Fusarium: methods of control and prevention. Carefully! Fusarium wilt of plants - what is this attack and how to get rid of it? Fusarium control measures

A tomato gardener should be aware of the diseases that can affect this crop at different stages of its growth and development. This is a mandatory requirement for those who want to get a healthy and generous harvest with good taste. Further in the article we will talk about fusarium - a very common tomato disease. We will find out what it is, what are the main signs of the presence of the disease, and we will also figure out how to deal with it.

What is the disease and where does it come from

Fusarium is a common and very dangerous fungal disease. This infectious disease can be caused by fungi from the genus Fusarium. It can manifest itself in almost all climatic regions.

Fusarium affects the tissues and vascular system of vegetable crops. The plant withers, the roots and fruits begin to rot. The problem is also the fact that the pathogen is able to stay in the soil for a long time, as well as on the remains of vegetation, after which it can infect newly planted crops with renewed vigor.

Previously affected planting and sowing material can also provoke the onset of the disease. Still, as the experienced ones note, the lack of lighting and the thickening of the plantations can also cause the appearance of fusarium.
The environmental factor is also important. If large-scale industrial production is located near the garden, then it can also adversely affect the yield of tomato crops.

Among other things, Fusarium wilt can be caused by nearby groundwater, excess or lack of nitrogen and chlorine-containing fertilizers, excessive or insufficient watering, errors in crop rotation.

Did you know? For a long time, tomatoes were considered not only inedible, but also poisonous. Gardeners of European countries grew them as plantings, decorated the space around the arbors with them. Beginning with mid-19th century, this crop began to be grown on the territory of Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus.

What is dangerous

Before you learn how to deal with tomato fusarium, you need to understand what danger it poses to this crop. Fusarium begins its negative impact with the fact that the root system rots.

The fungus initially penetrates from the soil into the smallest roots, after which it moves into larger ones as the plants develop. Then the disease enters the stem through the vessels and spreads to the leaves.

The lower leaves quickly fade, while the rest take on a watery appearance. Vessels of petioles and foliage become weak, sluggish, begin to sag along the stem. If the air temperature drops below 16 ° C, then tomato plants will die pretty quickly.
If no measures are taken to treat the plant, then in 2-3 weeks the crop will be completely destroyed. That is why it is very important to start fighting such a disease as soon as possible.

Signs of defeat

Symptoms manifest themselves in the direction from the bottom up.

1. At first, the disease can be noted on the lower leaves of the tomato culture. After some time, Fusarium affects the rest of the bush. The foliage turns pale or turns yellow, the veins begin to lighten.
2. The petioles of the leaves are deformed, and the leaves themselves are twisted into tubules, after which they fall off.
3. The upper shoots of tomato culture begin to fade. After some time, the plant completely dries up and dies.
4. The last stage of the disease is the death of the root system.
5. In wet weather, a light-colored coating may appear on the roots, and in the heat, the symptoms are even more intensified.

How to prevent illness

Here are the main methods of prevention that will help reduce the likelihood of tomato fusarium.

Crop rotation

Preventing Fusarium wilt is much easier than treating it. First of all, it is important to observe the norms of crop rotation on the site. It is recommended to plant a tomato crop every year on a new bed.

Good predecessors are eggplants, peppers, physalis, and also potatoes. It is also highly desirable to apply a large amount of organic fertilizers under the predecessors.

If this is done, then there will be no need to revitalize the soil with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which can provoke the formation of fusarium.

Preplant seed preparation

To protect plants from fungal disease, it is recommended to treat the seeds before sowing them. For this, the means of the benzimidazole group are used, which include Fundazol and Benazol.

They need to pickle the seed two weeks before sowing. Approximately 5-6 g of the drug will be needed for 1 kg of seeds.

The drug must be dissolved in water, after which the finished solution is poured into a manual spray gun. Seeds must be placed in a container. Using a spray bottle, you need to spray the seeds and mix them, evenly distributing the product over their surface.

After 20–30 min. seed should be scattered to dry completely, then placed in bags and left to be stored until the sowing period.

Soil disinfection

Before planting tomatoes on the site, the garden bed also needs to be disinfected from Fusarium. Before planting a tomato crop, the soil should be disinfected with copper sulphate, 70 g of which must first be diluted in one bucket of water.

You can also add dolomite flour or chalk to the soil, which will also help reduce the likelihood of fusarium, because pathogenic fungi do not like neutral soil type, in which there is a lot of calcium.

In the autumn, after the crop is harvested, you can additionally water the area with lime (100 g per 1 sq. M). Also in the autumn period, you can work out the bed with a solution of potassium permanganate or a mixture of ash and powdered sulfur.

Dip the roots of the seedlings in the solution

Some gardeners practice processing not only seeds and soil, but also seedlings before planting. The root system of tomato seedlings can be dipped in a solution of an antifungal drug for a few seconds, then dried a little and planted in the ground.

Did you know?Tomatoes contain chromium, which helps speed up the satiety process and dull the feeling of hunger. Interestingly, in the process of heat treatment, the useful qualities of tomatoes only improve. But low temperatures affect tomatoes adversely, so it is recommended to avoid storing them in a refrigerator.

Other preventive measures

Among other things, the gardener should be aware of other methods for the prevention of fungal disease:

1. Excessively moist soil and high air humidity can provoke the development of Fusarium. In this regard, it is necessary to ventilate the greenhouse as often as possibleif the tomatoes grow in it, and not in an open garden.
2. It is also important to disinfect it before planting tomatoes. It is necessary to sterilize with alcohol all working tools - knives, scissors, threads, wire (garter material).
3. Tomato culture requires a sufficient amount of light. Therefore, if there is a lack of natural light, incandescent lamps must be used.
4. It is important to provide tomato seedlings with temperature conditions ranging from 16 to 18 ° C.
5. Seed material must not only be dressed, but also warmed up before sowing.
6. Tomato bushes are recommended to be spudded from time to time to a height of 13–15 cm.
7. A black film can inhibit pathogenic fungi, which should be used to mulch the beds.

Preparations against fusarium

Drugs that help fight fusarium are divided into biological and chemical. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Biological

Biological preparations that are used for the treatment of fusarium do not contain any chemical components. This is a collection of bacteria that help fight the fungus.

The principle of their effectiveness is quite simple: the more good bacteria in the soil, the less harmful microorganisms there are. The ways to use them are as follows:

1. applied to the substrate for tomato seedlings. Take 2 g of funds for each bush.
2. The same "Trichodermin" can also be applied to the soil at the rate of 1 kg per 10 square meters. m.
3. Tomatoes, which are already planted in the garden, are watered with a solution of "Planriz" or "Pseudo-bactrin-2". The solution is prepared according to the instructions. One bush will need about 100 ml of liquid.

Other biological agents that can be used in the fight against fusarium are Trichocin, Alirin-B and Gamair. For those growing tomatoes on a large scale, avirulent isolates may be of interest.
These are means for large-scale processing of the territory. They are able to populate the site with beneficial bacteria, thereby increasing the resistance of the culture to pathogenic organisms.

Chemical

Chemical agents are more effective than biological counterparts. But they have a very important drawback: after treating the site with such means, you cannot consume the fruits that grow there for several weeks.

This must be remembered and processed at least 3 weeks before the expected harvest.

As practice shows, to combat Fusarium wilt, it is worth adding a large amount of lime or dolomite flour to the soil. You can also treat tomato bushes with a preparation containing copper and a solution of potassium permanganate.

Is it possible to struggle in the active phase of development

Fusarium is a very dangerous disease of tomatoes, since both the spores and the fungi themselves that provoke the disease are very resistant to chemical attack. The fact is that the bulk of the fungi is not outside the plant, but inside, which is why it is extremely difficult to remove them, and sometimes impossible at all.
Seedlings that have been severely affected by the disease are no longer amenable to treatment. In such cases, it is necessary to remove the tops along with the root and burn it, since it will not be possible to harvest the crop anyway, and the infection from the diseased bush will spread to healthy ones.

If the gardener does not take any action for a long time in order to treat the tomato crop, then the crop will be destroyed in just 2-3 weeks.

resistant varieties

Varieties of tomatoes, which do not wilt, practically do not exist. But there are those that have increased resistance to Fusarium. These are hybrids "Subject", "Carlson", "Rusich" and "Sun".

Also, as practice shows, those varieties of tomatoes that have an extended period of fruit formation are relatively resistant. These can be called varieties "De Barao"

118 times already
helped

This spring is generous with rainfall. The amount of precipitation for April and half of May exceeded 100 mm in the south of Ukraine. Moderately warm weather, high air and soil humidity contribute to the intensive development of cereals. But, unfortunately, this also leads to the development of fungal diseases of grain and ears, including ear fusarium. Even a slight presence of Fusarium mycotoxins in a batch of grain makes it absolutely unsuitable for food use. And in some cases - even in fodder.

Head blight (FC) remains a problem in both Western Europe and North America. A limited range of fungicides (with "suppressive" action) and a narrow "window of application" do not allow reliable control of this disease solely by chemical means. Therefore, such an enemy must be known not only “by sight”, but also from other (most vulnerable) sides.

Symptoms and damage

Never seen anything like this, and here it is again!

Viktor Chernomyrdin

The defeat of plants by Fusarium leads to a decrease in the harvested crop, and to a catastrophic deterioration in its quality. The relationship between the development of fusariosis of the ear and the loss of grain mass has a logarithmic character. Yield losses can be up to 30%, but in many cases this is not the worst.

A typical lesion: a pink-orange mycelial coating appears on the spikelet scales of the ear, then pale pink sporulation. Sometimes an eye spot appears on the ear.

Typical signs of grain damage by Fusarium

With a weak lesion, the mycelium is located in the shells of the grain, while visually the grain practically does not differ from a healthy one. But with more pronounced damage, the pathogen penetrates deeper, reaching the aleurone layer and grain germ. Diseased grains are usually lightweight. Their surface is deformed ("wrinkled"), with a depressed deep groove and pointed barrels, it may be pinkish.

At the same time, the chemical composition changes significantly - the protein decomposes with the release of ammonia (NH 3), starch and partially fiber are destroyed. Therefore, the endosperm of the affected seeds is loose, crumbling, and the vitreousness is low. The elasticity and swelling of gluten are significantly reduced. Bread from the affected grain has a dark-colored crumb with low elasticity and large porosity.

The use of Fusarium-infected barley grain for the production of malt causes a "gushing effect". When uncorking a bottle of beer brewed from such malt, there is a sharp release of part of the contents. The reason is specific proteins with foaming properties, which are formed in grains damaged by Fusarium and pass into beer.

Depending on the depth of penetration of the pathogen mycelium, the grain will either lose its germination capacity (if the embryo is damaged), or “give birth” to weak seedlings affected by root and root rot. With a strong lesion in the groove and especially in the germinal part of the grain, a white or pinkish cobweb-like coating of the mycelium of the fungus and pads of conidia clusters are noticeable. The germ of the grain is not viable, on the cut of a dark color. The content of more than 10% of seeds affected by Fusarium in a batch of grain automatically excludes the possibility of its use for seed purposes.

Fusarium infection is not always visible, but this disease can cause the "disqualification" of a batch of full-bodied and apparently healthy seeds. The presence of literally a milligram of mycotoxins in a kilogram of grain - and that's it! At best, such grain will be used as forage. Neither the protein content, nor the DCI, nor the nature matter if the grain contains a microscopic amount of a deadly poison of fungal origin.

Bread with poison

We do not need to step on the same rake that we already had

Viktor Chernomyrdin

Mycotoxins (from Greek mukos - mushroom + toxikon - poison) are specific toxic substances produced by fungi. Poisonous macromycetes are well-known "poison villains". But their microscopic relatives (micromycetes) are no less poisonous and even more dangerous. After all, their toxins cannot be detected without special equipment, and they can be found not only in grain, but also in its processed products - flour and bread. Many toxins of micromycetes, as well as toxins of pale grebe, withstand heat treatment (Table 1).

Fusarium grain poisoning (flour, bread) in humans and animals causes vomiting and damage to the central nervous system. Symptoms (agitation, convulsions, visual disturbances) resemble alcohol poisoning, so this grain and the disease it causes was called "drunken bread."

In 1973, Japanese researchers T. Yoshizawa and N. Morooka isolated and identified a toxic substance, which they called vomitoxin (from English vomiting - vomiting). The modern name for this mycotoxin is deoxynivalenol (DON). Chronic DON poisoning is very dangerous with regular consumption of food products from contaminated grain. DON affects the central nervous system, hematopoietic and immune systems, inhibits protein synthesis.

Another well-known disease associated with Fusarium fungi is septic tonsillitis, or alimentary-toxic aleukia (ATA). Only in 1944 was it possible to establish that its cause is a fungus F. sporotrichioides. However, to determine the most toxic component formed by the fungus F. sporotrichioides, could only in 1968 by Japanese researchers. They named it T-2 toxin. T-2 and HT-2 toxins inhibit the synthesis of RNA and DNA, cause apoptosis (programmed cell death), and suppress immunity. The toxin is resistant to high temperatures; its destruction requires heating to a temperature of at least 250‑300°C.

DON (deoxynivalenol) and T-2 toxin are part of a large group of trichothecene mycotoxins. This is a group of toxins (more than 170 substances) that have a similar structure and have the same toxic effect at different lethal doses. According to their chemical properties, substances can be divided into two main types: A and B, depending on the nature of their impact on animal productivity. Type A trichothecenes include, but are not limited to, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), and neozolaniol (NEO). They are about 10 times more toxic than type B trichothecenes, which include: dioxynivalenone (DON, also known as vomitoxin) and its 3-acetyl and 15-acetyl derivatives (3-AcDON and 15-AcDON, respectively), nivalenone (NIV) and fuzarenone X. Fungi of the genus Fusarium also synthesize other mycotoxins. For example, fumonisins, which have a strong phytotoxic effect on plants and damage cells in human and animal tissues. They are soluble in water and persist for a long time. At +125°C, only 25-30% of these toxins are destroyed, and only when heated above +175°C are more than 90% destroyed.

Fusaric acid is known mainly as a phytotoxin that causes plant wilt. It is relatively weakly toxic for warm-blooded animals, but in its presence the toxicity of DON and VW1 increases.

Why do mushrooms need such an arsenal of chemical weapons? mushroom mutants F. graminearum with impaired DON synthesis affected glumes much less than the “relatives” capable of producing mycotoxin. The pathogen with impaired DON synthesis penetrated the plant tissue, but could not grow further. The ability to produce DON is associated with the aggressiveness of pathogens. The maximum amount of DON accumulates in the spike stem (93 mg/kg), then in the lemma (50 mg/kg), grain (25 mg/kg), and pedicel (15 mg/kg).

milligrams vs tons

Some principles that used to be fundamental were actually unprincipled

Viktor Chernomyrdin

The concentration of mycotoxins depends on the degree of damage to the grain and the conditions for the development of the fungus. But in a batch of grain, there is no clear relationship between the percentage of affected grains and the amount of mycotoxins! In some cases, in a batch of grain with a 10-15% contamination, mycotoxins may be practically absent, and in another batch with a 2% contamination, the concentration of mycotoxins many times exceeds the permissible level.

In the EU countries, it is mandatory to analyze the content of two fusariotoxins in grain products - DON and ZEN (Commission regulation EC, 2005). For grain used in the production of baby food, it is 0.2 and 0.02 mg/kg, and for fodder - about 10 times more. A clearer criterion of danger is not the content of mycotoxins in a kilogram of grain or products of its processing, but their acceptable daily intake in terms of body weight (PMTDI). For the EU countries, the following maximum allowable consumption rates have been established (mcg/kg of body weight per day): DON - 1; ZEN - 0.2; the sum of toxins T-2 and HT-2-0.06 (separately or jointly); NIV - 0.7 (Commission regulation EC, 2005).

It is possible to compare the restrictions on the content of mycotoxins in feed grains of wheat and barley in Ukraine and the EU (EEC No. 1881/2006). Deoxyvalenol 1‑2 mg/kg in Ukraine and 1.25 in the EU. T-2 toxin - 0.2 mg/kg and 0.06 mg/kg, respectively. Zearalenone - 2-3 mg / kg and 0.1 mg / kg.

Cereal grain damaged by fusarium can at best be used for fodder in Ukraine. And the export of grain to the EU countries will be closed even to grain that, according to Ukrainian standards, is “slightly” damaged by fusarium. By the way, according to NSC-Ukraine (E. Ageeva, 2014), in 2014, mycotoxins were found in the feed of fattening pigs in 80% of samples, of which zearalenone - in 99% (exceeding the norm in 11% of cases) ; fumonisin - in 30% of samples (excess - in 67% of cases); DON (deoxynivalenol) - in 100% of samples (exceeding the norm in 40% of cases).

By the way, removing small grains (<2,5 мм) из урожая может снизить уровень ДОН на 80%, ЗЕН - на 85%, ДАС и Т-2 токсина - на 80‑81%. Но этот метод явно не претендует на универсальность и эффективность. Если очистка и сепарация зерна проведены непосредственно после уборки, результат может оказаться положительным. Особенно, если зерно было высушено до +13‑14°С. В случае же хранения собранного урожая до очистки и удаления мелкой фракции несколько недель, проблему фузариоза усугубят еще и сопутствующие «плесени хранения» - penicillum and Aspergillum. Aspergillus and penicilli also produce mycotoxins (aflatoxins and ochrotoxins, respectively), which are no less dangerous than Fusarium toxins. Therefore, fusariosis of the ear must be treated. Better yet, be warned!

Blame the "fathers"!

We have completed all the points: from "A" to "B"

Viktor Chernomyrdin

Plants of cereal crops are susceptible to Fusarium in the flowering phase at high humidity and temperatures around +20‑25°C (especially F. graminearum). But for species such as Fusarium sporotrichioide and F. poae, high humidity and air temperature are not essential conditions for infection.

Optimal time to start processing

Weather conditions are an important, but far from the only factor influencing the development of the disease. Favorable weather conditions are a kind of "catalyst" accelerating the process of distribution and development of FC. But in fact, a complex interaction of a cultivated plant with a pathogen takes place on the field. The smaller the infectious onset (source of infection) in the field and the higher the resistance of plants, the lower the risk of epiphytosis, even with an ideal combination of temperature and humidity, rainfall, etc. for FC.

About the impact on the development of the disease of various elements of technology, you can get an approximate idea from the table. 2.

Thus, the development of fusariosis of grain crops depends on a number of factors (as their importance decreases): the predecessor (the worst - corn and cereal grains), precipitation and air humidity during the heading - flowering period, tillage system (the worst - No-till and minimum ), variety resistance, plant condition, harvesting method, post-harvest activities.

The predecessor affects the development of fusariosis of the ear, depending on the tillage technology, variety, sowing time and seeding rate.

Late sowing of winter wheat in combination with late-ripening varieties stimulates the development of the disease. And vice versa, early ripening varieties have time to “slip through” the most dangerous time of infection. The pathogen does not have time to infect crops in the flowering phase, infection occurs late, in the grain filling phase.

An increase in plant density creates a specific microclimate with high humidity. In warm rainy weather, in thickened crops, excess nitrogen, combined with the lodging of the variety, creates a greenhouse effect. In addition, in dense crops, the distance between spikelets is minimal, which contributes to their infection and re-infection.

When wheat and barley are placed on corn (for grain), against the background of the introduction of increased norms of nitrogen mineral fertilizers, the damage to plants by head fusarium increases by 3-7 times. Favorable weather for the pathogen with such a combination of the precursor and mineral nutrition can cause the epiphytotic development of the disease.

Under the same environmental conditions, but with a different combination of technology elements (precursor, tillage, fungicidal protection), the spread of Fusarium on crops can range from 0.6 to 40%. Therefore, optimization of crop cultivation techniques can reduce the development of Fusarium by 80-95%. For example, in breeding programs aimed at developing Fusarium-resistant varieties, yield losses ranging from 6 to 74% have been observed (Snijders & Perkowski, 1990).

Resistant varieties and the "triangle"

Not only oppose, but we will defend it in order to prevent it

Viktor Chernomyrdin

Growing resistant varieties is the most economical way to reduce the chances of wheat and barley being affected by this disease. There are several types of physiological resistance of cereals to Fusarium:

I- resistance to pathogen penetration;

II- to the spread of the pathogen along the ear;

III- resistance of grains to pathogen infection;

IV- tolerance;

Most European varieties of soft wheat are moderately susceptible to grain fusarium, and almost all durum varieties are highly susceptible.

Tall, awnless, with a loose spike, varieties of soft wheat are considered more resistant than awned and semi-dwarf forms.

Tall varieties of barley with a loose ear also have an advantage over low-growing "colleagues". Moreover, unlike wheat, spinous varieties are the most resistant.

Two-row barleys are much more resistant to head blight than six-row ones, and naked forms are much less affected than membranous ones. Even color matters. Chinese phytopathologists (Zhou et al., 1991) found that approximately 20% of barley varieties with black or red ear color were resistant to F. graminearum, and with a yellow ear - only 5%.

To visualize the factors influencing the development of fungal diseases, plant pathologists sometimes use a simple disease triangle scheme. The spread and development of a disease require the interaction of a susceptible host, a virulent pathogen, and favorable environmental conditions. Conversely, plant disease can be prevented by eliminating any of these three components.

The integrated protection of cereals from FC is based precisely on this scheme. The side of the triangle designated as “pathogen” can be significantly “shortened” by using a precursor that does not accumulate infection, or destroy its habitat by accelerating the decomposition of plant residues. Soil tillage with the incorporation of crop residues of a “bad” predecessor (corn, cereals), the application of nitrogen fertilizers and biological preparations are quite effective means. Infection in seeds can (and should) be eliminated by dressing the seed. Fungicidal treatments of vegetative crops are the last chance to protect the plant.

The second side of the triangle - the "host" (in our case, it is wheat or barley) - is less "elastic", since there is a certain threshold of immunity. But this method should not be neglected either. Moreover, the use of FA-resistant varieties is the least expensive method of prevention.

Environmental impact cannot be considered a proven and reliable method. Precipitation, temperature and humidity are almost uncontrollable. But you can reduce the influence of other factors. For example, the formation of the optimal sowing density, the use of retardants, the balanced application of mineral fertilizers. This change is not so much the climate as the microclimate.

And we strangled the Fusarium, strangled ...

You have to think what to understand

Viktor Chernomyrdin

The German historian Karl Hampe is known as the author of the expression: "Die Geschichte kennt kein Wenn", that is, "History does not know the word" if ".

It is necessary to talk about the choice of predecessor, the method of tillage and the selection of the “right” variety before the field is cultivated and sown. If the variety is susceptible to the disease, the predecessor is a source of infection, and the tillage system does not involve the destruction of plant residues, then there is only hope for chemical means of combating FA.

There are few fungicides that can effectively protect the grain in the ear from the penetration of the pathogen. The maximum effectiveness of modern drugs allows, at best, to reduce by 60-70% the visible symptoms of FC disease. In Canada, for example, the three main anti-FA fungicides registered on winter wheat (Folicur, Prolineand and Bravo) are considered "suppressive" or "oppressive". On the labels of these fungicides there is a definition of suppression, so the translation into Russian may be different.

PMRA (Canadian Pesticide Regulatory Agency) evaluates

suppression as a sufficiently "reliable" control of the disease at a level that is "not optimal" (i.e., complete), but provides a "commercial benefit" from the application. Drugs characterized by a "depressant" effect should, above all, provide stable results. They are somewhere between a "three" and an "excellent".

Background with extensive geography

Nothing today, nothing tomorrow, and then they realized it - and yesterday, it turns out, nothing

Viktor Chernomyrdin

Interesting facts about the evolution and "natural selection" of anti-FA fungicide active ingredients were given by Roy Wilcoxson (1996). Various fungicides are mentioned (21), evaluated individually or in combination: benzimidazoles (benomyl, carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl, thiabendazole), carboximides (prochloraz), drugs with multisite activity (mancozeb, chlorothalonil) and triazoles (triadimenol, triadimefon, bromuconazole, flusilazole, fenbuconazole, propiconazole, tebuconazole).

The results of the first trial of anti-FA fungicides in the USA were published in 1977 (Barry Jacobson). Trials of benzimidazoles (benomyl) alone and mixed with mancozeb in California and Illinois showed that two treatments with benzimidazoles reduced FC by 70%, and a single treatment with a tank mix of mancozeb and benomyl by 50%. In addition, the tank mix provided much better foliar disease control than benomyl (Benlate) alone.

But officially, drugs with this d.v. have not been registered for use in the flowering phase of wheat. In addition, a double treatment of crops was required, and preparations based on benomyl were quite expensive.

Therefore, North American farmers did not conduct specialized chemical control against FA. The result is huge losses during the epiphytoty of Fusarium head blight in the 1990s. The damage was estimated at $3 billion, which is impressive even now. And for adequate perception at modern prices, the figure must be multiplied by at least 2.

The defeats in the fight against fusariosis of the ear made it necessary to assess the importance of the problem, change the control strategy and significantly update the "arsenal of chemical weapons".

Period 1988‑1996 can be called the initial stage of fungicidal "re-equipment". To determine the most effective d.v. fungicides in 1994-1997 began extensive research. Moreover, for the first time, successful attempts were made to use drugs with d. triazole class. But from experiments to commercial drugs, the path turned out to be long.

The first triazole fungicide Tilt (a.i. - propiconazole) was registered in the USA in 1988. But the application regulations did not imply its use against ear diseases in the flowering phase. The main "targets" of the drug were diseases of the leaves in the period from the release of the tube to the appearance of the flag leaf. In 1995, an unsuccessful attempt was made to register Tilt for treatment against head blight during flowering. Fortunately, this attempt was not the last.

In Western Europe (Suty and Mauler-Machnik) in 1996, it was found that of the active substances existing and tested at that time, tebuconazole was the most effective against FA. But in the USA they were skeptical about this d.v. In 1997, the fungicide Folicur was tried to be "legalized" in America, but to no avail, as was the case with Tilt.

The comparative effectiveness of fungicides against Fusarium head blight of grain crops can be assessed if a number of indicators are taken into account: a decrease in the spread of the disease on the ears; reduction of grain infection; reducing the level of mycotoxins in grain; yield increase.

When carrying out such an assessment, the presence of a high infectious background, strict adherence to the methodology, as well as correct analysis and interpretation of the results are also required. Many of the publications simply do not stand up to scrutiny. For example, some studies did not assess the pathogenic fungal complex, the experiments were carried out on a low infectious background, did not take into account the susceptibility or resistance of varieties, the effectiveness was determined by a visual assessment of symptoms in the field.

Since 1997, a national forum on the problem of head fusarium has been regularly held in the United States. From 1998 to the present, the USWBSI has been conducting standardized testing of fungicides. As a result of several years of work, some active substances were “rejected”: due to insufficient effectiveness or due to stimulation of the synthesis of mycotoxins (DON). And some - simply because of the cessation of production of drugs. For example, in 2001, DuPont in the USA stopped producing fungicides with a.i. benomyl. Accordingly, benomyl and carbendazim were out of sight of the American plant pathologists from the USWBSI, although in 2000 they were included in the list of A.V. drugs proposed for registration against FC. The list also included preparations based on mancozeb, azoxystrobin and tebuconazole (Vern Hofman et al., 2000).

A trio of favorites: tebuconazole, prothioconazole, metconazole

If I named everything that I have, yes, you would sob here!

Viktor Chernomyrdin

Tebuconazole was "lucky" much more than strobilurins, benzimidazoles and carbamates.

Results of large-scale trials of the fungicide Folicur (tebuconazole, 38.7%) in 1998-2003. showed an average reduction in fusariosis of the ear (FHB index) by 39.4% and a decrease in the content of DON by 27.4% (D. Hershman and G. Milus, 2003). Preparations with other d.v. could not even provide such a result.

A. Mesterhazy in the chapter “Fungicides in the control of Fusarium head blight of wheat” (Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat and Barley, APS Press, St. Paul, MN, 2003) formulated the situation with the range of fungicides at that time: “We can conclude that in Currently, there are no fungicides that control head blight with an effectiveness that would be at the level of control of rust or powdery mildew. Testing of fungicides showed that the most effective of the tested a.i. - tebuconazole.

However, other d.v. class of triazoles turned out to be quite promising. Therefore, in 2007, Proline (prothioconazole) was registered in the United States to control fusariosis of the ear, and in 2008, Caramba (metconazole), Folicur (tebuconazole) and Prosaro (prothioconazole + tebuconazole) were registered.

Unfortunately, the effectiveness of triazoles is very far from the coveted figure of "100% control". Based on research data from 2007‑2008. (Paul et al., 2008), Prosaro fungicide treatment resulted in a 52% reduction in visual symptoms of the disease (FHB index) and a 42% reduction in DON (mycotoxin) compared to untreated control. The indicators of the effectiveness of the drug Proline - a decrease in FHB index by 43% and DON by 48%. For the fungicide Caramba, the decrease in FHB index was 50%, and DON - 45%.

Similar data have been obtained at other times and places (Lipps et al.) for other triazole preparations. Prothioconazole was the leader in terms of efficiency, expressed as a percentage reduction in FHB index - 48%. Tebuconazole was slightly less effective (40%), and propiconazole settled in third place - 32%. Prothioconazole was also the first in terms of the effect on the level of DON reduction - 42%, tebuconazole and propiconazole lagged behind by a significant margin (23% and 12%, respectively).

Experiments to study the effectiveness of fungicides against head fusarium in Krasnodar ("near abroad" - geographically) from 1990 to 2000 (G. V. Grushko, L. D. Zhalieva, S. N. Linchenko, 2004) showed significant differences in the control of the disease when using drugs with a. benomyl, flutriafol, prochloraz, cyproconazole, tebuconazole, propiconazole, fenpropimorph, bromuconazole, epoxiconazole and thiophanate-methyl + epoxiconazole combinations.

The biological effectiveness of benomyl against FA did not exceed 51.5% even after double application. With the combined use of preparations based on benomyl and cyproconazole, the effectiveness of the mixture was significantly inferior to the preparation with active ingredient. prochloraz (50.6%). The activity of benomyl was enhanced by the addition of potassium chloride (KCl) and the antibiotic fusamicin to the working solution.

The effectiveness of the use of drugs with a. V. cyproconazole and prochloraz against FA reached 39‑43% and 58‑56%, respectively. Tebuconazole was superior to epoxiconazole and the combination of thiophanate-methyl and epoxiconazole.

The use of full application rates of fungicides and the use of adhesives (surfactants) significantly increased the efficiency of crop treatments against FA. The effectiveness of the full rate of consumption of the drug (according to the infection of the grain) with a. Bromuconazole vs. F. graminearum amounted to 65.8%, and reduced - 60%. When using the drug with d. fenpropimorph, this figure was 51.3 and 40.7%, respectively.

In the mentioned study, the comparative effectiveness of a.i. fungicides, in descending order of their activity, was the following row: tebuconazole > bromuconazole > fenpropimorph > propiconazole > cyproconazole; prochloraz > benomyl > cyproconazole.

So, the most effective d.v. against FC today are triazoles (Table 3): tebuconazole, prothioconazole and metconazole, as well as their combinations with each other and with spiroxamine. But in Japan, for example, benzimidazoles (thiophanate-methyl, in particular) are still used to control FC. And quite effectively.

The retinue makes the king?

All the questions that were raised, we will collect them all in one place.

Viktor Chernomyrdin

When using fusarium-resistant wheat or barley varieties sown on a good predecessor, even an imperfect fungicidal protection against FA (with an efficiency of 30 to 50%) provides a completely acceptable result.

The studies by Charla R. Hollingsworth (Charla R. Hollingsworth, 2009) provide an example of the fact that on relatively resistant varieties of winter wheat, the yield increase from treatment against FA with triazoles was minimal, and in some cases did not exceed control or even yielded to it. But on susceptible varieties, the economic effect of the application of fungicides was much higher. Moreover, in this experiment, field studies were carried out on a low infectious background and in conditions moderately favorable for the development of the disease.

Under conditions that are extremely favorable for the development of FC, when all factors (weather, predecessor, cultivation technology) contribute to the epiphytotic development of the disease, fungicidal protection sometimes does not just not cope with an intensely spreading infection. In the United States, for example, Fusarium outbreaks occurred both in 2000 and 2011, with losses estimated at $2.7 billion and $4.4 billion, respectively. If the enormous damage to epiphytosis in 2000 can be explained and justified by the lack of modern fungicides, then how can the epiphytosis of 2011 be justified?

The problem is not the effectiveness of the active ingredients of fungicides, but the ability to carry out the treatment in the shortest possible time. A delay of 2-3 days can reduce the effectiveness of fungicides by 1.5-2 times. And if the threat was not considered serious, and even the weather prevents processing (precipitation, strong wind), then it is not possible to quickly stop the spread of the infection.

The effectiveness of spraying is also influenced by weather factors (temperature, humidity, wind speed), plant resistance, formulation and application rate of the fungicide, sensitivity of pathogen species and isolates.

For example, a fungicide with a.i. tebuconazole in laboratory experiments inhibited growth more F. poae, how F. graminearum. In the experiments of Simpson et al. (2001) Efficacy of fungicides in relation to species F. avenaceum was higher than F. culmorum.

Occurrence of resistance of a pathogen to active ingredient is possible. "popular" fungicides. It is known, for example, that the sensitivity of isolates F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. avenaceum and F. poae decreased to carbendazim and tebuconazole with regular treatments (Bateman, 1993; Xu et al., 2007). Norwegian researchers even noted that some fungicides increase the number of F.tricinctum on wheat grain (Henriksen and Elen, 2005).

Unfortunately, d.v., effective against fusarium pathogens, can literally be counted on the fingers of one hand. And all of them belong to the class of triazoles. Therefore, all that remains is to maximize their potential. And pay attention not only to quality, but also to the timing of the introduction.

About the fast and the dead

And I know how to do it again. And often, and as needed.

Viktor Chernomyrdin

The effectiveness of fungicides depends on the timeliness of their application. As the empirical wisdom of the "gunfighters" of the Wild West stated, "there are two kinds of shooters - fast or dead." For a latecomer with a shot, it will be small consolation that he had a very accurate revolver chambered for a very powerful cartridge. The speed and timeliness of treatment against fusariosis of the ear affect the result to about the same extent. A good fungicide applied late does not provide the desired effect. And sometimes, none at all. It's too late to drink Borjomi...

The ubiquitous presence of infection, a long period of plant susceptibility, a high rate of infection penetration into the internal tissues of the spike, a short period of effective treatment time, and the difficulty of evenly covering the spike with the working solution of the fungicide - this is not a complete list of reasons why the results of the production use of the fungicide and the effectiveness of its tests differences are observed.

The optimal time for processing wheat is considered to be 2-4 days before flowering or the first 2 days from the start of flowering. For barley that flowers while the ear is still inside the wrapper, the best processing time is just after the ear has emerged. Being late by a few days increases the damage from the disease and reduces the protective effect. But it is also necessary to take into account such an indicator of the effectiveness of the fungicide: the type and amount of mycotoxins in the grain.

Late or too late?

We have only one course.

Viktor Chernomyrdin

Under normal growing conditions, wheat flowering follows heading. The properties of the variety determine the ratio of open and closed flowering, the time from opening to closing of flower flakes, the daily energy of flowering, the number of flowers per ear, etc. Flowering of one ear lasts 3-6, and the entire field lasts 6-8 days.

Dry weather shortens the flowering period, wet weather lengthens it. In hot and dry weather, when the air temperature is above + 25‑27 ° C, the ear can fade in one to two days.

Therefore, in humid cool conditions for FA, the chances of infecting winter wheat plants are much greater than in hot and dry ones. After all, the pathogen has a margin of time several times more, and the high humidity of the air contributes to its active promotion.

Early infection, as a rule, forms a typical "fusarium" grain: feeble, deformed, dull. When infested early, Fusarium causes whitening of the spike due to penetration of the fungus into the central spike. The pathogen damages and clogs the vessels (like a blood clot), which blocks the supply of nutrients to all the ovaries located above the grains in the ear. The affected areas first discolor, and in wet weather, pink sporodochia form on the spikelet scales.

Infection of the ear with a suspension of conidia of the fungus F. graminearum during the flowering period leads to massive infection of grains in the ear and a decrease in yield compared to uninfected ears by 60-80%.

Infection of the ear a week after flowering results in a 50-60% reduction in yield, with less visible symptoms, despite the infection of 90-95% of the seeds.

At late stages of infection, the number of infected grains and visible symptoms of the disease decrease, and the weight of the seeds does not change. Late infection is outwardly hardly noticeable, but can cause an extremely unpleasant “surprise” - contamination with mycotoxins. Moreover, stressful conditions (heat, treatment with strobilurins) do not improve the "character" of the fungus, on the contrary. For example, under laboratory conditions, strains F. sporotrichiella at a temperature of +26‑28°C they are able to synthesize and accumulate mycotoxins three times faster than at a temperature of about +20°C. Therefore, you should not hope that "it will pass by itself."

Field experiments 2011‑2013 in the states of Ohio and Illinois showed the features of the "work" of fungicides with a. metconazole and with a combination of d. prothioconazole + tebuconazole at different times of use. The maximum reduction in the signs of damage (IND - 69%) by Fusarium and the content of mycotoxins (54%) was provided by the treatment on the second day after the beginning of flowering of the ear. The use of drugs on the fourth and fifth days after flowering led to a decrease in the effect. Even on the sixth day, the treatments were expedient, since the use of fungicides significantly reduced the accumulation of mycotoxins in the grain. But the control of disease manifestations in this case was weaker than when treated at the beginning of flowering (D. L. D’Angelo, 2014).

Thus, when treating with fungicides at the beginning of flowering, it is possible to “kill two birds with one stone” - to reduce the spread of the disease (respectively, the amount of lightweight deformed grain) and prevent the accumulation of mycotoxins. Late treatments (the end of flowering - milky ripeness) are quite effective in preventing grain contamination with mycotoxins, but do not affect the development of the disease. Treatments between these two periods provide mediocre control of disease development, but a sufficient level of prevention of mycotoxin accumulation.

I won’t say much, otherwise I’ll say something again

Viktor Chernomyrdin

Fusarium of the ear is an insidious and dangerous enemy. The most justified tactic of struggle is prevention. If the cereals were sown on corn or stubble predecessor, the likelihood of ear fusarium development is high. If, in addition, plant residues remain on the surface of the field after sowing (when sowing according to No-till or "minimum"), the appearance of the disease is almost guaranteed.

However, even on crops with FA-neutral predecessors (sunflower, legumes, millet), the development of the disease is quite possible. A susceptible variety and abundant nitrogen fertilization exacerbate the situation.

Therefore, you should not save on fungicidal protection of the ear. Moreover, the processing costs cannot be called prohibitive. Fungicides with A.I. tebuconazole, which are widely represented on the market, are quite affordable, and with timely and high-quality application, they are quite effective. If it is supposed to control not only FC, but also other diseases of the ear (septoria) and leaf apparatus (helminthosporiasis, rust, powdery mildew), then it is advisable to use multicomponent preparations containing triazoles (tebuconazole, prothioconazole, flutriafol) in combination with d.v. other chemical classes with spiroxamine, for example, or with a.i. benzimidazole groups.

Do not save on "adhesives" (surfactants, surfactants)! In addition, the consumption rate of the working solution should not be reduced. The more evenly the ear will be processed, the more d.v. gets on its surface, the better the result will be.

The effectiveness of protection depends on timeliness. Therefore, processing should begin from the beginning of flowering. A delay of 10-12 days will not prevent grain losses, but may well prevent contamination of products with mycotoxins. Lost time - missed opportunities. But, missing one opportunity, you can take advantage of others. Therefore, if, due to the vagaries of the weather, processing can only be carried out in the phase of milky ripeness, it is better to do it anyway.

Viktor Chernomyrdin said: "Forecasting is an extremely difficult thing, especially when it comes to the future." But the future depends on the present. For example, from timely measures taken to preserve the crop.

Alexander Goncharov, Researcher for Agronomy, Agrosfera LLC

♦ SIGNS OF PLANT DEFECT:

Fusarium- a dangerous disease of plants affected by the pathogenic fungus Fusarium (Fusarium). This problem is faced by agricultural workers, gardeners, gardeners as often as with dangerous late blight (late blight) or gray mold on cultivated crops. Unfortunately, lovers of decorative indoor plants, this misfortune also does not bypass. For example, many types of domestic orchids are susceptible to infection with the Fusarium fungus, which causes Fusarium (in the literature you can also find another name for the disease - tracheomycosis).

The first signs of a houseplant disease may vary slightly depending on the species. For example, in undersized crops, Fusarium wilt can immediately begin - shapeless yellow spots appear on the leaf blades, the lower leaves turn completely yellow, the edges become watery. The upper part of the stem withers and dries out, the leaves become droopy.

In young plants, the stems become thinner, the color of individual sections of the stem becomes brown or reddish-brown. Then weeping putrefactive brown spots appear on different parts of the plant. Sometimes on the dark spots that appear, you can find a spore-bearing mycelium in the form of a grayish coating, similar to powdery mildew.

♦ WHAT HARM DOES FUSARIOSIS DO TO A HOUSEPLANT?

The Fusarium fungus releases dangerous toxins that disrupt the development of the plant, cause the process of decay, decomposition of plant tissues;

The vascular system of the indoor flower is damaged, after which it fades. If you make a cross section of the stem of the affected plant, you can see the so-called purple rings (darkened vessels);

The root system and the neck of the root rot, the movement of water and nutrients to the tissues of the plant is extremely difficult;

The decorative value of the flower is markedly reduced. The leaves turn yellow and turn brown, the cell turgor decreases, the stem and shoots become thinner, the top fades. If fusarium spreads in foci in an acute form, then a houseplant may die within a week.

- plants affected by Fusarium: photo

♦ WHAT CAUSE FUSARIOSIS?

◉ it is known that fusarium often enters the tissues of a house plant through the soil where the spores of the fungus are located. Therefore, transplant flowers into a special soil mixture from the store or make a mixture to obtain a substrate from sterilized components;

◉ the fungus can enter plant tissues through wounds and punctures left by indoor pests such as whitefly larva, mealybug, scale insect, flower thrips, aphid or spider mite;

◉ improper home care reduces the resistance of flowers to the disease.
Weakened plants with deformed leaves and stems can die very quickly.

♦ HOW TO PREVENT FUSARIOSIS IN PLANTS?

❂ be attentive to the state of health of the plant, follow the rules of care. Favorable conditions for the development of fusarium are increased air humidity, stagnant water in the root system, acidification and caking of the soil. Ventilate the room more often, loosen the soil when compacting the top layer, pour out the accumulated water from the pan;

❂ sterilize the earth mixture before transplanting the flower, and it is advisable to disinfect the pot with a 5% solution of copper sulfate or scald with boiling water. If you want to use melt or rain water for irrigation, then let it first settle for a couple of days along with diluted Fitosporin-M;

❂ if you find pests on a houseplant or the first signs of their activity, then try to start processing the flower with special means as soon as possible.

♦ HOW TO FIGHT FUSARIA AT HOME?

❀ upon detection of the first signs of the disease, it is important to immediately eliminate possible violations of the rules of home care (high humidity, temperature, waterlogging of the soil);

❀ at the initial stage of the disease, the plant can still be saved. Wash it completely under warm running water, remove yellowed leaves, darkened white, rotten roots. Transplant into a new pot with sterilized earth mix. Then it is necessary to process with special means. A very good effect is obtained by treatment with Fundazol (3 times with an interval of a week), and then treatment with Fitosporin (several times with an interval of 5 days). Some flower growers use Vectra and Benomyl to combat tracheomycosis on flowers.

♦ WHICH HOUSEPLANTS ARE AT RISK?

A fungus that has entered through the root system or through damage can cause fusarium in almost any indoor species, weakened by improper care or

Fusarium wilt / Fusarium - signs

Over the past decade, bacterial fungi of the genus Fusarium have begun to fatally affect plantings not only of agricultural crops (cereals, pumpkin, nightshade, legumes, beets), but also almost all vegetable flora grown by amateurs in their gardens. At the same time, root rot, otherwise Fusarium wilt, does not bypass flower beds with bulbous plants, young trees in the garden, and affects berry bushes. The source of Fusarium wilt development is infected seeds, planting material or soil.

Protecting plants from disease is hampered by the fact that bacterial fungi are able to stay in the soil or on unharvested plant residues for a long time, from where they subsequently penetrate into cultivated crops, clogging the conducting channels and vessels in their plant tissues. The initial infection with the disease is virtually impossible to determine by eye, since Fusarium wilt becomes visible on plantings in its middle stage of distribution, when the leaves of the affected crop already quickly turn yellow, then curl up and die.

From the disease, the vitality of the whole plant is reduced, since bacterial fungi completely disrupt its root nutrition and the work of photosynthesis. Favors the development of Fusarium wilt lack of light and soil and air temperature of about + 28 ° C.

For example, in gladioli, fusarium manifests itself in the yellowing of the upper part of the leaves and, after a while, between the veins, after which the entire bulbous nest turns brown and dies. The corm of a gladiolus or daffodil affected by the disease becomes dark and hard, mummifies with the formation of concentric zones on the surface. A faded pink coating is a characteristic feature of the affected areas.

In cultivated squash, tomatoes, squash, strawberries or flowering herbaceous plants: Turkish carnation, lily, chrysanthemum or aster, Fusarium often occurs during the budding period. The lower leaves on the bushes also characteristically turn yellow, curl up and lose elasticity, turn brown and wither.

The appearance of rot with a pink coating at the base of the stems indicates infection of the plantings, and the landowner should immediately get rid of diseased plants, since such specimens can no longer be saved, and they will only contribute to the rapid spread of pathogens throughout the site.

Fusarium wilt - how to fight

Having prevented Fusarium wilt of other crops mechanically - by culling and destroying already diseased specimens, after cleaning the plantings, it is recommended to spray the remaining healthy plants together with the soil surface with a solution of potassium permanganate and powder the beds with a mixture of ash and powdered sulfur.

In protecting plants from disease, pre-planting preparation, which consists in dressing seeds or corms in biological fungicides, helps a lot. In the subsequent cultivation of plants, it is desirable to use only phosphorus-potassium supplements without the use of aggressive biological organics.

Liming the soil with chalk or dolomite flour also leads to a significant reduction in the possible damage to cultivated crops by root rot, since the pathogenic fungus does not coexist in a neutral soil structure saturated with calcium compounds.

Potassium permanganate, to which boric acid is added, is well suited for protecting plants from Fusarium wilt. It is advisable to pour abundantly with this solution available on the farm in June flower and berry crops only once (under the root). The solution, accordingly, should not be concentrated, but have a pink tint.

Fusarium and other fungal diseases are rarely present in well-groomed areas where the gardener conscientiously monitors his plantings and the condition of the soil. Therefore, the timely destruction of weeds in the beds, loosening the soil, the proper use of fertilizers and the use of only healthy planting material in growing will be a good barrier that blocks the appearance of pathogenic pathogens of the Fusarium genus.

WHAT TO REMEMBER!!!

Fusarium wilt - the main prevention measures

Use of healthy planting material (seeds, rhizomes, tubers, bulbs, cuttings, seedlings)
Using varieties resistant to Fusarium wilt
Use of seeds treated by the manufacturer against Fusarium wilt (many of them are colored)
Before laying in storage or before planting, treatment of clean roots, bulbs, tubers with a fungicide according to the instructions, usually kept in a fungicide solution for half an hour
Crop rotation
Removal of infected plants along with a clod of earth
Burning (not composting) infected plants,
Washing tools after working with infected plants, disinfecting them with denatured (technical alcohol),
Washing shoes, as a source of Fusarium wilt can be carried along with contaminated soil on the soles
Washing and bleaching pots and other containers, replacing the soil in them with a healthy one
Soil disinfection, especially in greenhouses, with fungicides or steaming (for potted crops and seedlings)
Application of potassium oxide or lime to the soil
Mulching plantings with black PVC film or silver plastic film - inhibits the development of pathogenic fungus

Fusarium wilt - predisposing factors

weakened plant
Cushioned landing
Acidic soil, heavy soil, low-lying areas, stagnation of moisture in the soil, preventing air from reaching the roots
Use of chlorine fertilizers and excessive use of any chemicals
Location of the site near highways, in industrial areas, especially near metallurgical enterprises
Drying of the root system with insufficient soil moisture
The soil and air temperature is about +28 degrees.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!!!

Preparations for Fusarium wilt / Fusarium

In case of severe injury, seek help. fungicides . In private households, preference should be given to biological fungicides that do not have a negative effect on the environment and products.
biological preparation Agat-25K- has a detrimental effect on the source of Fusarium wilt, but at the same time promotes plant growth, productivity, improves soil characteristics.
Fitosporin-M(microbiological preparation) - for the treatment of soil, compost, seeds and planting material before planting and before laying for storage, as well as for watering plants.
Baktofit-biological fungicide - promotes the development of healthy microflora, the products obtained after application are environmentally friendly and healthy
Trichodermin (Gliocladin)- a biological preparation that is applied to the soil to prevent or treat a fungal infection, while improving soil properties. The solution treats the seeds and the plants themselves.
Vitaros- for dressing bulbs, tubers, rhizomes before planting or storing. Colors the processed material, which allows you to control the result. The protective effect is maintained for a long time. Soak 2 ml in 1 liter of water for 2 hours (or 6 drops in a glass of water).
Maksim- pickle planting material before planting - 4 ml per 2 liters of water, or 6 drops per glass.
potassium humate- being an organomineral fertilizer obtained from lowland peat, it not only has a beneficial effect on the development of plants and soil properties, but also has a fungicidal effect. It is used for seed treatment, and also applied to the soil and plants.
Systemic drugs also have a strong effect against fungi of the genus Fusarium. Fundazol, Topsin-M.

For reference:
- Wilting and root rot of plants can also be caused by other harmful fungi that are not included in the Fusarium genus. Often the signs and ways of dealing with these infections are similar.
- Some diseases caused by representatives of the genus Fusarium are by no means consonant names. Among them - tracheomycotic wilt, they are affected, for example, roses, rhodedondrons, conifers. Tracheomycosis wilt is Fusarium.
- Indoor plants are also susceptible to Fusarium (orchids, cyclamens, zygocactus, balsams and others).

In the photo (Internet sources): a sign of fusarium on the leaves, fusarium wilt of gladioli, zucchini, onions, pines, cloves, tomatoes, chrysanthemums.

If you want the coniferous plantations on the site to please you for many years with dense healthy greenery, a healing aroma, entrust the care of them to specialists. The gardeners of the landscape workshop Lenotre-Park will do everything necessary to ensure that your spruce, pine and fir trees are not touched by any disease, including such a fatal one as fusarium.

Fusarium is one of the most dangerous diseases of the representatives of the flora, caused by a fungus of the genus Fusarium. Plants, in practice, can not be saved. The insidiousness of this disease is that when the symptoms become noticeable, it is usually too late to take any measures. Fusarium treatment is a complex, long process with no guarantee of recovery.

Signs and causes of Fusarium lesions

The fact is that the pathogens are in the soil and the damage to the plant begins with the roots. Having first penetrated into the peripheral root system, the fungus grows and gradually penetrates into the vascular system of the plant, filling it with mycelium, releasing toxins and rising higher and higher along the trunk. Accordingly, the access of nutrients from the soil is blocked.

How does fusarium manifest?

To a greater extent, annual plants suffer from fusarium - cereals, legumes, pumpkin, nightshade, flowers (indoor and garden), etc.

In young plants, the root neck becomes thinner, blackens. The plant withers, withers and disappears. Fruits, seeds, ears, tubers, cobs, pods, etc. are affected by rot. In bulbous plants, depressed brown spots with a whitish coating form near the bottom, the plant turns yellow and dries.

The spores of the fungus can also be found in the seed material. When planting, getting into the soil, the fungus develops and begins its destructive activity.

In park gardening, spruce, pine, fir and other conifers are susceptible to Fusarium wilt. Seedlings of fruit and ornamental trees at a young age, berry bushes are also not immune from root rot, but this happens less frequently.

Causes of Fusarium

• Infected seeds or planting material.
• Dense planting, insufficient ventilation.
• Insufficient illumination.
• Incorrect top dressing (excessive application of fresh manure).
• Stagnation of moisture in the soil.

Fusarium treatment

The treatment of this disease, as already mentioned, is a complex and multi-stage process (we are now talking about tree disease). It is better to entrust it to specialists. After all, we do not entrust our health to every doctor who imagines himself to be, but to people with a medical education and, preferably, with experience.

The type of tree, age, planting site, degree of damage - everything matters. The gardener or agronomist, first of all, find out the causes of the disease and eliminate them (if possible). Then systemic fungicides are selected for spraying the crown, injections are made under the bark with special preparations, the soil is disinfected and dressed.

These activities are carried out systematically until the symptoms disappear. After that, a course is assigned to strengthen the immunity of the tree. In addition, other plants in the garden are examined and preventive work is carried out to prevent their infection.

As you can see, this business requires special knowledge, a conscious program of action.

Gardeners and agronomists of the Lenotre-Park landscape workshop will always come to the rescue in the fight against such a formidable disease as Fusarium of ornamental or fruit trees and shrubs. Call the contact number listed on the site.

If annuals are affected by Fusarium, they are pulled out and burned. And the soil and plants that are nearby are pickled with a solution of potassium permanganate, sprinkled with a mixture of powdered sulfur and ash.

Fusarium is easier to prevent than to treat

Although Fusarium is a formidable disease, it rarely appears in areas where the elementary rules of agricultural technology are followed. Your plants will not suffer a sad fate if you follow these precautions:

• Before planting annuals, bulbs, it is necessary to pickle the seeds and bulbs in biological fungicides.
• When planting seedlings, pre-ignite the soil, treat with Trichodermin systemic fungicide.
• Treat the roots of seedlings with Trichodermin or another fungicide of the appropriate class.
• You can add dolomite flour or chalk to the soil, which significantly reduces the risk of root rot.
• When planting seedlings, care must be taken to drain and remove excess moisture.
• It is necessary to ensure ventilation and illumination of landings.
• Loosening the soil, removing weeds should be carried out regularly.
• It is necessary to observe crop rotation, alternating plant species.
• For prevention, it is advisable to water flowers, shrubs once (at the end of May, beginning of June) under the root with a weak solution of potassium permanganate with boric acid.
• Conduct pre-sowing deep digging of the soil.
• Carry out complex top dressing, given that potassium-phosphorus fertilizers enhance plant immunity to fungal diseases.