Fungicide seed treatment efficacy against Microdochium nivale and M. majus in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND: Seed-borne Microdochium majus (Wollenweber) and M. nivale Fries are the primary pathogens responsible for Fusarium seedling blight in the UK. The two species show differences in pathogenicity, host preference and sensitivities to temperature, but their relative sensitivities to fungicide seed treatments are unknown. The aim was firstly to determine the efficacy of fungicide seed treatments towards single-spore isolates of M. majus and M. nivale using in vitro experiments, and subsequently to determine efficacy in vivo over a range of temperatures. RESULTS: Differences in EC(50) values between all seed treatments were evident from the in vitro experiments and ranged from 0.028 mg L(-1) for fludioxonil to 22.8 mg L(-1) for carboxin + thiram. The two seed treatments that showed best performance in vitro were used to examine efficacy towards seed-borne infection in vivo at 4, 8, 12 and 16 degrees C. Generally, seedling emergence improved and the severity of stem-base disease symptoms on emerged seedlings was reduced for both species through the use of the fungicides. The combination of fludioxonil + difenconazole showed improved performance compared with fludioxonil alone. Significantly less severe symptoms were observed through the use of fludioxonil and fludioxonil + difenconazole compared with bitertanol + fuberidazole at 12 degrees C and for all except one M. nivale infected seed lot at 8 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in fungicide sensitivity between the two species in vitro were not evident in vivo. This is the first report of the effect of fungicide seed treatments on the control of seedling blight caused by M. majus and M. nivale.