The role of Extension in fungicide resistance management

Extension specialists and agents have played an integral part in proactively relaying resistance management information to fruit producers – generally through face-to-face meetings, farm visits, phone calls, newsletter articles and a myriad of traditional venues. This chapter features three case studies that illustrate how the extension service has been involved in (i) identifying resistance-related problems in producer fields, (ii) formulating and implementing solutions, and (iii) continued education of producers to adjust to ever changing resistance landscapes. Extension agents and specialists have two goals associated with resistance management: (1) provision of non-biased, accurate and current information to producers relative to resistance management best practices, and (2) rapid identification of resistance when it occurs, to be quickly followed by new recommendations – the feedback loop. The strong working relationship between Extension and producers educates both parties, continues to build trust, and generates the foundation for change.