Fungicide Resistance in Plant Pathogens: Monitoring, Detection, Mechanisms and Management

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 1344

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Plant Pathology, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forest University, Lin’an 311300, China
Interests: plant etiology; plant anthracnose; pathogenesis; control technologies; fungicide resistance
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the introduction of target-specific chemicals in the late 1960s, resistance to fungicides has grown in importance and now is the preoccupation of the fungicide industry and a key factor within plant disease management. All fungicides are classed into different resistance groups according to their mode of action and resistance mechanisms by the fungicide resistance action committee (FRAC, www. Frac.info). Fungicide resistance is commonly defined as an inheritable decrease in sensitivity based on the off-target and on-target mechanisms a plant-pathogenic fungi has to a specific chemical, caused by the population evolution of this pathogen under selection pressure from this chemical. In recent years, epigenetic and host-induced resistance mechanisms have been reported to be involved in a number of cases, meaning that a One Health perspective is becoming more and more important in the fungicide resistance field.

In this Special Issue of Plants, we welcome novel studies on all aspects of this field, such as risk assessments; resistance development; resistance monitoring; rapid detection techniques; point-of-care (POC) methods; the resistance mechanisms of different kinds of fungicides; and integrative research on resistance management programs, which is especially encouraged as this could have a broader impact and lead to more success. We also seek reviews that offer original perspectives on these areas.

Prof. Dr. Chuanqing Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • risk assessment
  • risk development
  • risk mechanism
  • risk management
  • fungicide resistance

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2530 KB  
Article
Development of Procymidone and Difenoconazole Resistance in Alternaria alternata, the Causal Agent of Kiwifruit Brown Spot Disease
by Yahui Liu, Manfei Bao, Yanxin Wang and Chuanqing Zhang
Plants 2025, 14(14), 2245; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14142245 - 21 Jul 2025
Viewed by 401
Abstract
Brown spot, caused by Alternaria alternata, is the most important leaf fungal disease threatening kiwifruit production in China, and it is typically controlled through the application of fungicides, such as procymidone and difenoconazole. To date, fungicide resistance development has not yet been [...] Read more.
Brown spot, caused by Alternaria alternata, is the most important leaf fungal disease threatening kiwifruit production in China, and it is typically controlled through the application of fungicides, such as procymidone and difenoconazole. To date, fungicide resistance development has not yet been systematically reported for the pathogen of kiwifruit. A total of 135 single-conidium A. alternata isolates were collected from different cities in Zhejiang Province, China. Alternaria alternata developed prevailing resistance to procymidone and initial resistance to difenoconazole, with resistance frequencies of 60.7 and 13.3%, respectively. Positive cross-resistance was observed between procymidone and iprodione but not between procymidone and difenoconazole, tebuconazole, prochloraz, pydiflumetofen, pyraclostrobin, or thiophanate-methyl. Moreover, no cross-resistance was observed between difenoconazole and all other tested fungicides, including the two other demethylation inhibitors, tebuconazole and prochloraz. A fitness penalty was not detected in procymidone-resistant (ProR) or difenoconazole-resistant (DifR) isolates. However, double-resistant (ProR DifR) isolates had a fitness penalty, showing significantly decreased sporulation, germination, and pathogenicity. The P894L single point mutation, caused by the change from CCA to CTA at the 894th codon of Os1, was detected in ProR isolates. Molecular dynamic simulation showed that the P894L mutation significantly decreased the inhibitory activity of procymidone against AaOs1 in A. alternata. These results provide insight into the development and characteristics of fungicide resistance, offering guidance for the study and management of kiwifruit diseases. Full article
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15 pages, 5435 KB  
Article
Resistance of Alternaria spp. Causing Strawberry Black Spot to Boscalid in China
by Tao Li, Wenbin Yu, Ji Feng, Chengxin Mao, Hong Yu, Aichun Liu and Chuanqing Zhang
Plants 2025, 14(13), 1941; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131941 - 24 Jun 2025
Viewed by 557
Abstract
Strawberry black spot, caused by Alternaria spp., is an emerging disease that threatens both leaves and fruits during strawberry growth and postharvest storage. This study investigated the boscalid sensitivity of 49 Alternaria isolates collected from symptomatic strawberry leaves. Boscalid has been widely used [...] Read more.
Strawberry black spot, caused by Alternaria spp., is an emerging disease that threatens both leaves and fruits during strawberry growth and postharvest storage. This study investigated the boscalid sensitivity of 49 Alternaria isolates collected from symptomatic strawberry leaves. Boscalid has been widely used to control diseases in strawberry in China for several years. The EC50 values for the tested isolates ranged from 0.0884 to 266.3289 µg/mL, indicating that most isolates exhibited varying levels of resistance to boscalid based on resistance ratio values. A substitution of SDHC-H134R was detected from most high-resistance isolates. Fitness cost assessment revealed that highly resistant isolates had a reduced conidial germination rate; however, their mycelial growth and conidia production were increased. No significant virulence deficiency was observed, suggesting low fitness cost in resistant isolates. Furthermore, the highly resistant isolates exhibited positive cross-resistance to fluopyram and fluxapyroxad. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the SDHC-H134R mutation reduced the binding affinity between boscalid and mitochondrial complex II. These findings suggest that resistance management strategies, such as fungicide rotation or combinations of fungicides with different action modes, should be implemented to control strawberry diseases, minimizing the development of fungicide resistance and improving overall disease control efficacy. Full article
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