Aims and activities of industry's fungicide resistance action committee (FRAC)1

FRAC is a GIFAP-sponsored inter-company committee dedicated to prolonging the effectiveness of fungicides liable to encounter resistance problems and to limit crop damage during the emergence of resistance. Through FRAC and the Working Groups it co-ordinates, companies are striving to establish more effective communications to alert all people involved in the research, production, marketing, registration and use of fungicides to the problems of resistance. With an enlightened attitude, effective strategies can be conceived and adopted. Co-operative action is deemed essential if the invaluable option of chemical disease control for crops is to be preserved. Working Groups for acylalanines, benzimidazoles, dicarboximides and sterol inhibitors are well organized and functioning in various monitoring studies and cooperative actions. FRAC meets regularly to review the activities of the Working Groups and to deal with the wider aspects of fungicide resistance. FRAC initiates, stimulates and monitors Working Groups, provides guidelines and co-ordinates the efforts of the Working Groups, helps Working Groups communicate their conclusions, publicises guidelines on procedures/definitions of practical resistance research, provides technical counsel for fungicide-resistance courses and research studies, and liaises with universities, advisers, farmers, distributors, governments.