We use fungicidal drugs to protect plants against diseases

Diseases of plants - one of the main causes of crop loss in both quantitative and qualitative terms. Damage causes a number of phytopathogenic microorganisms, fungi, viruses, bacteria.

To combat plant diseases in agriculture, it is advisable to use fungicidal drugs. These are chemicals, a special kind of pesticide that can fight the pathogens of diseases of various cultures.

Why fungicides are needed?

Fungicidal preparations for plants are used to:

• Fighting disease in the period of formation and development of culture;
• Increase of productivity of a crop and market appeal of fruits;
• Increasing the shelf-life of collected fruits, vegetables, tubers and seeds;
• Eliminate the risk of diseases and poisoning in humans and animals that eat damaged plants.

The role of fungicides in disease management

In a number of agrotechnical measures aimed at increasing the yield and quality of the collected fruits, fungicides play a major role. In practice, they are able to adequately control the occurrence and development of plant diseases. At the same time, they slightly increase the cost of agricultural crops.

For the most effective results, fungicidal drugs are used before the onset of the disease or at the first appearance of symptoms. This is primarily due to the fact that damage from plant diseases is not compensated. Chemicals are able to protect only new uninfected areas.

Manufacturers use protective drugs at the level of minimum threshold values. As a rule, they are used for prophylaxis, taking into account the forecasts of agronomists. This is done to reduce the cost of the final product, and hence, to increase the profitability of the enterprise, as well as to protect the environment from the effects of chemicals.

Methods of use

Fungicidal preparations are available in the form of powder, granules, gas or in liquid form. They are used in such cases:

1. Processing of seeds, bulbs, seedlings. Procedures can be done both in the seed company, and just before planting. Traditionally used:

- The drug "Fundazol". Produced in the form of powder, has a wide range of effects, the solution is prepared in the proportion: 1 g of the drug per 1 liter of water.

- Means "Fitosporin-M". Used for the prevention of fungal and bacterial diseases. It is valuable because it has a low toxicity, it is not dangerous for bees.

- The drug "Maxim-KS." Efficiently used for pickling potatoes before planting, as well as rhizomes of seedlings. Not toxic for plants, birds and insects, is low toxic for humans. Because it is dangerous for fish, you should not allow the drug to enter the water.

2. Presowing tillage in furrows or in holes, depending on the methods of planting. Usually, liquid fungicidal preparations are used for impregnation by drip irrigation or in the form of directed spraying around the base of the plant.

3. Treatment of foliage and other aerial parts of plants with a sprayer. Can be used as small, hand-held devices, and huge tanks, transported by tractors or air transport.

For processing use such fungicidal agents:

- Topaz pesticide. Applied for preventive purposes and as a medicament. Has a wide range of activities. Toxic to insects, so the treatment of plants with this drug during flowering is prohibited. The hazard class is 3.

- Means of Vectra. The drug also prevents and simultaneously heals plants against many fungal diseases. It is available as a solution in ampoules of 2 or 5 ml. It is nontoxic for plants, is low toxic for humans and animals, but is highly toxic to bees. Therefore, during the flowering of plants, the drug is not used.

- The drug "HOM" (or "OxyHom"). A broad-spectrum fungicide is highly effective and low toxic. Allowed use 3 weeks before harvest.

- Sulfur is colloidal. Produced in the form of powder. Effectively fights with powdery mildew and scab. It is non-toxic, so its use is allowed a few days before harvest.

4. Injection of trees through vaccination.

5. Treatment of plants in enclosed spaces. In the air of greenhouses a chemical is produced in gas form. Such funds are called "fumigants". This method is very effective for controlling pathogens, because the formed smoke or fog completely envelops the plant and provides for simultaneous processing of all its parts.

For indoor areas, HCN, chloropicrin, dichloropropene, carbon disulfide, dibromoethane-1 are used.

With any type of treatment, it is rational to reuse fungicides no later than 5 days after the first etching. This is due to the chemical impact on the preparation of light, temperature, as well as the erosive influence of such natural factors as rain, wind.

Types of fungicides and definitions

Fungicides are classified in several ways, based on different characteristics:

1. Mobility in the plant. The most optimal combination of efficiency and safety are bi-directional chemicals that do not remain on the surface, but, absorbed by the roots, move up the stem to the leaves and also move mobilely from the leaves to the roots.

2. Role in protection: preventive or curative.

3. Perimeter of action: on one site or on several.

4. Pharmacological effects. Fungicides are capable of killing fungi, damaging their cell membranes, inactivating vital enzymes or proteins, interfering with key processes such as energy production or breathing. Some newly developed products are unique in that they do not directly affect the pathogen itself. These means of protection produce in the host plant the so-called "system of acquired resistance" (SPM). These STCs induce chemical signals that activate such specific defense mechanisms as thickening of the cell walls and the production of antifungal proteins. That is, the plant as it receives immunity from pathogens.

5. Type of chemical composition: inorganic or organic. Many of the first fungicides had inorganic compounds based on sulfur or metal ions such as copper, tin, cadmium and mercury, which are toxic not only for fungi, but also for the plants themselves. Copper and sulfur are still widely used.

Organic are those that contain carbon atoms in the structure of molecules of chemical compounds. Today, they use mainly such fungicidal drugs. These agents are non-toxic not only for flora, but also for insects, animals and humans. They have a class of danger 4. They disastrously affect pathogens, while preserving the health of the agroecosystem.