Assessing Fungicide Resistance of Grape Powdery Mildew in Wine, Table and Raisin Grapes

Throughout 2017, a field scouting campaign that covered Central and Northern California, Western Oregon, and Southern Washington yielded over 850 field samples and 64 isolates of Erysiphe necator. Analysis of these samples for resistance to quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides (FRAC Group 11) using the G143A qPCR assay indicated widespread resistance throughout all grape growing regions scouted (90% resistance among ToughSpot kit samples). These results were confirmed when isolate and field sample DNA underwent genotyping by sequencing analysis of the cytb gene. These results are similar to the QoI resistance observed throughout Oregon in 2015 and 2016. Analysis of these samples using various molecular techniques and fungicide resistance bioassays to determine resistance to demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides (FRAC group 3) and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides (FRAC group 7) is ongoing. A qPCR assay was developed to target a point mutation (Y136F) of the CYP51 gene that is a contributing factor to DMI resistance in E. necator; the mutation is present in 79.1% of tested 2017 samples (n=43). Analysis by sequencing of the SDHI gene complex has yielded 5 point mutations within two of the subunits in the SDH complex. Two of those mutations induce amino acid changes in their respective proteins and are being analyzed for potential contribution to SDHI resistance.