Integrating a host-resistance factor into the FAST system to forecast early blight of potato

A host resistance factor was integrated into the FAST (Forecaster of Alternaria solani on Tomatoes) system to initiate and to schedule fungicide applications for three levels of potato cultivar susceptibility while maintaining disease control and yield. Four cultivars ranging from susceptible to moderately resistant were each treated with the fungicide chlorothalonil during two field seasons. The five fungicide treatments were a 7-day schedule initiated after 50% flowering; a non-sprayed control; and three FAST application schedules based on combinations of critical levels of cumulative severity (CS, the disease severity values as a function of leaf wetness and temperature) and cumulative rating (CR, the disease rating values as a function of average temperature and hours of relative humidity greater than 90%) values. The FAST system predicted the onset of early blight and subsequent periods conducive for disease development in 1993 and 1994. There were cultivar-by-spray-schedule interactions for both disease severity and yield, suggesting that differences in early blight susceptibility exist between cultivars. Use of the recommended schedules for the cultivar's targeted level of susceptibility reduced early blight severity and minimized fungicide use while maintaining yield. These results indicate that a host-resistance factor can be incorporated into the FAST system.