Sensitivity of Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei to morpholine and piperidine fungicides

Responses to a piperidine fungicide, fenpropidin, and to a morpholine, fenpropimorph, of single-colony isolates of Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei, collected in eastern Scotland and England in 1988, were strongly correlated. All isolates could be classified as sensitive (S) or resistant (R) to these fungicides. There was comparatively little variation in sensitivity to a second morpholine, tridemorph. Responses to tridemorph were weakly correlated with responses to fenpropidin and fenpropimorph. The levels of resistance detected were low in relation to recommended field application rates of the fungicides. Four R isolates, from north-east Scotland, had lower sensitivities to fenpropimorph and tridemorph than others in the R group, but showed similar sensitivities to fenpropidin. R isolates were frequent in Scotland, from Midlothian north to Moray, where the highly mildew-susceptible variety Golden Promise was widely grown, but were not found in England. The pattern of race-specific virulences of R and S isolates indicates that resistance to fenpropidin and fenpropimorph evolved several times, and therefore suggests that the same gene(s) causes resistance to both chemicals.