Efficacy of Fluopicolide against Phytophthora capsici Causing Pepper Phytophthora Blight

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of fluopicolide to inhibit Phytophthora capsici in vitro, and to control pepper Phytophthora blight in a greenhouse and pepper fields. Fluopicolide was tested on various developmental stages of P. capsici 06-143 (a sensitive isolate to metalaxyl) and JHAW1-2 (a resistant isolate to metalaxyl). Mycelial growth and zoosporangium germination of both isolates were completely inhibited at $4.0\;{\mu}g/ml$ of the fungicide in vitro. The $EC_{50}$ (effective concentrations reducing 50%) of P. capsici 06-143 against zoospore were $0.219\;{\mu}g/ml$, while those of JHAW1-2 were $3.829\;{\mu}g/ml$. When fluopicolide was applied at 100 and $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$ 7 days before inoculation with P. capsici 06-143 in the greenhouse test, the disease was controlled completely until 6 days after inoculation. However, the curative effect of fluopicolide was not as much as the protective effect. When fluopicolide was applied by both soil drenching and foliar spraying, the treatments strongly protected pepper against the Phytophthora blight disease. Based on these results, fluopicolide can be a promising candidate for a fungicide to control P. capsici in the pepper fields.