Potato fusarium is a very dangerous disease of vegetable crops, in most cases - potato. Otherwise, it is called dry rot or fusarium wilting. The disease appears by infecting the earth and fruits with a fungus of the Fusarium oxysporum family, which multiplies very quickly, spreads through the soil and is quite difficult to get out of it.
Causes of Fusarium Potato Wilt
First of all, fruits that are damaged during digging and transportation, as well as those that have damaged pests, are affected. Further, this infection spreads literally to all objects and equipment that come into contact with the ground: clothes, shoes, garden tools, damaged root crops, tops, etc.
The peak of activity of the disease occurs precisely during the period of tubers setting; accordingly, this threatens the landowner with the loss of a significant part of the potato crop. Tubers affected by Fusarium infection differ from healthy ones by well-marked sunken spots in color darker than the peel - this is rot.
Most often, potato fusarium is found in southern Russia, in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions, in Ukraine and in some regions of the North Caucasus, but the rest of the country may not be affected.
The main causes of the disease:
- Too high soil moisture caused by prolonged rains, cold damp weather.
- Planting infected potatoes (all fruits must be carefully checked after wintering).
- Neglecting the pre-treatment of the site before planting potatoes.
- A large number of pests, insects and rodents, which are carriers of infection.
- Lack of fertilizing, mineral and organic fertilizers in the soil, especially if crops are grown on infertile land.
- Regular planting of potatoes on the same plot of land. All crops need crop rotation.
- Inappropriate storage of potatoes in the cellar.
Symptoms
Fusarium is not immediately visible. The first signs of potato disease can be seen no earlier than a month after infection. A careful gardener will detect symptoms, such as: tarnishing and curling of the leaves (in case of mass infection, the leaves may turn yellow and fall off); blackening and rotting of the top of the stem, especially with high soil and air humidity; rotten fruit of a potato when digging.
Prevention
In order to not have to spend additional time, effort and money on saving and treating the crop, it is necessary to take some preventive measures in a timely manner:
- Careful water treatment with chlorine is necessary for garden tools, shoes and clothes that come in contact with infected fruits and soil
- Mandatory disposal of sick root crops and tops, if possible on fire. A lump of earth dug with tubers is also best removed from the site. Putting infected fruit in the basement or underground can cause contamination of neighboring crops
- Choose planting varieties that are resistant to fungal infections and pests
- It is advisable to conduct crop rotation on the site annually, that is, if possible, change the plantings in places
Potato Fusarium Treatment and Treatment Methods
In the modern market, potatoes for processing potatoes from rot, fungi and pests are sold in a huge assortment. There are drugs with a wide spectrum of action that protect the fruits from almost all dangers, and there are also those that are designed for certain diseases. They can be divided into chemical and biological.
Chemical control measures
A group of products that are developed on the basis of chemicals that negatively affect the Fusarium fungus.
These drugs include a new tool Kulfugo Super. It is used for the active spread of the disease, inhibiting the formation of new fungi. It does not harm animals and insects, suitable for all nightshade.
Weed herbicide Titus also fights fungal infections. They treat the soil before planting for disinfection.
A solution with the preparation Maxim is well suited for processing in which potato tubers are immersed before planting.
Another type of crop disinfection is the Whist smoke bomb, which is carried out directly in the warehouse when the potatoes are already covered in winter, and is an absolutely harmless and reliable crop protector during storage.
Biological methods
Biological preparations are those that process fruits before planting. The well-known Integral, Bactofit and Fitosporin belong to this group.
They have established themselves among the farmers as true professionals. They are mainly sold in the form of a powder or suspension, which must be diluted with water. The proportions depend on the type of treatment: watering the soil before sowing, spraying tubers during planting or spraying tops.
Fusarium disease is a disease that affects not only potatoes, but also other cultivated and wild plants, so you need to be careful about treating the soil in order to avoid crop loss.
