Acibenzolar-S-methyl (CGA 245704 or Actigard 50WG) is a plant activator that induces systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in many different crops to a number of pathogens. Acibenzolar-S-methyl was evaluated for management of bacterial spot (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria) and bacterial speck (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato) of tomato in 15 and 7 field experiments, respectively. Experiments were conducted over a 4-year period in Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Ohio, and Ontario using local production systems. Applied at 35 g a.i. ha-1, acibenzolar-S-methyl reduced foliar disease severity in 14 of the 15 bacterial spot and all 7 bacterial speck experiments. Disease control was similar or superior to that obtained using a standard copper bactericide program. Acibenzolar-S-methyl also reduced bacterial fruit spot and speck incidence. Tomato yield was not affected by using the plant activator in the field when complemented with fungicides to manage foliar fungal diseases, but tomato transplant dry weight was negatively impacted. X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria population densities on greenhouse-grown tomato transplants were reduced by acibenzolar-S-methyl treatment. Bacterial speck and spot population densities on leaves of field-grown plants were not dramatically affected. Acibenzolar-S-methyl can be integrated as a viable alternative to copper-based bactericides for field management of bacterial spot and speck, particularly where copper-resistant populations predominate.

Eighty-five isolates of Phytophthora infestans from 33 tomato and 8 potato fields in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee were collected from 1993 to 1995 and tested for mating type, sensitivity to metalaxyl, and allozyme genotype at glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (Gpi) and peptidase (Pep) loci. One isolate collected from potato in eastern North Carolina in 1994 was the A1 mating type, whereas all other isolates from potato and tomato were the A2 mating type. Six isolates were sensitive to metalaxyl (<40% growth at 1.0 μg of metalaxyl per ml), nineteen isolates were intermediate in sensitivity to metalaxyl (>40% growth at 1.0 μg of metalaxyl per ml and <40% growth at 100 μg of metalaxyl per ml), and sixty isolates were resistant to metalaxyl (<40% growth at 1.0 and 100 μg of metalaxyl per ml). Four different allozyme genotypes at the Gpi and Pep loci were identified. The single A1 isolate found on potato in eastern North Carolina had the dilocus allozyme genotype Gpi 86/100, Pep 92/100 and was identified as the US-1 genotype. Fifty-five isolates had the dilocus allozyme genotype Gpi 100/111, Pep 100/100 and were classified as the US-7 genotype, whereas twenty-four isolates were Gpi 100/111/122, Pep 100/100 and were classified as the US-8 genotype. Two isolates that were sensitive to meta-laxyl and seventeen isolates that were intermediate in sensitivity to metalaxyl were found among the US-7 and US-8 genotypes. In addition, five isolates had the allozyme genotype Gpi 100/100, Pep 92/100 (similar to the previously reported US-6 genotype), but they were the A2 mating type and either sensitive or intermediate in response to metalaxyl. These isolates composed a new genotype not previously reported in the United States and were designated as US-18. The US-7 genotype was more frequent on tomato in western North Carolina and the US-8 genotype was present on potato in eastern North Carolina, indicating that different inoculum sources are responsible for epidemics on the two crops in different regions of the state.

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