Sensitivity of Fusarium verticillioides isolates from rice to a novel cyanoacrylate fungicide

Abstract

The baseline sensitivity of Fusarium verticillioides to the novel cyanoacrylate fungicide 2-cyano-3-amino-3-phenylancryic acetate (experimental code JS399-19) was established, and its impact on the germination of rice seeds and efficacy in controlling rice bakanae disease by seed treatment were evaluated. The EC50 values for JS399-19 inhibiting mycelial growth of wild-type F. verticillioides isolates ranged from 0.162 to 0.559 μg/ml (a 3.5-fold difference between the lowest and highest value), and the average (±SE) EC50 value was 0.316 ± 0.072 μg/ml. The sensitivity curve was unimodal over the sensitive range and the sensitivity data can be used as a baseline for monitoring any future changes in sensitivity to JS399-19 by F. verticillioides populations. Germination of healthy seeds was greater than 77% for all the selected cultivars, and was unaffected by treatment with JS399-19. Treatment of infected seeds (harvested from diseased plants) with all concentrations of JS399-19 in this study significantly decreased the abnormal elongation and damping-off of seedlings in plastic bottles in the greenhouse, indicating that JS399-19 has excellent efficacy in controlling rice bakanae disease, and was safe to rice seeds. It could be used as a disinfectant of rice seeds infected by F. verticillioides. The results also suggested that the F. verticillioides isolates exhibited little sensitivity shift to this fungicide after a single application. If properly applied, JS399-19 might be used as a major fungicide or a good companion fungicide for the control of rice bakanae disease in China.