ascospores; infection periods and their relative infection severity; and progress of latency period and time when secondary infections should begin. The model was validated over a 4‐year period (2005–2008) in 26 vineyards in Italy by comparing model predictions with actual observations of the first seasonal symptoms of powdery mildew. The model showed high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Proportions of true and false positive predictions were TPP = 0·94 and FPP = 0·26, respectively. Because a proportion of predicted infection periods did not result in actual disease onset, confidence was higher for prediction of non‐infections than for prediction of infections. Most of the false positive predictions occurred in the earlier growth stages of the host, when the surface area of susceptible tissue may be very small so that the probability that ejected ascospores land on susceptible tissue is low. An equation was then developed to describe the probability that a predicted infection period results in disease onset as a function of the growth stage of vines at the time of prediction. The new model should improve early season powdery mildew management by helping vineyard managers schedule fungicide sprays or schedule the scouting of the vineyard for detection of first disease signs.     

Field evaluation of a predictive model to control anthracnose disease of mango in the Philippines

Infection estimates determined by a predictive model developed by Dodd et al . (1991b) were used to time fungicide sprays to control anthracnose disease of mango in the Philippines. For an amount of disease on fruits after harvest which was acceptable to growers, this approach resulted in the application of five fewer sprays compared with a standard spray programme used by the growers in a field trial conducted in 1991–1992. The model predicted only two high anthracnose-risk periods (>40% of conidia forming appressoria) throughout the duration of the growing period. Rainfall intensity and its time of occurrence during fruit development was found to greatly influence the amount of anthracnose and stem-end rot disease on fruits after harvest. Three relatively strong precipitations (>20 mm) within a month before harvest resulted in relatively high anthracnose infection of fruits after harvest. At a second field trial, rainfall periods during fruit development did not exceed 4 mm and resulted in virtually disease-free fruits after harvest, including those not treated with fungicide. Again the use of the predictive model resulted in the elimination of five fungicide treatments compared with the standard programme. The amount of rainfall and the time of its occurrence should be considered when planning a disease management scheme for the control of anthracnose on mango fruit.     

Yield Reduction in Wheat in Relation to Leaf Disease From Yellow (tan) Spot and Septoria Nodorum Blotch

Yellow or tan spot (caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis) and septoria nodorum blotch (caused by Phaeosphaeria nodorum) occur together and are a constraint to wheat yields in Australia. Recently, higher crop yields and lower fungicide costs have made fungicides an attractive management tool against these diseases. Yield-loss under different rates of progress of yellow spot and septoria nodorum blotch was examined in four experiments over three years to define the relationship between disease severity and yield. In these experiments, differences in disease were first promoted by inoculations either with P. tritici-repentis-infected stubble or aqueous spore suspensions of P. nodorum. Disease progress was further manipulated with foliar application of fungicide. The pattern of disease development varied in each year under the influence of different rainfall patterns. The inoculation and fungicide treatments produced differences in disease levels after flag leaf emergence. The infection of yellow spot or septoria nodorum blotch caused similar losses in grain yield, ranging from 18% to 31%. The infection by either disease on the flag or penultimate leaf provided a good indication of yield-loss. Disease severity on flag leaves during the milk stage of the crop or an integration of disease as area under the disease progress curve on the flag leaves based on thermal time explained more than 80% variance in yield in a simple regression model. The data provided information towards the development of disease management strategies for the control of septoria nodorum blotch and yellow spot.     

Assessment of the inheritance of resistance and tolerance in cherry (Prunus sp.) to Blumeriella jaapii,the causal agent of cherry leaf spot

Cherry leaf spot (CLS), caused by Blumeriella jaapii, is a serious fungal disease of sour cherry (Prunus cerasus). Cultivar Montmorency, the major cultivar grown in the United States, is highly susceptible to CLS. As many as 10 fungicide sprays can be required each growing season to combat this disease; therefore, developing CLS‐resistant cultivars is a top breeding priority. Germplasm previously reported to be resistant or tolerant to CLS was acquired and incorporated into the sour cherry breeding programme at Michigan State University (MSU) and included three cherry species: sour cherry, sweet cherry (P. avium), and the wild species P. canescens. This study aimed to: (i) compare the CLS disease progression profile of the susceptible cultivar Montmorency with those of the resistant and tolerant germplasm; and (ii) gain an understanding of the inheritance of these resistance and tolerance traits by evaluating the host response of progeny individuals belonging to families derived from this germplasm. Significant differences were observed between the susceptible Montmorency and the tolerant and resistant accessions in their response to CLS and its progression during the growing season. Evaluation of the CLS host responses of progeny individuals derived from this germplasm supported a dominant two‐gene model for P. canescens‐derived resistance and a recessive gene model for sweet cherry‐derived tolerance. These insights into disease progression and trait inheritance improve the efficiency and potential success of breeding sour cherry cultivars with durable resistance to CLS.     

Control strategies using systemic fungicides for limiting disease development and resistance buildup: practical implications of a simulation model

A simulation model was used to assess the control efficacy of, and the buildup of resistant populations to, systemic fungicides as affected by preventive vs responsive (curative) treatments with a protectant fungicide, or with a mixture composed of a systemic and a protectant fungicide. The variables introduced in the model were: rate of fungicide weathering, coverage efficacy, and relative fitness of the resistant population of the pathogens. In all simulated epidemics (with different combinations of apparent infection rates, critical disease levels and rates of weathering of the fungicides), preventive treatments, before the critical disease levels were reached, were significantly more effective than responsive (curative) treatments. At low rates of weathering of the protectant fungicide (half-life of the protectant greater than or equal to that of the systemic), the buildup of the resistant population was significantly inhibited when a mixture was used either preventively or responsively. At high rates of weathering of the protectant fungicide (half-life of the protectant less than that of the systemic), both the buildup of the resistant population and the control efficacy were dependent on the control program used and on the different combinations of fungicide weathering, fitness of the resistant population, and coverage efficacy of both the protectant and systemic fungicides.     

A dynamic model forecasting infection of pear leaves by conidia of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Venturia nashicola</Emphasis> and its evaluation in unsprayed orchards

A dynamic model, called VenInf, was developed to forecast infection of pear leaves by conidia of Venturia nashicola. By simulating conidial infection processes following a rain event, the model estimates % conidia that successfully infected leaves at the end of an infection period. The model is mainly derived from logistic models developed from recent laboratory and glasshouse experimental results on infection of pear seedlings to estimate the rates of infection and mortality. It simulates the conidial infection process at 5 min intervals using temperature, relative humidity (RH), surface wetness and rainfall as input. The model was evaluated against pear scab in four unsprayed orchards in China over a 4-year period. In all orchards, all significant disease increases were associated with infection periods predicted by the model. In one orchard, in 2004 the incidence of leaf infection remained very low (<3%) during the entire season despite the model forecasting several severe infection periods. Results of orchard evaluation suggest that the model is able to identify all important potential infection periods. Thus, further field studies should be carried out to determine whether and how the model can be used in practice to assist farmers in making decisions on fungicide applications.     

Field models for the prediction of leaf infection and latent period of Fusicladium oleagineum on olive based on rain,temperature and relative humidity

Although much is known about the effect of climatic conditions on the development of peacock leaf spot of olive, field‐operational models predicting disease outbreaks are lacking. With the aim of developing such models, a 10‐year survey was conducted to relate leaf infection to climate parameters that can be easily monitored in the field. As outbreaks of disease are known to be linked to rain, models were evaluated for their ability to predict whether infection would occur following a rain event, depending on air temperature and duration of relative humidity above 85%. A total of 134 rain events followed by confirmed leaf infection and 191 rain events not followed by detectable infection were examined. The field data were adequately fitted (both specificity and sensitivity >0·97) with either a multilayer neural network or with two of six tested regression models describing high boundary values of high humidity duration, above which no infection occurred over the temperature range, and low boundary values below which no infection occurred. The data also allowed the selection of a model successfully relating the duration of latent period (time between infection and the first detection of leaf spots) as a function of air temperature after the beginning of rain (R² > 0·98). The predictive abilities of these models were confirmed during 2 years of testing in commercial olive orchards in southern France. They should thus provide useful forecasting tools for the rational application of treatments and foster a reduction in fungicide use against this major disease of olive.     

Development of a forecasting model for scald,Rhynchosporium secalis,on rye in relation to climatic conditions1

In a large-scale forecasting project financed by the German Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the National Plant Protection Service, data for modelling forecasting systems in field and horticultural crops are obtained and evaluated. Using climatic records from automatic weather stations and weekly disease assessments in the field, a practical model for forecasting Rhynchosporium secalis on rye has been established with a discriminant function in which temperature, leaf wetness and a disease index during the infection period were used as classification variables. This function decides on application of fungicide sprays.     

The use of rainfall and accumulated mean temperature to indicate fungicide activity in the control of leaf diseases of winter wheat in the UK1

During 1988/1990, a series of 21 experiments was established in commercial crops of winter wheat. Chlorothalonil, fenpropimorph and propiconazole were chosen as protectant, eradicant or curative fungicides active against leaf diseases of winter wheat in the UK. To test their properties each one was applied once only to separate plots during a period of 7–8 consecutive weeks in May and June (GS 32–39). Disease progress was assessed weekly on adjacent unsprayed control and sprayed plots up to GS 85. Septoria tritici leaf blotch (Mycosphaerella graminicola) was the disease that occurred most frequently and severely across the 21 sites. Powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), brown rust (Puccinia recondita) and yellow rust (P. striiformis) occurred at fewer sites and were sufficiently severe to distinguish differences between the active ingredients at only two or three sites. Analysis of the disease progress curves for 75% control of each disease at one site only indicated that chlorothalonil possessed very good protectant but shorter-term eradicant activity against M. graminicola and P. striiformis. Fenpropimorph exhibited only short-term eradicant control of M. graminicola, but gave excellent protectant and eradicant control of E. graminis and P. striiformis; against P. recondita only eradicant activity was apparent. Propiconazole showed activity similar to that of fenpropimorph against P. recondita and excellent protectant and eradicant activity against M. graminicola and P. striiformis; against E. graminis, it gave good protectant and eradicant control. From disease progress curves, it was possible to calculate the period of protectant and eradicant activity in thermal time (accumulated degree days above zero) for each of the three active ingredients and to identify the most effective timing(s) for fungicide application in relation to rainfall or imputed infection.     

Efficacy of fungicides with various modes of action in controlling the early stages of an Erysiphe necator-induced epidemic

BACKGROUND: Limiting the use of fungicides is due to become an important issue in managing Erysiphe necator (Schwein) Burrill infections in vineyards. The authors determined how three fungicides currently used by vine growers could be managed to control the early stages of an E. necator‐induced epidemic. RESULTS: Leaf‐disc bioassays and field experiments suggested that the protectant quinoxyfen induced minor disruption in E. necator development, but compounds with protectant and curative properties (tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin) caused significant, although different, disruption during E. necator‐induced epidemics. Bioassays showed that each of the antifungals were most effective at different stages of fungal development, tebuconazole before sporulation and trifloxystrobin after sporulation of the colonies. Results from the bioassay also highlighted likely occurrences in the field, where several stages of fungal development are encountered simultaneously. CONCLUSION: The present findings were complementary: leaf‐disc tests showed when the fungicides were most effective at inhibiting E. necator infection cycles; the field trial provided results in terms of incidence and severity of disease on bunches without reference to the pathogenic cycle development. A protection strategy combining the different types of fungicide under study is suggested. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry