Late blight is a fairly common pathology that leads to negative consequences for plants. This disease can cause a significant reduction in yield. Therefore, many gardeners are interested in how to cure late blight in the soil. To achieve good results, it is important to choose the right product. To combat pathology, chemical, biological and folk substances are used.
Description of the parasite
Late blight is a fungal infection caused by oomycetes.Today they are classified as a special category of parasites. These pests easily overwinter on plant debris that is not removed before winter. Then the oomycetes rapidly spread with water, through the air and through contact between diseased fruits and healthy ones.
Parasites multiply most quickly when there is a combination of high air humidity and sharp temperature fluctuations. The risk of developing late blight increases during periods of prolonged rains and frequent fogs. Also, the likelihood of pathology increases with excess alkali content in the soil and a lack of potassium, manganese and iodine.
Why is it dangerous for the garden?
At the initial stage of pathology development, infected plants become covered with gray-brown spots. After which the foliage turns brown and dies. First, late blight affects the leaves at the surface of the ground, after which it spreads upward.
Pests often attack young shoots. At the same time, brown stripes appear on them. In damp weather, they rot. However, late blight causes the most serious harm to fruits. Initially, brown or gray-green spots appear on their surface. Then they begin to harden and rot.
Affected potatoes become covered with gray spots. If representatives of the Solanaceae family are heavily infested, there is a risk of losing 80% of the crop.
Ways to fight fungus
To cope with late blight, you need to follow a number of recommendations. To combat pathology, you can use chemicals, biological preparations and folk recipes.
Chemical additives
Such means are considered the most effective. They should be used in the most difficult cases. Effective ingredients include:
- Bordeaux mixture is considered the most common remedy. Soil treatment should be carried out immediately after the snow melts. To make a working fluid, you should mix 250 milliliters of concentrated substance and 10 liters of water. For the purpose of soil disinfection, the substance is used maximum once every 5 years.
- Copper sulfate is also very popular. For spring soil treatment, mix 2-5 grams of the substance with 10 liters of water.
- Copper oxychloride - a 4% solution of the substance should be used to treat the soil. This is recommended to be done in the first warm days.
- “Oxychom” - a solution with a concentration of 2% is suitable for soil.
- "Quadris" - recommended for use when planting potatoes. In this case, a solution with a concentration of 0.3% should be added to the wells. It is recommended to use 10 liters of working fluid per 100 square meters.
Bioactive substances
Such products begin to act at a temperature of +15 degrees. The most effective drugs from this group include the following:
- “Baktofit” is a bacterial fungicide that significantly reduces the number of pathogens in the soil in the first day. For spring processing, you should use a standard working fluid made in accordance with the instructions.
- “Trichodermin” is considered a complex biological agent that helps cope with parasites and makes the soil more fertile. To increase the effectiveness of the substance, part of the water in the working mixture should be replaced with whey.
- "Planriz" is considered a very effective remedy that includes live bacteria. The soil should be treated immediately before planting seedlings.It is recommended to use a mixture of 50 milliliters of the drug and 10 liters of water.
- "Fitosporin" is a very effective remedy. For spring treatment of 1 square meter of soil, you should use a solution based on 6 milliliters of the drug and 10 liters of water.
- "Alirin B" is a fungicidal agent that helps strengthen plant immunity. To avoid the development of late blight, the soil should be watered with a solution of the drug before planting the main cultivated plants. To prepare it, you need to mix 2 tablets of the substance and 10 liters of water.
Traditional methods
In simple cases, folk remedies will also help to cope with late blight. In this case, it is permissible to use the following recipes:
- Potassium permanganate with boiling water. This composition is suitable for treating greenhouse soil. In this case, boiling water should saturate the ground to at least 15 centimeters. To 1 liter of boiling water you should add 2 grams of potassium permanganate.
- Dairy products. To make a useful composition, use 1 liter of whey or kefir for 10 liters of water. To make the mixture more effective, you need to add 2-3 drops of iodine to it.
- Rotten hay. To begin with, it is recommended to fill the raw materials with water, and then add 2 tablespoons of urea to the mixture. You need to water the soil with the prepared mixture 2-3 times. This should be done at intervals of 10 days.
Newbie mistakes when treating late blight
Novice gardeners make a number of mistakes when treating late blight:
- choose the wrong mixture for processing;
- violate the proportions of ingredients and dosage;
- neglect the use of protective equipment;
- processing is carried out too late.
Late blight is a rather dangerous disease that can lead to a severe reduction in yield.To avoid this, it is important to carry out soil treatment in a timely manner.
