Verticillary wilting of strawberries: description and treatment of the disease, preventive measures

Growing strawberries is often overshadowed by the defeat of plants with various infections.Not the last place among the diseases that culture is exposed to is verticillous wilting caused by the reproduction of microorganisms. It will be useful for gardeners to learn how to deal with a parasitic fungus, which causes the death of strawberry bushes and reduces the quality of the crop.

Verticillary wilting of strawberries is caused by Verticillium species of mushrooms, which like to settle on other garden crops. The microscopic creature lives in the soil, parasitizing on weed grasses, and can be transferred to household plots with shoes, agricultural tools, as well as with affected parts of plants and seeds. It is known that sandy soil is favorable for the reproduction of a microorganism - plants growing on such a ground can be killed in a matter of days if a pest is affected.

Verticillary wilting of strawberries takes a more protracted nature on sandy and clayey soils. Anyway, the bushes start to hurt, their roots and young shoots suffer. As a rule, their vital activity stops, but before that the infection can be transferred to healthy strawberries.

This is due to the fact that the mycelium of the fungus secretes toxins, getting into the water, they penetrate into the plant tissue through the root system, which is destroyed in the first place. If you look at such a strawberry root, you will notice that it is smaller than its normal size, and its texture has become porous and loose. As a result of damage, he can no longer receive moisture and food from the earth and dies for this very reason.

The fungal organism spreads in various ways, such as spores. But also favorable conditions for its appearance are:

• lack of airing beds;
• bushes too thick foliage;
• not enough sunlight;
• large amplitude of high and low temperatures during the day and at night;
• high level of humidity.

In such a climate, the organs of the microorganism (hyphae) are able to actively penetrate the hairs of the roots. When they are additionally injured by agricultural tools or insects, the plant quickly becomes infected and dies. Crop damage can occur unnoticed by a gardener, while the pathogen has been in the ground for several years.

Inexperienced gardeners often confuse the first signs of verticillous wilting, expressed in the drying of the lower leaves, with signs of late blight and fusarium. But with these diseases, as a rule, the fruiting is reduced or completely absent, while in our case, due to the lack of nutrition, the berries become smaller and dry. Sick plants can be identified by their appearance:

• leaves and stems may acquire yellowish-red hues;
• the edges of the leaf plates become dry and curl up, sometimes they fold along the center of the vein;
• the plant is as if adjacent to the ground and becomes lower in height, forming a virtually perfect circle on the soil;
• scapes and stepchildren covered with cyanotic and brown spots and stripes;
• the tips of young roots turn black.

In the light of the danger posed by the strawberry bushes to verticillary wilt, the question of whether it is possible to treat the affected plants becomes especially urgent. Yes, it is possible and necessary, especially at the first signs of the appearance of a wilt.To reduce the number of microorganisms and their destruction provides for the use of chemicals, the treatment of which must be prudent. This is a group of pesticides, as a rule, copper acts as a poisonous substance, while lime neutralizes acidity. Before use, be sure to read the instructions.

The most effective remedies for wilt are as follows.

1. "Maksim" - used for disinfecting soil. For humans, it is not dangerous. Usually used for spraying or watering seven days before the start of flowering, and the effect comes after a day. One ampoule is enough for 2 liters of water, and about 100 ml is spent on a bush.
2. "Fundazol" - effective drug against fungus. 10 g of the substance is diluted in 10 l of water, the solution is designed for processing 10 m2. In humans, the composition may cause irritation of the mucous membranes and skin, so when working you must be in a protective mask and gloves.
3. Bordeaux mixture It is a compound with active ingredients such as quicklime and copper sulfate. Dilute with 450 g of lime and 300 g of vitriol in 10 liters of water.

Biological preparations are more preferable, as they do not spoil the soil and are safe for human health.

At the same time, their effectiveness is no less high than that of chemicals.

1. "Fitosporin" in the form of paste, powder and solution, it assumes different ways of use, actively influences fungal spores, causing their death.
2. "Phytodoc" - fungicidal agent used for irrigation of affected plants. The solution should be prepared two hours before processing of 10 liters of water and 30 g of the substance. Water beds in the absence of the sun.
3. "Fitotsid-r" - Available in the form of a liquid, 10 ml of which is diluted in 10 liters of water, irrigate the ground of the beds in the evening.
4. "Trikhodermin" - the most powerful remedy against verticillary wilting. Its advantage is the ability to use before planting culture. First, in the solution for several hours soaked the roots of seedlings, and then sprayed the soil. To prepare you need to take 200 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water.

Folk remedies use more to prevent the development of the disease. Spraying of chamomile decoction and infused charcoal is often used. It is also recommended that in spring and after harvesting, water the beds with hot water, a solution of poorly diluted potassium permanganate, or add 15 drops of iodine to the bucket with water. The use of these antiseptics helps to prevent not only verticillary wilting, but also many other diseases provoked by pathogenic fungi.

In order to prevent such a nuisance, especially since it is rather difficult to fight it, it is necessary to adhere to the established rules of prevention.

It makes sense to arm yourself with the following recommendations of specialists:

• 5-6 years before planting strawberries, do not plant peppers, blackberries, beets, melons, solanaceous crops (tomatoes, potatoes) in the beds;
• choose for culture loamy and sandy soil for cultivation;
• follow the maximum drainage of the soil, avoiding stagnant water in it - this requires regular loosening, weeding and mulching;
• before digging up the site to carry out the treatment with bleach and fungicidal preparations;
• periodically water the beds with antifungal solutions;
• not to abuse nitrogen fertilizers that can activate the growth of the mushroom population, but in time to add potash and phosphorus additives to the soil;
• Flowers such as chrysanthemums and roses should be cultivated away from strawberry plantings.

You can also protect plants by planting varieties that are resistant to wilt, such as Lakomka, Figaro, Mize Schindler, Festival Chamomile, Favorit, Wima Zanta. If a sore bush is found, it will have to be removed, after which the bed and the area around it should be treated with special means.Unfortunately, in the active stage of the disease it is impossible to fight with verticillous wilting, and highly toxic drugs can cause significant damage to the ground.

How to treat strawberries for diseases and pests, see below.