ABSTRACT
Fungicides are the most important components in the management of fungal diseases. More than 100 fungicides have been developed, and several hundreds of fungicide formulations are available. They have been formulated as dustable powders, wettable powders, emulsifiable concentrates, flowables, liquids, granules, and gases. Special formulations have also been developed specifically for seed treatment and soil application. Formulations consist of several adjuvants in addition to the active ingredients. Formulations of mixtures of fungicides are also available. The mode of action of different classes of fungicides varies widely, and each class of fungicides controls different groups of diseases. Specificity of fungicides appears to be restricted to the fungal genera level, not the species level. Various types of application equipment are available to apply fungicides to crops. Fungi develop resistance to certain fungicides, and several techniques have also been developed to manage fungicide resistance in pathogens. All of these issues are discussed in this chapter.
