Currently wheat production in northern Europe is reliant on the application of plant protection products throughout the growing season. Fungicides account for approximately 25% of these applications, with septoria tritici blotch (STB) the primary target. Unfortunately the evolutionary potential of Z. tritici coupled with the highly specific nature of current fungicide chemistries place the pathogen at a high risk of fungicide resistance development. Over the last decade the consequences of this have been observed at field level, with varying levels of resistance to the main fungicides now reported in Northern Europe. In addition to fungicide resistance, changes in the registration of plant protection products within the EU will impact upon the availability of current and future chemistries. It is therefore imperative that both the potential development of resistance and subsequent spread is minimized. To achieve this it is essential to continually monitor Z. tritici populations for risk of resistance development and to develop strategies that reduce this risk and the spread of resistant strains whilst maintaining disease control. The proposed EURO-RES project aims to:

• Determine the level of resistance in Z. tritici populations in Europe and analyse the dynamics of fungicide resistance based on molecular methods
• Develop and test robust and sustainable IPM control strategies for the control of Z. tritici that minimize the risk of fungicide resistance development
• Make publically available the research findings in a manner that can be readily utilized by extension services and growers through the EuroWheat knowledge hub ( eurowheat.au.dk)
• Establish a network of scientists, partners from relevant chemical companies, extension and authorities that can carry on continuously monitoring and the dissemination of information after the project has ended.