We fight tomato diseases easily and effectively: a selection of the best recipes for treating diseases

Fungal diseases:

• Powdery mildew. The causative agent of the disease is the fungus Oidium erysiphoides Fr. Symptoms are yellow spots first on the upper side of the leaves, and then on the lower and upper sides - a powdery coating.
• Late blight. The causative agent is Phytophthora infestans Mont.de Bary - belongs to the genus of mushroom-like protozoa from the department of oomycetes, that is, not quite a mushroom and not quite a protozoan. When a plant is damaged, necrosis of various shapes, brownish-brown in color with a light border, and blurry, forms on the fruits and leaves.
• Cladosporosis. The causative agent of the disease is the fungus Cladosporium fulvum (Cooke.) Cifferri. Round yellowish-brown spots appear on the upper side of the leaves, which then become reddish-brown in color.
• Alternaria blight (dry spotting) is caused by fungi of the genus Alternaria. The main symptom is the appearance of dry, clearly defined round spots (ranging in size from several millimeters to several centimeters) of a gray-brown color.
• Anthracnose leaves tomato is caused by the fungus Colletotrichum atramentarium. The disease manifests itself in the form of brown spots, with a diameter of 2 to 12 mm, with a dry, often cracked core and a clearly visible border at the edges.
• Anthracnose of fruits tomato The disease is caused by infection with the fungus Colletotrichum phomoides. On ripening fruits, dark, depressed, often zonal spots appear, up to 1 cm in diameter.
• Fusarium. A plant disease caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp lycopersici. Signs of fusarium are chlorosis of leaves. It starts from the lower tiers and spreads upward, covering all the leaves.

So, there are many diseases of tomatoes, the symptoms are similar, and sometimes it is difficult to determine which pathology has affected the plant.

Attention! It is possible to establish the disease absolutely accurately only in a microbiological laboratory.

Not all spots on the leaves indicate a dangerous disease and lead to loss of yield and death of bushes. How to decide which manifestations on leaves are very dangerous, which are less dangerous, and which are insignificant?

As a rule, spots are manifestations of certain fungal diseases, since conditions in nature are non-sterile and fungi or bacteria are always present either in the soil, or in the greenhouse, or on plants.

A bad sign is the presence of spots on the upper leaves of the bush, as well as on the petioles, stems and fruits. It’s bad when the spots burn right through the leaves. Mold on the leaves is also bad. If you see such spots, take immediate action!

If spots appear on the upper side of the lower leaves of tomatoes, and there are no spots on the underside of the leaf, there is no burning through the leaf and there is no furry spot, then such spots are unlikely to damage the crop. Often the edge of the leaf appears to be burned through - like an edge burn. This can be from the sun, dew and poor absorption of potassium in the soil. It is unlikely that such spots will affect the harvest.

Conditions favorable for the development of diseases

Abundance of moisture and lack of heat, sudden changes in temperature - these are conditions favorable to the development of diseases.

The most dangerous months for the development of diseases are July and August, since the temperature drops at night and rises significantly during the day, which entails the appearance of dew.

High humidity can occur due to dense planting of bushes. The moisture does not have time to completely evaporate, so it settles on the stems or leaves.

An abundance of nitrogen in the soil and a lack of microelements also contribute to the development of diseases. To prevent plants from being affected by diseases, it is necessary to ensure sufficient amounts of iodine, copper, potassium and manganese in the soil.

Tomatoes planted too close to potatoes are more likely to be at risk of late blight.

Important! Moisture and lack of sun are the main conditions for the development of late blight.

Rules and terms for processing tomatoes

The treatment is carried out in clear and calm weather, early in the morning or in the evening. Foliar treatments should be carried out by thoroughly spraying the outer and inner sides of the leaf with a fine spray.

To protect the crop from diseases, preventive treatments will be needed, at least four per season.

The first tillage is carried out before planting tomatoes. Subsequent treatments are carried out every two to three weeks until harvest.

Folk remedies for fighting diseases

Now many gardeners avoid using chemicals on their plots and resort to very dubious methods, for example, such as:

• spraying with a solution of table salt against late blight;
• processing tomatoes with soda;
• furatsilin;
• streptocide;
• a solution of soda in whey;
• potassium permanganate;
• vinegar;
• iodine;
• brilliant green;
• calcium chloride;
• boiling water;
• ash;
• metronidazole or trichopolum;
• screwing in copper wire, etc.

Spraying with a solution of table salt and soda is considered harmful advice, since plants do not like sodium. Previously, in an era of shortages, a composition of soda ash and whey was used against diseases in greenhouses, where soda served as a neutralizer of excess acidity.

When fighting powdery mildew, whey is really effective, as it forms a thin film on the surface of the leaf that prevents the penetration of the pathogen. However, the late blight pathogen is “not afraid” of whey and develops well on it.

Whey in combination with ammonia is an excellent means for feeding plants and at the same time a cure for powdery mildew.

Remedies such as iodine, brilliant green, vinegar are radical. The fact is that effective concentrations of these substances are destructive not only for late blight, but also for plants.

An old and funny method of fighting late blight, which our grandparents used, is piercing the stems of tomatoes with copper wire. Its essence is that late blight is “afraid” of copper compounds. To “scare” late blight, they used copper wire, sanded with sandpaper and cut into pieces of 3-4 cm. The stem of each plant in the lower part was pierced through with wire, its ends were bent down.

When treating with such means, you can waste time and lose plants and crops.

Among the effective folk scientific methods of combating late blight, I would like to recommend one of the recipes of the Belarusian scientist Ivan Russkikh. To protect plants, he used a solution containing turmeric.

Indeed, turmeric is an amazing natural antibiotic. To use it to protect tomatoes, you need to make an alcohol extract: 20 g of turmeric powder per 0.5 liter of vodka. To treat plants, prepare a mixture of 2 tablespoons of turmeric alcohol extract (without stirring, so that turmeric particles do not clog the spray nozzle), 2 g of boric acid (dissolve in warm water), 1 tablespoon of ammonia from a pharmacy, 0.5 liters of milk (for better stuck to the leaves). The resulting mixture is dissolved in 10 liters of water and sprayed on the plants.

A 1% solution of pharmaceutical glycerin (100 g per 10 liters of water) helps a lot in the fight against fungal diseases. Glycerin is a natural compound that is safe for plants.When sprayed with glycerin, increased osmotic pressure is created in the leaves, which weakens the hyphae of the fungi and inhibits their development.

Fighting with chemicals

If the disease situation in your garden is advanced, it is worth trying chemical control methods.

Chemical, or inorganic, fungicides consist of various chemical compounds that have a pronounced effect. Fungicides that are used for tomatoes are divided into:

• copper-containing (copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, Khom, Oksikhom, Medyan extra);
• sulfur-containing (sulfur bomb);
• strobilurins (“Profit Gold”);
• carboxins (Previkur Energy).

Important! Fungicides are either contact or systemic. “Contact” form a surface film on plants and actively influence fungal infection only with direct contact. “System” fungicides, after contact with the surface, penetrate all tissues of the plant and destroy the pathogenic fungus in any part of it.

When working with chemicals, you need to wear rubber gloves and safety glasses. Protect the respiratory tract with a respirator or cotton-gauze bandage.

Copper-containing drugs

Widely known and used in the fight against various diseases of tomatoes are copper-containing preparations.

Copper-containing preparations are divided into derivatives of copper sulfate (Bordeaux and Burgundy mixtures) and copper oxychloride (Oxychom and Hom).

Copper sulfate has fungicidal and bactericidal effects and is effective against a wide range of fungal and bacterial diseases of various crops.

Attention! Copper sulfate must be handled with care due to its high toxicity to humans and the environment.

An aqueous solution of copper sulfate of any concentration is characterized by an acidic reaction, and therefore has phytotoxicity, that is, it can cause burns of leaves and damage to fruits. Therefore, a solution of copper sulfate in its pure form is not used during the growing season.

Bordeaux mixture is often used to combat plant diseases. - a mixture of copper sulfate and quicklime. Lime is added to neutralize the excess acidity of the copper sulfate solution. Bordeaux mixture can be purchased at the store.

Burgundy blend - consists of solutions of copper sulfate and soda. This is a less durable replacement for Bordeaux mixture. The advantage is that a film does not form on the leaves, which impairs photosynthesis.

Preparations derivatives of copper oxychloride - “Hom” and “Oksikhom”. Despite the fact that both drugs contain copper, their mechanism of action is different. “Hom”, due to chlorine, penetrates into plant tissues, and “Oxychom” (copper oxychloride with oxadixil) envelops the surface of the plant and prevents infection from penetrating deep into the tissues. Oxadixil has a prolonged effect, it penetrates the structure of plant tissues and inhibits the protein synthesis of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, at the initial stage or for prevention, it is better to use “Oxychom”, and “Hom” - when the disease is advanced.

The drug "Ordan" is a complex drug with a systemic contact effect. By combining copper oxychloride with cymoxanil, it performs several tasks at once: copper oxychloride has a fungicidal and bactericidal effect, and cymoxanil treats the plant and also protects it from re-infection.

"Kartotsid compound" - This is also a copper-containing preparation, a fungicide of contact-systemic action.Effective in the fight against downy mildew, rust, many types of leaf spot, gray rot, scab, drying out, anthracnose. Cartocide penetrates the plant through the foliage and acts on fungal and bacterial pathogens “from the inside”: it stops their development and leads to the death of pathogens.

Sulfur-containing drugs

Sulfur-containing preparations are contact fungicides with a protective and healing effect. Sulfur-based drugs have been used for a long time, but the mechanism of their effect on pathogens is still not clearly understood.

Greenhouses are fumigated with sulfur before planting in the spring to eliminate foci of fungal infections on the walls.

Strobilurins

The class of fungicides “strobilurins” has a systemic, immunostimulating effect. Used against powdery mildew, rot, rust, scab, peronospora, late blight, mildew, and other spots. Almost all phytopathogens of fungal origin fall within the range of action of this group of drugs.

Strobilurins destroy fungi of 4 classes: oomycetes, ascomycetes, basidiomycetes and deuteromycetes. Able to move behind the plant’s growth point, providing protection for young growing organs. They are resistant to temperature changes and quickly penetrate the plant, providing long-term protection. Ideal for prevention.

For tomatoes it is recommended to use "Profit Gold". Its two active ingredients, cymoxanil and famoxadone, provide effective treatment for various fungal infections. Cymoxanil penetrates the plant and acts on the fungus from the inside, blocking its development. And the second component kills the fungus and its spores, and also forms a thin film on the plants.

Carboxins

For example, Previkur Energy is a systemic two-component fungicide used for watering and spraying fruit and berry crops, garden and indoor plants. Active ingredient of the drug: 530 g/l propamocarb and 310 g/l fosetyl in the form of propamocarb fosetylate. The drug is highly specific, works against root and basal rot, peronosporosis (downy mildew), and late blight.

Previkur Energy is quickly absorbed by the plant and begins to heal at least 30 minutes, maximum 24 hours after treatment. Therefore, there is no fear that it will be washed off by rain, and there is no need to add “adhesives”.

It is also good because its waiting period is only 24 hours, whereas for other chemical preparations this period is 5 days.

Unfortunately, some varieties of tomatoes or potatoes are sensitive to Previkur Energy - you can burn the leaves and lose your harvest! Therefore, before you start spraying, test the drug on one bush, wait 1-2 days, and only if no spots (light, yellowish) appear, treat all bushes or seedlings.

Attention! The effect of using chemical fungicides is obvious and long-term, but these drugs can cause damage to both plants and animals. In addition, they pollute the soil for a long time.

Biological control methods

Biological control methods for plant diseases are designed to minimize damage to crops. The biological method is based on the destruction or suppression of the development of pathogens with the help of other living organisms or their metabolic products.

It has been established that root rots of various crops caused by Fusarium, Helminthosporium, Rhizoctonia and other fungi are well treated with antagonistic soil fungi such as Trichoderma sp.

The phenomena of antagonism in nature are called antibiosis, and substances secreted by microbes are called antibiotics. Most of the antagonist microbes are isolated from soil microflora. For artificial propagation and use of antagonistic microbes, solid and liquid nutrient media are used. The resulting pure antagonist culture is dried, ground, and kaolin or other filler is added. For example, the drug “Trichodermin” is prepared, which is a pure culture of the soil fungus Trichoderma lignorum.

Other preparations with the active ingredient Trichoderma sp: "Glyokladin", "Trichotsin", "Sporobacterin". All biological products have a broad spectrum of action. They effectively fight late blight, perenospora, fusarium, powdery mildew and various rots.

In addition to biological products based on Trichoderma sp., there are preparations of the spore bacterium Bacillus subtilis or Bacillus subtilis. Bacillus subtilis spreads more slowly than Trichoderma sp., but once it penetrates the plant, it destroys various diseases from the inside. The waste products of this bacterium suppress the development of many plant diseases. The bacterium is able to spread throughout the vessels of plants and cleanse them of diseases.

Bacillus subtilis is the basis of such biological products as: “Fitosporin”, “Baktofit”, “Phytotsid”, “Phytodoctor”, “Alirin B”, “Gamair”, “Sporobacterin” and others.

How to spray with Gamair

Spraying and watering of plants with biological preparations is carried out in any weather, but it is necessary to take into account that the bacteria Bacillus subtilis and the fungus Trichoderma sp. are afraid of the bright sun, and rain can wash away part of the preparation. Therefore, it is advisable to process immediately after rain or 2-3 hours before it, in the evening or morning sun. The number of sprays for medicinal purposes depends on weather conditions - one spray every 14 days in dry weather and every 7 days during the rainy season.

Garden crops and indoor crops should be watered at the roots once, and fruit and berry crops twice a month.

Treatment of soil and plants with biological products is an excellent prevention of fungal diseases - late blight, fusarium, powdery mildew, scab, fomoz, blackleg, etc. They heal and vitaminize the soil.

Measures applicable in open ground

Many gardeners wonder why plants in the wild do not get sick. In fact, why? The fact is that a person, holding any cultural events, changes the natural living conditions of plants.

When caring for crops, gardeners and gardeners use mineral fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, which are always poisonous. For example, where large amounts of nitrogen are used, the soil rapidly loses humus. Naturally, the plants grow faster, more luxuriantly, and become dark green, but inside the leaves they develop loose, spongy tissue

It is quite obvious that “loose” plants that have undergone uneven changes in growth are more susceptible to fungal diseases. It is known that the lower the humus content in the soil drops, the more susceptible plants become to fungal diseases and insect attacks.

It is easier to carry out disinfection measures in a greenhouse. In open ground, it is almost impossible to completely destroy sources of infection, but it is possible to improve the soil.

To begin with, try not to use chemicals. Give preference to biological drugs. Enrich and heal the soil by sowing green manure plants. Plant crops susceptible to fungal infections after onions, garlic, cabbage, and legumes. Tomatoes should not be planted after nightshades (peppers, eggplant, potatoes). For planting, use healthy material - only disinfected seeds.

After harvesting, 2-3 weeks before the onset of autumn frosts, water the soil with solutions of biological products “Baikal EM-1”, “Baikal EM-5”, “Baktofit”, “Trichodermin”, “Planzir”, “Alirin B”, “Fitosporin” or “Fitotsid M”. Microorganisms suppress the development of phytopathogens and improve the health of the soil. In the spring, after the onset of stable warm weather, repeat the soil treatment.

How to use biological products, watch this video:

New biological preparations for restoring soil fertility - "Flora-S" and "Fitop-Flora-S" - have appeared on sale. The drug "FLORA-S" is pure humic acids obtained from natural raw materials, peat.

For reference. Manufacturers of the drugs assure that by using the drugs “FLORA-S” and “FITOP-FLORA-S” in combination, it is possible to “quickly and effectively restore natural fertility, achieve the unity of biochemical and microbiological processes in the soil and plants.”

Thus, only comprehensive measures will help to thoroughly disinfect the soil on the site and prevent the development of fungal infections. Follow these recommendations annually, and your garden crops will produce a rich harvest of healthy fruits.

If the disease appeared in the greenhouse

The stagnant air of greenhouses and the evaporation of moisture from the soil make the growth of tomatoes in closed ground extreme. In greenhouse conditions, diseases spread more intensively than in open ground.

Therefore, even before signs of disease appear, be sure to carry out preventive treatment of plants with biological preparations.

If the disease does appear in the greenhouse, immediately remove the diseased leaves and burn them. Ensure the greenhouse is ventilated, reduce watering and thoroughly treat the plants, preferably with biological preparations.

Prevention methods

To prevent the development of diseases, inspect the plants more often and carry out agrotechnical measures in a timely manner (feeding, pinching, removing diseased leaves, etc.), water in a timely manner with warm water at the roots, without touching the leaves.

How is prevention carried out in a greenhouse?

It is important to prepare the greenhouse in the fall - remove the tops of plants that were grown in the greenhouse. As a last resort, do this in the spring. Polycarbonate or glass in the greenhouse must be washed to remove settled dust, dirt and spores of pathogenic fungi and bacteria. A clean greenhouse is the key to a good harvest!

It is advisable to lay a 20-25 cm layer of hay on the ridges and pour it thoroughly with water, or better yet, with a solution “Fitosporina”, “Trichodermina”, “Glyokladina” or “Sporobacterina” to moisten the hay and soil and populate them with beneficial microorganisms Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma sp. Hay overheats and nourishes plants, retains moisture and protects against pathogenic microflora.

You can plant New Zealand spinach and basil with the tomatoes. New Zealand spinach covers the soil in the garden bed, preventing the soil from overheating and drying out.Some gardeners believe that the aromas that basil exudes repel whiteflies, aphids, and prevent the growth of pathogenic microflora.

The combination of the aroma of basil and tomatoes will create a pleasant atmosphere of an Italian restaurant in your greenhouse.

Important. When growing seedlings, water them only in the morning and evening hours. Be sure to ventilate the greenhouse. Use biological products! A minimum of 4 preventative treatments per season is recommended! When using biological products, spray the leaves from the bottom and top sides.

Remove the lower, old, diseased leaves and under no circumstances throw them into the middle. Burn or compost.

Don't plant tomatoes too often - keep distances. Be sure to carry out stepsoning to improve ventilation.

Preventive treatment of tomato seeds

Causative agents of fungal diseases and pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, viruses) can remain on the surface of the seeds and under the seed coat. Therefore, the seeds must be treated before planting, especially if you prepared them yourself.

If the seed material is from well-known manufacturing companies, then pre-sowing treatment may not be necessary, since it has already been disinfected and treated with growth preparations.

Many gardeners treat seeds with aloe juice against bacterial diseases. To do this, pick aloe leaves are kept for 6-7 days in the dark at a temperature of plus 2°C, then the juice is squeezed out and diluted with water in equal parts. The seeds are kept in the resulting solution for 18–24 hours.

An infusion of garlic in water (two crushed cloves of garlic per 100 g of water) perfectly disinfects seeds. The seeds are kept for 1 hour in a freshly prepared garlic infusion, then dried.

It disinfects brilliant green seeds well in a concentration of 1 teaspoon per 100 ml of water and a 0.05% solution of chlorhexidine bigluconate, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:1. Seeds kept in the solution for 30 minutes, then washed, germinated in wet wipes or dried and planted in prepared soil.

Seedling care

Before planting seedlings, the soil needs to be treated - spilled with solutions of “Fitosporin”, “Sporobacterin”, “Flora-S”, “Fitop-Flora-S”, “Glyokladin”, “Trichotsin”, etc. After which you should thoroughly loosen the soil.

Before planting in the ground, 1-2 days, tomatoes are treated with drugs that strengthen the immune system. (“Zircon”, “NV-101”, “Athlete”, “Fitosporin”, etc.). Then, 12 days after planting the seedlings, the plants are sprayed again. The soil under tomatoes is mulched with straw, agrofibre or sown with New Zealand spinach.

Seedlings are treated every week or 2 weeks depending on weather conditions.

Varieties resistant to late blight infection

There are no varieties that are absolutely resistant to late blight! There are varieties that resist the disease more successfully. Most often these are hybrid varieties. For a good harvest, it is worth planting early-ripening tomatoes, the harvest of which is harvested before massive late blight damage occurs.

Varieties resistant to late blight include: Metelitsa, Budenovka, Kostroma, Pink Dwarf, Parterre, Profitable, Otradny, Dubrava, Lark F1, De Barao, Berry, Sunny, Grotto, Snezhana, Cameo, Vilina, Lyana, Roton, Cardinal, Carlson, Tatiana, Darling of fate, Anyuta, Blizzard, Raisa, Grandma's Secret, etc.

Preventive measures will be required in any case, especially in adverse weather conditions.

FAQ

Often, due to unfavorable weather, late blight still wins and affects the plants. Then, to save the harvest, tomatoes are harvested before they ripen.

How to save picked tomatoes?

Tomatoes can be collected even from diseased bushes. When affected by late blight, the bush does not immediately turn black and the disease does not attack the fruit from the inside. The disease affects the fruit from the outside. Therefore, it is possible and even necessary to collect tomatoes from already diseased bushes so as not to lose the harvest.

After picking, wash the fruits thoroughly with warm running water and place them in a warm place to ripen.

Is it possible to water tomatoes infected with late blight?

During illness, you should not water the bushes so as not to increase the humidity.

Is it possible to eat or preserve tomatoes affected by late blight?

Eating blackened tomatoes is unpleasant, but possible, since late blight is not transmitted to humans. Of course, if the tomatoes are still green, they cannot be eaten because they contain solanine, a toxic alkaloid. However, during the process of salting or cooking, solanine is destroyed, and the tomatoes acquire the taste of all the spices and seasonings with which they are pickled.

Here, for example, is an interesting recipe for pickled green tomatoes with garlic - “Garlic Bouquet”. To prepare the appetizer, you need 5 kg of tomatoes, several heads of garlic, 3-4 medium carrots, 100 g of dill, 6 bay leaves, 2 cups of 9% table vinegar, 125 g of granulated sugar and 250 g of table salt.

Each tomato is cut, garlic cloves and carrot pieces are inserted into the cuts. The prepared tomatoes, along with bay leaves and dill inflorescences, are placed in a jar and poured with boiling marinade, rolled up and left under a blanket to cool.It is better to store such a workpiece in a room where the temperature does not exceed plus 18°C.

How to treat the land after an illness?

Surface spraying of plants will not give the desired effect, since most pathogens live in the soil.

Therefore, soil cultivation is mandatory. For this purpose, use Fitosporin-M or Arilin-B in combination with Trichocin or Glyocladin. If there are no such means, spill the soil with hot water and potassium permanganate and close the greenhouse.

Green manure will also help destroy pathogenic microflora. In autumn and spring, the soil where tomatoes grew is sown with white mustard, which has the property of disinfecting the soil with the help of phytoncides.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many methods of protecting against diseases, but how and with what to treat the tomatoes in your garden is up to you to decide. None of the listed methods guarantees complete relief from the disease. To effectively combat the onset of tomato disease, it is better to alternate different methods.

Video about methods of combating fungal diseases of tomatoes: