Monitoring the development of resistance in arable pathogens to foliar fungicides

1. Introduction

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a non-departmental Government body, funded by levy income from farmers, growers and others in the supply chain, and managed as an independent organisation (independent of both commercial industry and of Government). The role of the AHDB is to help improve the efficiency and competitiveness of various agriculture sectors within the UK. Our purpose is to help our farmers, growers and industry to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

As AHDB is funded in this manner, value for money is paramount, we welcome suppliers who can offer innovative and cost-efficient solutions to meet our needs, whilst also offering superlative service that will enable us to create a world-class food and farming industry. Solutions should look to help us not only reduce costs but increase business flexibility, lift productivity, bring people together to collaborate, innovate and drive change throughout. Further information about AHDB can be found here: https://ahdb.org.uk/

2. Background

Since the mid-1970s fungicides for the control of foliar diseases have become a vital part of arable production in the UK. In their absence, significant yield losses and declines in quality occur. Fungicide manufacturers have introduced several different fungicide modes of action (MoA), but a number of key pathogens have developed resistance to one or more of these MoA.

With the withdrawal of several multi-site fungicides, the difficulty and importance of stewarding existing and new single-site MoA has increased. As new fungicide MoA are introduced, pathogens are likely to evolve resistance to these and while the risk of resistance development can be predicted to an extent, the timing, severity, and speed of development cannot be predicted.

For levy payers and their advisors, up to date information on the resistance status of key pathogens to the main fungicide MoA used to control them is required, so that fungicide programmes that provide adequate disease control and minimise the risk of further resistance developing can be designed. In addition, effective and targeted knowledge exchange (KE) is needed to help farmers and advisors put fungicide resistance management advice into action.

AHDB funded the previous phase of this project which ran from 1^st April 2019 and is due to end on 31^st March 2026. More information on the project is available at https://ahdb.org.uk/monitoring-resistance-to-foliar-fungicides-in-cereal-pathogens

3. Project requirement

The disease requiring annual monitoring is septoria leaf blotch in wheat (Zymoseptoria tritici).

 The project has the following objectives. The applicants should propose the most effective way to achieve these objectives and justify their proposed method.

1. Monitor changes in the sensitivity status of tritici to current and pending UK MoA.
2. Knowledge exchange to the farming community, ensuring messaging is both engaging and accessible.

4. Scope and Approach

Objective 1

The monitoring should cost effectively provide useful information to formulate resistance management plans. Historically this has included a combination of in-vivo phenotyping and genotyping to detect mutations. The monitoring should be done in such a way that the outputs are able to be directly compared to data from the previous term of the project, to ensure identification of trends in the sensitivity of the pathogen population to MoA over time.

At a minimum, isolates from the AHDB Fungicide Performance (FP) trial sites should be monitored. Each year, six FP trials across the UK target septoria control. Each trial has up to 41 treatments consisting of three untreateds, a multisite fungicide, and new and existing fungicides at 25%, 50%, 100%, and 200% of their full dose. There are three replicates. More information on the FP work is available at https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/fungicide-performance-in-cereals-and-oilseed-rape.

While previous AHDB-funded fungicide resistance monitoring work has collected samples that have been collected post-fungicide treatment across four treatments in the FP trials as well as untreated plots pre- and post-treatment, we are open to proposals on how sampling can cost effectively provide the most useful information for levy payers. The proposal should include a clear justification.

 Since FP trial operators have the resource to collect and post up to six leaf samples per trial, no allowance for collection of this plant material from these trials needs to be made within the project proposal beyond the writing and annual updating of a suitable collection protocol. Proposals with justifiable additional testing included beyond the samples outlined above from the FP trials within the budget available will be scored accordingly under point 4 of the scoring criteria in section 8.

 As part of the FP project management the FP Fungicide Working Group (FWG) meet twice a year. The FWG consists of FP project partners and AHDB project managers. The successful applicant will be expected to attend and input into these meetings as necessary. They are generally held online in the autumn (to discuss the previous season’s data and plan for the presentation at the AHDB Agronomy Conference) and winter (to plan the upcoming season’s trials). The successful applicant will be expected to work with the FP FWG to agree the exact sampling regime each season.

Objective 2

The recent fungicide resistance project review highlighted that a critical improvement is needed to achieve clearer messaging on shifts in fungicide sensitivity and the best way to manage these shifts that farmers will find both engaging and in a format that will enable change in practice at farm level.

The annual FP presentation at the AHDB Agronomy Conference (usually in December) is a key output from the work described in this tender and should be factored into the proposal. The successful applicant will be expected to provide timely relevant outcomes from objective 1 above for inclusion in the Agronomy Conference FP presentation. This will include working with the FP FWG to relate the outcome of their fungicide resistance monitoring to the performance data from the FP trials and agree messaging relevant to farmers as outlined above. At a minimum this will also include producing relevant PowerPoint materials for the lead FP presenter to integrate into their regular presentation. Where applicants feel levy payers would benefit from the applicant giving a presentation focussed on fungicide resistance at the Agronomy Conference this should be justified and costed into the proposal accordingly.

Farmers and agronomists should be updated promptly on shifts in sensitivity and resistance management emerging from the work through other channels such as podcasts, blog posts, videos, or events. AHDB’s preference is that results are disseminated at events and through channels that are open to all, for example AHDB’s.

Successful applicants will detail a communications plan as part of their proposal. Proposals should articulate how the applicant will ensure farmers and agronomists recognise what changes in practice are necessary and also that AHDB levy funding is underpinning the ongoing provision of this critical data for the industry. Examples of items for the communications plan are:

• If a new MoA is registered the applicant could provide comms around how to manage resistance.
• If disease pressure is particularly high one season the applicant could provide a comms reminding the industry how to consider fungicide resistance management as part of their management plan.
• If a critical active ingredient is withdrawn the applicant could outline how to continue to manage fungicide resistance in its absence.

When conveying information to the audience, applicants should consider commercial and practical constraints to resistance management, and ensure graphs are easy to interpret and clearly explained. The successful applicant will be expected to work with AHDB to monitor the uptake and impact of the outcomes generated by this work.

As well as formulating messages ahead of the season with the FP FWG, the successful applicant will be expected to work with the Fungicide Resistance Action Group (FRAG-UK) to agree messaging which is up to date with current shifts in sensitivity and current agronomy practices. This can be as a member, as a guest of FRAG, or through liaising with members of FRAG such as the AHDB representative. More information on FRAG is available at https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/the-fungicide-resistance-action-group-frag-uk.

A higher score under point 2 of the scoring criteria will be given to applicants who demonstrate they have put thought into what a good KE and comms programme looks like for disseminating project outputs on fungicide resistance to farmers and advisors. All KE and comms work should be detailed and costed into the proposal.

Reporting

Annual and final project reports will be required along with participation in our annual project monitoring exercise. Further information and templates for these reports can be found at AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds research report templates.

In addition, a project management report following the AHDB template will be required by the 31^st December each year. This report outlines issues such as delays in the project or changes in staffing.

5. Innovation

If the applicant is able to include innovation within their proposal, either due to cash or in-kind co-funding or due to the core work not using all of the budget, this will be scored higher under point 6 of the scoring criteria in section 8. Innovation is work that would benefit levy payers and is over and above the core work described in this proposal, for example testing new cereals or oilseeds pathogens. Please note the evaluation weighting for this section is 5%. The applicant must have the expertise and capacity to undertake this in addition to the annual testing of septoria.

Please include this as a separate section within the proposal. Scoring for innovation will be ringfenced in point 6 of the scoring criteria.

6. Project Duration, Budget, and Collaboration

AHDB has set aside a maximum total budget of £107,500, inclusive of VAT (£89,583.33 excluding VAT) over 2 years: cropping seasons 2026 and 2027. Thus, duration of this contract will be from April 2026 to 31 March 2028. There may be an option to extend by one year which will be agreed in July 2027. Please provide costs for the first two years as well as the possible one-year extension.

 Submissions where the core work does not use all of the allocated budget will be scored favourably under point 4 of the scoring criteria in section 8. Proposals that include co-funding from other partners will be scored higher under this section.

 At the end of the project the successful applicant will be required to share data with any future supplier of the project.

Research Partnership Approach

Joint proposals from two or more contractors are acceptable and encouraged where there is added value. AHDB may, if it is deemed desirable, request applicants to form a consortium to work together. There should be one organisation designated as the lead organisation for the Research Partnership which is responsible for project management and delivery. The group size should be manageable. Prospective partnerships can comprise both research institutes and industrial partners, be multi-disciplinary, and draw on a range of research experience for a number of crops. Therefore, the group does not necessarily need to have a history of working together previously but the applicant should provide evidence of how productive relationships between partners will be achieved. Please note that inclusion of in kind and/or cash funding is one of the evaluation points under point 4 of the scoring criteria.

7. Structure/format of submission

Applicants can complete AHDB Research and KE Application Form - Full Proposal Large for projects over £50,000, referring to the guidance notes to aid completion. Alternatively, applicants can submit a proposal in a format of their choice. Completed application forms should be submitted to research@ahdb.org.uk no later than noon on 30^th January 2026. Please note that the scoring parameters applied to this opportunity for funding will be as outlined in section 8 below and not as included in the standard proposal form linked to above.

On submitting a proposal, please ensure you have read and accepted our terms and conditions, these are available on our website here under the “Standard agreements” heading. Any organisation receiving funding from AHDB shall comply with the terms and conditions specified in the Research Funding Agreement. AHDB will not be held responsible for any expenses or losses incurred by applicants in the preparation of an application(s).

AHDB reserves the right to not proceed with any application or, if appropriate, to request applicants to form a consortium to work together to deliver a programme of activities.

An evaluation panel will assess submissions in line with the scoring criteria and weightings in section 8 to decide the best outcome for this research project.

8. Evaluation and award of contract

All submitted proposals will be reviewed by relevant representatives within AHDB, and the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee. If required, external peer reviewers may be sought. The selection will be an open and fair competition according to AHDB’s procurement policy, which complies with EU state aid rules.

Evaluation of proposals will be on the evidence provided against the following criteria:

9. Proposal submissions

Applications must be received by noon on 31 January 2026. Submissions are to be made electronically to the email address research@ahdb.org.uk quoting the reference 'Monitoring the development of resistance in arable pathogens to foliar fungicides (21120018b)'. 

Submissions will remain unopened until after the closing date and time has passed

10. Timetable

Please note these timescales are approximate and may change.

A project initiation meeting will be held between the successful bidder and the project funders at the commencement of the contract.  Additional meetings will be held as required for progress updates.

11. Terms/conditions of participation

Research and ke funding | AHDB terms and conditions shall apply to any contract awarded as a result of this request for quotes.

If you have specific questions relating to this call, please email research@ahdb.org.uk. All Questions & Answers will be published.

As part of the open tender process, AHDB cannot discuss specific programme details prior to proposal submission.

If you have any questions relating to this tender please contact: