How to deal with black leg on potatoes?

Planting tubers in the ground is only half the battle; you also need to take care of them to get an excellent harvest. Black leg of potatoes is a common disease of this crop. Many summer residents have encountered this problem and are looking for ways to solve it. This is due to the fact that you can lose most of the harvest.

How can you tell if a plant is infected?

Observing the appearance of the plant will help to promptly identify potato disease and take measures to destroy it. A characteristic sign of the disease is the presence of blackened stem bases approximately 10 cm upward.Hence the name.

The main symptoms of the disease:

• The first sign is yellowing of the leaves, curling and drying. They are detected 3–4 weeks after germination.
• The stems and roots of the plant begin to turn black. And they easily come off at the site of injury.
• When flowering, diseased bushes lag behind others in terms of development. The active development of the disease occurs precisely during this period.
• If the disease is in an advanced stage, then the bacteria move from the stem to the tubers.
• The junctions of stolons with root crops become rotten and emit an unpleasant odor.
• In rainy summers, the stem of a faded plant begins to deteriorate and the color becomes dark green. If you squeeze it, there is a feeling of emptiness in this place.
• The bulb can become infected from the soil or from a nearby infected fruit. First, the potatoes become covered with brown spots, then the tuber tissue turns black and begins to rot.
• If conditions are unfavorable for the development of the disease, it still develops, but in a slow form. It will only begin to progress next year.

A careful inspection of potato bushes will help to identify diseases in time and take the necessary preventive measures. After all, those bushes that are affected by the black leg do not form tubers.

What conditions does the virus need for favorable development?

No disease will begin to actively develop if the environment resists it. Conditions that bacteria need for their active reproduction and progression:

1. Presence of virus in soil. The presence of remains of affected plants in it.
2. Planting infected seed.
3. Potatoes were damaged during harvesting.
4. The conditions for proper transportation and preservation of the vegetable were not met.
5. The disease is transmitted by insect pests.
6. Lack of nutrients in the soil.

The disease progresses best in rainy weather and damp summers.

Breeders have not developed a potato variety that is resistant to blackleg. But there are species that are more resistant to this disease.

What is the causative agent of the disease?

These are a kind of bacteria that are rod-shaped. If the conditions suit them, they reproduce very quickly. Uniting in colonies, they begin to infect plants. Many cultures are susceptible to this disease, so it does not experience a lack of nutrition.

The bacterium cannot overwinter in the soil on its own, so it looks for plant remains and tubers. Will survive the winter in the stem or root part of the weed. With the onset of warmth, it continues to reproduce. That is why it is recommended to remove all plant residues from fields.

How to deal with black leg on potatoes?

There are measures to combat the disease that have been proven over the years. It develops very quickly and persists on all plant debris. Effective methods of treatment are competent prevention:

• Quality seeds. It is advisable to plant tubers that have sanitary documents confirming compliance with quality standards.
• Uncontaminated soil. Be sure to carry out crop rotation. If the site is already infested, it is better to refrain from growing potatoes on it for the next 3-4 years.
• Favorable soil. The best environment for the development of the disease is damp clay soil. The acid contained in its composition can be neutralized by dolomite flour. It also destroys bacteria.
• Feeding. Microorganisms cannot tolerate sulfur. If the lower part of the plant turns black, it means that infection has begun. You can treat them with ammonium sulfate.
• The drug "Effekton". Take 3 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of warm water, treatment is carried out before the first hilling.

• Removing infected bushes. After discovering the source of the disease, the affected plants are pulled out and burned or buried to a depth of at least 1 m, sprinkled with bleach. The bushes need to be removed several more times until the flowering period ends. The place where the diseased plants grew is sprinkled with a mixture of wood ash (a liter jar) and copper sulfate (1 teaspoon).
• Prevention before harvest. About a week before digging, the tops should be mowed. Parts of the plant affected by rot are burned in areas that do not belong to agricultural crops.
• Collect only on dry days. Be sure to remove adhering soil particles. If tubers from an infected bush seem healthy in appearance, it is better to remove them separately. Being next to a healthy root crop, they can infect it. And so along the chain the disease will spread through healthy vegetables.
• Prevention before storage. Drying of the harvested crop is carried out in the sun, or in specially designated places. The seed material can even be slightly greened.
• Drug "Maxim". They spray potatoes with it before storing them. 100 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water.

• Drying the premises. Several months before harvesting potato storage all warehouses and cellars ventilate. And they are treated with disinfectants, lime and vitriol.
• Equipping rooms with ventilation and creating optimal temperature. The ventilation is mechanical, and the temperature is approximately +1–3 ⁰С.
• Prevention of disease after flowering. To slow down the rate of development of the disease, you can sprinkle the infected bushes with ash or treat them with a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g per 10 liters of water).
• Processing of planting material. This is done in the fall or directly in the spring.Special preparations are purchased, phytosporin consumption, bactofit and others.
• Disinfection of instruments, provided that the seed is cut. To prevent bacteria from spreading to healthy tubers, it is recommended to dip the knife in a solution of potassium permanganate.

A preventive measure is the destruction of insect pests, they are carriers of the disease.

Treatment of plants must be carried out immediately after detection of the disease. This way you can save neighboring plants from spreading the disease throughout the entire area.

Tips from summer residents

Blackleg disease is very progressive. In order to prevent most of the harvested crop from rotting, summer residents advise paying more attention to disease prevention. Since treatment is a labor-intensive process. The presence of blackening stems indicates the active development of the disease. The following will help prevent development:

• Three times weeding. Removing diseased plants at least three times. With subsequent disinfection of germination sites.
• Treatment of seed and the site itself with preparations after germination.
• Regular inspection of bushes, at least once a week.

It is important to remember that any matter is taken seriously. By following the measures, rules and requirements, you get an excellent harvest. Everything is in the hands of the gardener.