Resistance to Quinone Outside Inhibitor Fungicides Conferred by the G143A Mutation in Cercospora sojina (Causal Agent of Frogeye Leaf Spot) Isolates from Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska Soybean Fields

Abstract

Frogeye leaf spot, caused by Cercospora sojina, is an important disease of soybean (Glycine max) in the United States. An important tactic to manage frogeye leaf spot is to apply foliar fungicides. Isolates of C. sojina were collected from soybean fields in one county in Michigan, three counties in Minnesota, and 10 counties in Nebraska in 2019, and they were tested for resistance to quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides using a discriminatory dose assay, a PCR assay, and DNA sequencing. Results of the testing indicated that QoI fungicide-resistant isolates were detected in isolates from all counties. Testing results also indicated that the G143A mutation was responsible for the QoI fungicide resistance. This is the first report of QoI fungicide-resistant C. sojina isolates in Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska and expands the geographical distribution of QoI fungicide-resistant C. sojina isolates to 18 states in total.