How to deal with anthracnose on currants

Currant has a low level of resistance to various diseases. The shrub often enough affects not only viral, but also fungal diseases. They reduce winter hardiness, which accordingly can lead to death or lower yields. Most often, shrubs plants suffer from anthracnose.

What is anthracnose currant?

Anthracnose is an insidious fungal disease affecting black currant leaves and peduncle in combination with petioles and fruits of red currant. The fungus develops in warm weather. On the foliage of the shrub formed small specks of brown tint, gradually merging into a huge spot. Affected greens quickly curl and fall off.

Blackcurrant bush affected by anthracnose

Towards the middle of summer, diseased shrubs shed up to 60% of foliage. Shoots cease to grow, and the fruits do not reach full maturation. Reduced winter hardiness leads to a large accumulation of dry and frozen branches to the spring thaw.

What is dangerous disease?

Anthracnose is dangerous enough for the health of all varieties of currants. The fungus can hibernate on the affected areas of the bush, and in the spring it provokes the formation of suckospores, which cause primary infection. Affected foliage gradually falls, leaving only a small part of the green at the tips of the shoots. The disease is actively spreading through plants in warm rainy weather.

The fungus in a short period of time destroys the stalks of foliage, reaches the stem. On the young shoots brown ulcers begin to form. Subsequently, conidiospores appear on plants, which accumulate in the affected areas.

How to deal with anthracnose?

Occasionally the outbreak of the disease is over, and the crop reaches full maturity. Whatever it was, it is necessary to remember what the consequences of a fungal infection. For a short period of time, currants are exhausted. and productivity is out of the question. That is why you should provide timely support to the affected plant and conduct proper treatment.

The best time to start treatment is early spring, until the buds have blossomed.

It is best to start treatment before the bud break. The final stage of therapy can be transferred to the period when the berries have already been harvested or early autumn.

It is advisable to carry out agrotechnical activities, observing the recommended steps:

• The only focus of infection is fallen foliage. Therefore it is extremely important carry out soil treatment. All fallen greens should be immediately collected and burned.
• Every spring and autumn should be held soil digging on the circumference of the bushes.
• Weed control and feeding plants should be carried out in a timely manner.
• Thick landings should thin out and pruned if necessary.
• At the location of the currant bushes in the lowlands is recommended build drainage.

In addition to agrotechnical measures for the treatment of anthracnose use a number of chemicals. The following means most effectively cope with a fungal infection:

• Nitrafen (2%) or DNOC (1%). This tool can be used for the treatment of soil, fallen leaves and the bushes themselves. You can re-process before the swelling of the kidneys.
• Bordeaux mixture (1%), Zineb or colloidal sulfur ideal for spraying currants for prevention. For the first time, the treatment can be carried out after the flowering of the plant, and re-spraying is carried out 14-20 days after picking the berries.
• Copper sulphate (1%). The soil together with the bushes is treated in early spring until the buds swell.
• Phthalan (0.5%) or Kuprozan (0.4%) held in early spring and autumn.
• Hamair.
• Fitosporin-M
• Fundazol.
• Topsin.
• Previkur.
• If you have to spraying handicrafts before flowering, you should use Topsinom-M in combination with the drug immunostimulating type Epin.

In addition to chemical treatments in the treatment of anthracnose, experienced gardeners use traditional methods. The most effective of them are presented below.

Complex type make-up

Feeding the bushes with the recommended mixture will improve the immunity and resistance of the bushes to fungal infections.

To prepare the fertilizer it is necessary to add to the enamelled bucket with 9 liters of water:

• 1 tbsp. copper sulphate;
• 2.5 grams of ferrous sulfate;
• boric acid - about 0.4 tsp;
• 0.8 tbsp potassium (sulfate).

Preparation of copper sulphate solution

The use of this fertilizer will allow you to quickly restore an exhausted bush and will contribute to the buildup of green mass. In addition, the healing mixture will prevent the appearance of chlorosis foliage.

Fertilizer for the bushes, which are tied berries

In 15 liters of water, you must pour 1.5 tbsp. superphosphate, 3 tbsp. potassium (sulfate), 1.5 packs of sodium humate and 300 grams of ash. Mixed mixture will increase the winter resistance of plants resistance to drought and affect the improvement of ripening berries.

Immunocytofit drug

This feed will increase the degree of currant resistance to infection with diseases or insects.

Plant Growth Regulator Immunocytofit

At 15 liters of water will need to prepare:

• immunocytophyte - 1.5 tab .;
• potassium sulphate - 3 tbsp .;
• superphosphate - 1.5 tbsp.

Processing plants is carried out in dry, windless weather. The foliage should be sprayed on all sides.

Preventive methods of the appearance of the disease

Experienced gardeners claim that carrying out preventive measures will reliably protect plants from the appearance of anthracnose. In addition, the bushes will not be deformed, and the yield will always please. The most effective option for prevention will be carrying out the correct planting of the bushes, their pruning and timely feeding.

Autumn pruning currant bushes

Details on the necessary preventive measures:

• In case of damage to the foliage by disease or insects, an urgent need to be taken. removal of contaminated greens.
• Timely and most importantly conduct properly trimming bushes. This will avoid plant thickening and reduce the risk of a fungal infection.
• It is necessary to water currants moderately, as high humidity contributes to the spread of infections. In addition, a large amount of moisture will attract pests.
• Every spring and autumn the ground around the bushes should be dug over. This will get rid of pests that have successfully survived the winter in the soil.

It is very important in the cultivation of currants daily inspect the bushes. Their condition should always be in control. In the event of a disease, only timely treatment can save the hive and not affect the crop. Treating foliage for infections should start at the bottom. It is very important to change the spray preparation annually in order to avoid habituation to the composition of the chemical agent.