Agriculture Daily Summary: What Happened on October 13, 2026

Resistance to two fungicides found in oilseed rape pathogen

Rothamsted Research scientists reported the first confirmed resistance to SDHI fungicides in Plenodomus biglobosus, an oilseed rape pathogen.1 Laboratory tests found resistance to boscalid and fluxapyroxad in samples from the UK and Poland.1 Resistance to both fungicides was found in 95% of UK isolates and 6% of Polish isolates tested.1

Some UK isolates showed up to a 500-fold reduction in sensitivity.1 Researchers linked resistance to mutations in genes encoding the enzyme targeted by SDHI fungicides.1 The study found limited evidence that the mutations impaired the pathogen's fitness, suggesting resistant strains might persist in fields.1

Kevin King said further work is needed to assess how resistance affects disease control in fields.1

PrimeStack inserts large genetic cargos into rice

Researchers combined prime editing with the Bxb1 integrase enzyme to create PrimeStack, which inserts multigene DNA cargos at targeted sites without double-strand DNA breaks.2 In regenerated rice plants, integration efficiency reached 45%, measured by junction-specific PCR.2

The team demonstrated the method by inserting a carotenoid cassette at an experimentally confirmed genomic safe-harbor site.2 Under the tested conditions, plants showed no obvious morphological differences from unedited plants five weeks after transfer to soil.2

Also worth knowing

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  Jon West said continued monitoring of both Phoma pathogens could provide early warning of fungicide resistance and help preserve fungicide effectiveness.1