Content
Scab is a dangerous disease that affects berry and fruit bushes. Under certain conditions, gooseberries also suffer from it. To save the bush, you need to start processing it in time. Measures to control gooseberry scab will help get rid of the disease and preserve the harvest.
What is this "scab" on the gooseberry
Scab, like any disease, appears under the influence of a number of factors. There are signs that diagnose a lesion. The sooner a disease is detected, the easier it is to deal with it.
Symptoms and causes of infection
Scab is spread by microscopic fungi and bacteria. The disease is diagnosed not only on gooseberries, but also on apples, pears, potatoes, beets. Pathogens are different for each plant species. However, the signs of damage are similar for all cultures.
Most often, scab appears in the middle lane in temperate climates. Cold and wet weather contributes to the development of the disease. The causative agent of the disease hibernates on fallen fruits and leaves. In spring, spores grow into the leaf blade, but do not penetrate deeply. Most susceptible to damage to the top of young shoots.
Secondary infection is observed after 2 - 3 weeks. It spreads at an air temperature of +20 ° С. During this period, light olive spots appear on the leaves, which gradually turn brown and crack.
Common signs of gooseberry scab:
- brown spots on leaves, ovaries and shoots;
- green and brown growths on fruits;
- the shrub sheds its leaves ahead of time;
- peeling on leaves and berries;
- deformation of the fruit.
Photo of a scab on a gooseberry:
The appearance of scab on gooseberries is facilitated by:
- High soil moisture... Germination of fungal spores occurs when exposed to moisture. In spring, they spread after the snow melts, in summer - due to rains, morning dew and fogs.
- Density of plantings... Bushes growing too close to each other are at risk. Scab also develops in plants that have not been pruned. With thickening for the disease, favorable conditions are created - high humidity and the absence of the sun.
- Weak plant immunity... Certain varieties of gooseberries are more susceptible to disease.
What is the danger of the disease
All aerial parts of the gooseberry suffer from scab: young shoots, leaves and berries. As a result, the fruits become smaller and deformed. They contain less vitamins and other nutrients, lose their taste and become unusable. With a serious damage to the crop, you can completely lose the crop.
How to sprinkle gooseberries from scab
To combat scab, chemicals or folk remedies are used. The choice of a specific method depends on the degree of damage, the age of the bush and the time of year.
How to deal with gooseberry scab with fungicides
The surest way to get rid of harmful fungus is to use chemicals. The most effective products contain copper or biological components. They are diluted with water to obtain a working solution.The bush is sprayed in cloudy weather or in the evening, when there is no direct sunlight. Treatments are carried out no later than 2 weeks before harvesting.
When using fungicidal preparations, precautions are taken. To do this, do not allow their contact with the skin and mucous membranes. Children and animals are also removed from the processing site. It is recommended to wear personal protective equipment for work.
Effective preparations for gooseberry scab:
- Bordeaux liquid... A universal option for treating gooseberries against fungal diseases. The product is prepared from copper sulfate and lime. The working solution is valid for 30 days.
- Fitosporin-M... A biological product that inhibits the growth of fungus. In addition, it further stimulates the gooseberry immune system and accelerates its growth. Processing is carried out in several stages: before and after flowering, at the beginning of fruit formation.
- Speed... Systemic fungicide that protects the garden from various injuries. The preparation Skor is used at many stages of the growing season of the bush: when the first buds appear, flowering, fruit growth. The product has no phytotoxicity at all. Treatments are carried out with an interval of 2 weeks.
- Raek... A systemic drug that penetrates plant tissues and destroys harmful fungi. It has a long lasting effect and prevents secondary infection. The first spraying is carried out when the gooseberry is in bloom and is repeated after 15 days.
How to get rid of gooseberry scab using folk methods
The main advantage of folk methods is their environmental friendliness, safety for plants and humans. Such tools have no restrictions on their use. All necessary components are simple and commercially available. On their basis, a solution is prepared with which the bush is sprayed.
Folk remedies for gooseberry scab:
- Mustard infusion... Add 100 g of powder to 10 liters of water.
- Brine... Dissolve 1 kg of salt in a large bucket of water. At the same time, do not allow the agent to enter the soil, as this will worsen its properties.
- Infusion of wood ash... 200 g of ash are added to 5 liters of water. The components are mixed and infused during the day. They also practice dusting gooseberries with ash.
- Infusion of horsetail... To prepare the product, collect fresh horsetail and fill the container with it by 1/3. Then pour water and leave the product for 3 days in a warm place. Filter the liquid before use.
Prevention measures
To avoid scab on gooseberries, you must follow agricultural techniques. With complex care, the bushes rarely suffer from fungal diseases. This includes rationing of watering and dressing. At the same time, they try to prevent excess moisture in the soil. Be sure to loosen the soil so that water does not accumulate in it. Good results are obtained by mulching the soil with straw or peat.
For feeding the bush in summer and autumn, potash and phosphorus compositions are chosen. Nitrogen preparations are used only in spring, as they promote shoot growth. Complex feeding increases the immunity of plants. Every year the bush is inspected and dry, old, broken branches are pruned.
As an additional prevention of scab on gooseberries, it is recommended:
- use varieties resistant to diseases: Severyanin, Harlequin, Chernomor, Plum, etc.;
- choose healthy seedlings;
- maintain a distance between bushes from 1 m;
- destroy fallen leaves in which fungal spores winter;
- dig up or loosen the soil in the fall.
The surest way to prevent gooseberry disease is to perform preventive treatments. They begin in early spring after the snow melts. To fight diseases on gooseberries in the spring, use a solution of urea at a concentration of 5%. In the future, folk or chemical preparations are used. Spraying the culture with fungicides is carried out no more than once every 2 weeks.
Conclusion
Measures to combat gooseberry scab involve the use of special preparations.They are chosen taking into account the vegetation stage and the state of the bush. Preventive treatments and adherence to agricultural practices will help prevent the development of the disease in the future.
