Foliar fungicides as protective seed piece treatments for management of late blight of potatoes

Fungicides receiving Section 18 emergency exemptions for management of the foliar phase of late blight of potato were evaluated as protective treatments for control of tuberborne inoculum of Phytophthora infestans in greenhouse and field studies. Three Section 18 products, Acrobat MZ (dimethomorph + mancozeb), Curzate M-8 (cymoxanil + mancozeb), and Tattoo C (propamocarb hydrochloride + chlorothalonil), when applied to the seed piece prior to inoculation with P. infestans, significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased sprout emergence, compared with the inoculated water control. Of the three Section 18 products, Curzate M-8 was frequently the most effective. The increase in plant emergence with the protective seed piece treatment was seen with cultivars that differ in susceptibility to late blight, two genotypes (US-8 and US-11) of P. infestans, zoospore and sporangial inocula, and at different inoculation sites on the seed piece. In greenhouse studies, percent emergence with the protective seed piece treatments averaged 74% for cv. White Rose and 44% for cv. Shepody, compared with 9 and 8% for the inoculated water control of the respective cultivars. In field studies, when inoculum was placed either adjacent to or 4 cm away from the sprout, plant emergence of the inoculated water control was 12 and 36%, respectively. Application of the fungicides to the seed piece prior to inoculation increased emergence by an average of 700 and 212% for the respective inoculation sites. There was no evidence for translocation of the fungicides to the emerging foliage in concentrations high enough to prevent foliar infection from airborne inoculum of P. infestans. Control of tuberborne inoculum of P. infestans with appropriate seed piece treatments will result in an increase in plant emergence and improved crop uniformity.