What is currant anthracnose and how to deal with this disease

A competent gardener regularly inspects his property in order to notice the appearance of diseases or pests in time. The discovery of dark or red spots on currant leaves, similar to cankers, indicates infection of the bushes with anthracnose. To deal with the identified problem, you need to understand the nature of the disease and determine which methods of control will be most effective.

What kind of disease is this

Anthracnose is a disease caused by the marsupial fungus Pseudopeziza ribis Kleb.

Its spores affect the foliage, stems and fruits of red and black currants, depriving the plant of access to nutrients, leading to oppression and death of the bush.

What is dangerous for currants?

If you ignore the first signs of anthracnose damage to currants, the spores begin to actively spread, affecting an increasingly larger area.

Plants are losing their leaves. The red currant sheds its leaves almost immediately, while the leaves of the black currant first curl and then fall off. The spores clog the conducting vessels and prevent the bushes from fully feeding. Immunity sharply decreases, currants become vulnerable to other diseases and pests.

The harvest volume is reduced by 80-85%, the berries become smaller and lose their taste. Sometimes anthracnose recedes, but this does not mean that the disease will not return again. The spores quietly overwinter on the bush or in the soil and the next year they attack the planting again, this time completely destroying the bush.

Spreading

Infection occurs quickly under the influence of many factors.

Fungal spores are spread by:

• wind;
• rain;
• drops of water flowing down the leaves during watering;
• garden tools, if you neglect their processing;
• insects.

Signs of infection

Anthracnose is detected by examining the bushes. Often external signs are confused with the effects of acid rain.

The first symptoms are noted before the end of currant flowering. Tiny light ones first yellow-green spots with glossy bumps in the center are formed on the lower leaves. They gradually increase until they cover the entire surface of the leaf plate. The color of the spots becomes brighter, and a dark edging appears around them.

It is at this stage that gardeners take spots for the effects of acid rain, but such burns do not have a dark border. Diseased leaves stop producing chlorophyll, causing them to wither and fall off ahead of schedule. At this time, the spores rise higher, affecting the rest of the plant.

Reference. Because of the color of the spots, anthracnose is also called copperhead.

The next stage is the formation of gray-brown wounds in the area of ​​petioles and young shoots. This leads to the fact that the mass of the plant decreases, it “goes bald”, new branches develop more slowly and do not have time to get stronger by winter. Currants suffer already at the first frost.

With severe damage, black growths form on the stalks and berry clusters, the fruits do not receive nutrients, which is why they lose their taste and appearance, become smaller and dry. The disease flourishes in July and August, by which time the bushes are bare.

Causes of the disease

The infection appears in May or late August, early September.

The following factors can provoke diseases:

• hot weather combined with high humidity (anthracnose is not dangerous in drought);
• improper sanitary pruning of stems, leading to serious damage to the shoots.

The risk of infection increases when pests attack. Insects spread the fungus on their legs and wings.

The most vulnerable plants are those whose immunity is weakened by disease outbreaks or shortages. fertilizers.

Treatment options

To treat anthracnose, biological products, traditional methods, fungicides and simple agricultural practices are used.

The choice of method depends on the intensity of the lesion and the time when treatment is required. The best effect is obtained by combining several methods at once.

Chemicals

Fungicides give quick results and fight anthracnose more effectively, but they should be used only according to the instructions on the package and at a certain time.

In early spring use:

• copper sulfate;
• "DNOC";
• "Nitrafen".

Before the buds appear and open, apply:

• "Cumulus";
• "Tiovit Jet".

After flowering, preparations such as Captan and Zineb are suitable. They also carry out processing after harvesting.

Important! When processing, make sure that both sides of the leaves are wet.

Biological drugs

Biological products are non-toxic and safe for plants and humans, therefore they are used in conjunction with traditional methods during the ripening period of berries.

Gardeners especially value:

• "Fitosporin";
• "Gamair."

These agents stop the development and reproduction of the fungus, preventing the emergence of the next generation.

Agrotechnical techniques

There are several secrets that will help stop the spread of fungus. In early spring, before the buds swell, the bushes and soil are doused with hot water (+65...+70°C). At the first signs of the disease, the affected leaves and shoots are cut off and burned outside the garden area so as not to infect other plants.

The bushes should not be allowed to become too thick; preventative pruning is necessary.

After each watering or precipitation, loosen the soil and remove weeds. You should not leave fallen leaves, branches and other plant debris under the bushes.

Traditional methods

At the first signs of anthracnose, when spots are visible only on the lower leaves, folk solutions and infusions are used.

How to treat a plant:

1. 300 g of garlic cloves in the peel are poured into 10 liters of boiling water and left for 24-48 hours, after which spray the entire bush.
2. Half a piece of laundry soap is diluted in 10 liters of water and sprayed on all plantings.
3. The soil, base of the bush and shoots are treated with iodine solution (1 drop per 1 liter of water).

Treatment is carried out 1-2 times a week until signs of infection completely disappear.

Features of struggle during flowering, fruiting, dormancy

Currants should not be treated with fungicides during the period of formation and ripening of berries. Toxic substances do not have time to break down and can harm your health.

They are also not used during flowering: this will scare off pollinating insects, which will significantly reduce the volume of the harvest. The rest of the time, chemistry is the most effective way to combat anthracnose.

Preventive measures

Preventive measures will help prevent the appearance of anthracnose:

• In autumn and spring, sanitary pruning is carried out, removing dry and damaged shoots (the tools are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and the cuts are sprinkled with wood ash);
• use microfertilizers “Fertika Autumn” and “Fertika Spring”;
• water the currants at the root, avoiding the sprinkling method;
• treat buds and bushes after picking berries with Bordeaux mixture (3%), Fthalan suspension (0.5%), Kuprozan (0.4%);
• use complex fertilizers that increase the immunity of currants.

Fertilizers are selected depending on the time of use.

Below are the most popular recipes (for 10 liters of water):

1. 1 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate and ammonium nitrate, 1/2 tsp. boric acid and 3 g of ferrous sulfate - in early spring before the start of the growing season.
2. 200 g ash, 1 package of sodium humate, 2 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate, 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate - during the formation of ovaries.
3. 1 tablet of biostimulating agent “Immunocytophyte”, 2 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate, 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate - during the flowering period, then repeat after the end of flowering and a third time - after 30 days.

Complex fertilizers help currants receive a large amount of nutrients, strengthen the immune system, increase resistance to insect attacks, allow you to quickly increase green mass and speed up the ripening of berries.

Conclusion

Anthracnose is dangerous for currants, so its appearance must be responded to immediately so that the disease does not spread throughout the garden.

Do not neglect preventive measures: well-groomed plantings get sick less often and have strong immunity. If the disease is not overcome immediately, the fungus will appear the next year, destroying hope for a good harvest and destroying most of the plants.