Effect of fungicides and of biocontrol agents against powdery mildew of turnip.

The activity of several fungicides and of two biocontrol agents, Bacillus subtilis and Ampelomyces quisqualis, alone and in combination, against Erysiphe cruciferarum, causal agent of powdery mildew, was evaluated on turnip under controlled conditions. Among the tested fungicides, quinoxyfen and azoxystrobin provided the best disease control, followed by penconazole, myclobutanil, dinocap and meptyldinocap. Sulphur provided a only partial control. The two biocontrol agents used alone provided a only partial disease control, with B. subtilis being generally more effective. The mixture B. subtilis + azoxystrobin was very effective and generally more active than the two components applied alone. The possibility of introducing biocontrol agents into IPM is discussed.