Controlling crop fungal disease through the use of mixed fungicides has been confirmed as a successful tactic, by a recent study to reduce fungicide resistance.<\/p>\n
Co-author Professor Richard Oliver, Chief Scientist of Curtin\u2019s Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) \u2013 funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation \u2013 said by mixing fungicides with different modes of action, farmers will reduce the rate of fungicide resistance, extending the life of fungicides for future use.<\/p>\n
\u201cCrop disease is already costing Australian farmers $50 per hectare per year, and it is critical that the life span of the few working fungicides is extended as long as possible, as new products can never come out quick enough,\u201d Professor Oliver said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready, many fungicides are on the cusp of becoming ineffective, but we have proven that mixing these \u2018at-risk\u2019 fungicides with another of a different mode of action reduces the rate of resistance development.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Oliver said the team developed a simple formula that could predict whether particular resistance management tactics were effective, and used this to explore resistance management using fungicide mixtures.<\/p>\n
After comparing the findings to the published experimental evidence, the team could show in nearly all relevant reports, mixing \u2018at-risk\u2019 fungicides with another fungicide reduced fungicide resistance, making it a valid resistance management strategy.<\/p>\n
CCDM Director, Professor Mark Gibberd highlighted the importance of this research and related studies for both Australian farms and global food security.<\/p>\n
\u201cFungal diseases are evolving in resistance to common modes of fungicide action and this places crop production at risk \u2013 both in terms of profitability but, more alarmingly, it raises the possibility of crop failure,\u201d Professor Gibberd said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis research by Professor Oliver\u2019s team is an exciting finding, as it will impact the farmers\u2019 bottom line, as well as allow for more sustainable agriculture practices.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Curtin team also found that reducing the dose of the \u2018at-risk\u2019 fungicide within the mixture did not compromise the disease control, contrary to previous opinion that lowering the dose may cause resistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cFurthermore, we have seen evidence from our research that mixing two \u2018at-risk\u2019 fungicides (from different modes of action) can also be a useful resistance management technique, however, further studies are needed to confirm this for each mixture,\u201d Professor Oliver said.<\/p>\n
He said further research was needed to look at the required doses of each mixing partner, the life span of mixed fungicides, as well as other aspects of mixing fungicides to help farmers combat resistance with mixtures.<\/p>\n
The CCDM has compiled a list of all the fungicide active ingredients that are available to Australian farmers, showing which ingredients are now at-risk or compromised for wheat and barley within different modes of action. For a copy of this list, contact the CCDM at ccdm@curtin.edu.au<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A study by Curtin\u2019s Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) has found that crop fungal disease can be controlled through the use of mixed fungicides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4275,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_research-areas":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"research-areas":[],"class_list":["post-18338","media-release","type-media-release","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"additional_content":{"title":"Additional information","content":"