Monitoring of Benzimidazole Resistance in Botrytis cinerea Isolates from Strawberry in Korea and Development of Detection Method for Benzimidazole Resistance

Abstract

Botrytis cinerea is a major fungal plant pathogen that causes gray mold disease in strawberries, leading to a decrease in strawberry yield. While benzimidazole is widely used as a fungicide for controlling this disease, the increasing prevalence of resistant populations to this fungicide undermines its effectiveness. To investigate benzimidazole resistant B. cinerea in South Korea, 78 strains were isolated from strawberries grown in 78 different farms in 2022, and their EC50 values for benzimidazole were examined. As a result, 64 strains exhibited resistance to benzimidazole, and experimental tests using detached strawberry leaves and the plants in a greenhouse confirmed the reduced efficacy of benzimidazole to control these strains. The benzimidazole resistant strains identified in this study possessed two types of mutations, E198A or E198V, in the TUB2 gene. To detect these mutations, TaqMan probes were designed, enabling rapid identification of benzimidazole resistant B. cinerea in strawberry and tomato farms. This study utilizes TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis to swiftly identify benzimidazole resistant B. cinerea, thereby offering the possibility of effective disease management by identifying optimum locations and time of application.