Strawberry and strawberry anthracnose treatment

Strawberries are usually called large garden strawberries, so in fact they are not two different plants, but one. The culture is often exposed to fungal diseases, one of which is strawberry anthracnose. The insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that at the initial stage it is almost impossible to recognize it. A little later, anthracnose develops rapidly, can completely destroy the berry plantation and switch to other plants. That is why, when symptoms appear, treatment should be prompt and adequate.

Anthracnose manifestations

Anthracnose can appear on strawberry bushes of any age, especially if weather conditions favor it. First, the disease affects the vegetative part of the plants, then it spreads to the root system.

Signs of a fungal infection are as follows:

1. The first symptoms usually appear on the leaf petioles and whiskers of strawberries. The defeat of the fungus looks like reddish-brown, depressed, ulcer-like spots with a dark rim, which gradually ring the petiole or tendril, which leads to drying out and death of plant tissue due to lack of nutrition.
2. Small brown dots appear on the leaves. The specks quickly grow in size and merge with each other. Sick leaves turn black and die off.
3. During the flowering period, anthracnose transfers to flowers and ovaries, making them ugly and leading to drying out.
4. The fruits that appear have white cups. Brown spots with a dark edging appear on the berries themselves. Dry weather contributes to the drying of the fruits, in the rainy period they are covered with pinkish or yellow mucus containing mushroom spores.
5. Horns and the root system are the last to die, which is manifested by their browning and drying out.

According to the available signs, the disease can be easily confused with late blight. Anthracnose can be detected by cutting off the diseased leaf, spraying it with water and placing it in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature. If, after the specified period, orange mold appears on the leaf tissue, it means that it was anthracnose that struck the strawberries.

The level of disease severity is recognized as high. Crop losses can be up to 80%. With a mass disease of plantings, 1/3 of the total number of mother bushes and more fall out.

Where does the fungus come from, what contributes to its development?

The disease is caused by pathogenic fungi from the genus Colletotrichum. The most common route of transmission for anthracnose is through infected seedlings. Presumably, it was in this way that the disease penetrated into the territory of Russia at the beginning of this century.

Anthracnose, the most common pathogen in Europe, becomes especially active at temperatures of + 25–28 ° C and air humidity close to 100%. When the temperature drops below +10 ° C or rises above +32 ° C, the development of the fungus stops.

The causative agent that causes strawberry anthracnose, in its absence, can parasitize on other crops. The fungus is capable of infecting vegetables, some types of flowers, fruit trees and shrubs.

Mycelium wintering takes place in the upper layer of soil and plant debris, where the spores remain viable for 6–9 months.

The following factors contribute to morbidity:

• thickened plantings,
• excess nitrogen in the soil,
• greenhouse conditions.

Fungus can get from one plant to another during berry picking, through the used tool, together with rain drops or insects.

Preventive actions

Summer residents are not able to influence the weather conditions, but they can take the necessary measures to prevent anthracnose and prevent its spread.

• First of all, attention must be paid to the quality of the planted seedlings. Strawberries should be bought from reputable specialized nurseries or grown in accordance with agricultural practices on your own plot.
• As a preventive measure, the rosettes can be etched for 30 minutes before planting by soaking in a fungicide solution.
• Helps to destroy the fungus and the treatment of bushes in the ground in early spring with hot water (about +50 ° C) - you need to water the strawberries for 5 minutes.
• When planting plants on the site, they should not be overcrowded, the plantation should be well ventilated.
• When introducing nitrogen fertilizers, do not exceed their dosage.

To reduce possible yield losses, strawberries are sprayed for preventive purposes 3-4 times. This should be done during flowering and ovary formation. The most effective results can be achieved when using Horus or Signum preparations.

Breeders are constantly working to develop anthracnose-resistant strawberry varieties. Today it is:

• "Daver";
• "Idea";
• Charlie's Light;
• "Pelican";
• "Vicoda";
• Pegan.

No matter how attractive the variety may seem, it is better not to order foreign planting material via the Internet.

If you suspect anthracnose, it is worth showing the strawberry bushes to the specialists of the local plant protection station, who will help to accurately determine the diagnosis and develop tactics for the application of protective measures.

Today, the following territories are at risk:

• Krasnodar region;
• Stavropol region;
• Rostov, Lipetsk, Tambov and Voronezh regions.

Treatment methods

With regular strawberry care, you need to carefully examine the bushes for signs of disease. If small brown ulcers appear, treatment should be started immediately. The task of the summer resident in this case is to stop the anthracnose focus, preventing the disease from spreading to neighboring plants.

The use of folk remedies

Folk remedies can be used at the slightest suspicion of a fungal disease. They will not harm plantings and the environment, but they can suppress the development of infection.

At the initial stage of anthracnose, it is recommended to use:

• Iodine solution. It is prepared by adding 30 drops of drugstore iodine tincture to a bucket of water. To enhance the effect, 30 g of soap shavings are added to the composition, after which the strawberries are processed. The solution can also be used for preventive purposes, applying for spraying 3-5 times per season.
• Garlic infusion. For cooking, you need a glass of peeled garlic cloves and 10 liters of water. Raw materials are crushed, added to a container with water, allowed to brew for 24 hours. After that, the infusion is filtered and used to spray the bushes. Processing should be carried out in the evening for 3 consecutive days.
• Combined composition from 1 tbsp. tablespoons of copper sulfate, 0.5 tsp. of iron sulfate, 0.5 tsp. of boric acid, 2/3 tbsp. tablespoons of potassium sulfate. All components are dissolved in 10 liters of water and used for a single spraying.

Strawberries need to be processed in dry, calm weather, and when precipitation falls soon, the bushes should be sprayed again. Such work should not be carried out in the sun, otherwise the effectiveness of the measures will decrease.

Use of fungicides

The use of fungicides is the most reliable method of dealing with anthracnose, but it must be remembered that chemical agents can be used only before the beginning of fruiting.

You can get rid of a fungal infection using the following drugs:

• Previkur Energy. For processing, 1 ml of the drug is used per liter of water. First, the fungicide is dissolved in a small amount of water, and then the mixture is brought to full volume. It is necessary to use the composition immediately after preparation.The protective effect occurs within 3 hours. The drug has low toxicity and has a positive effect on the growth of strawberries. When processing "Previkur Energy" alternate with other means.
• "Speed". Difenoconazole-based fungicide. The working solution is prepared from 3.5 ml of the drug per 10 l of warm water. For the onset of the effect, 3 treatments are required with a break of 7 days. It has a positive effect on productivity.
• "Tiovit Jet". Contact fungicide based on sulfur. The vapors of the active substance after treatment stop the development of fungal spores. The solution is prepared from 30-40 g of the drug per 10 l of water.
• Abiga Peak. Protective agent based on copper oxychloride. Prevents fungus development and spore germination. For 10 l of water, 50 ml of the suspension are consumed. The product is abundantly sprayed with strawberry leaves on both sides.

In addition to these drugs in the treatment of anthracnose used "Alirin-B", "Fundazol", "Poliram", "Tiram", "Fitosporin-M".

Before using fungicides, you must carefully study the instructions with a description of the features of the drug and recommendations for dosage.

The most important thing in getting rid of anthracnose strawberries is not to start the disease. Treatment with drugs must be carried out very quickly. It is advisable to change fungicides so that the fungus does not develop resistance to them. Preventive measures should be aimed at the choice of quality material for planting and the correct management of agricultural practices.