How to deal with blackcurrant septoria

Currant septoria is a fungal disease that spreads well in a humid and warm environment. It manifests itself as brown spots, due to which the foliage is deformed, dries up and falls off. Treatment is carried out by chemical and folk methods. Special agrotechnical measures are also applied.

Causes of the appearance of currant septoria

Septoria currant is a fungal infectious disease. Pathology develops gradually, passing through two stages – primary (in early spring) and massive (mid-summer).

Fungi produce sclerotia that overwinter on dead parts of plants or in the surface layer of the soil. In spring, they form ascospores that infect young currant leaves. Mass distribution is observed in July and August, when the bushes produce berries. At this stage, conidia appear – fruiting bodies with black dots in the center.

The main causes of septoria are:

• high humidity;
• warm weather;
• contaminated water;
• spreading with the wind;
• too tight fit;
• adverse effects of weather factors (drought, temperature fluctuations, severe frosts);
• irrigation violation.

The fungus actively spreads in the temperature range from 20 to 25 degrees. At the same time, it can germinate even at +9 °C, and +28 °C is considered the maximum allowable temperature.

As manifested

Determining currant septoria is quite simple. It manifests itself with such signs: spots of a brown tint on the leaves. They are rounded or in the form of a regular polygon. Gradually they increase and merge with each other. The color of the spots is brown at first, then white with brownish edges.

In the center of the places affected by septoria, black dots appear – these are pycnidia. By their presence, currant septoria can be unambiguously determined. And they appear only in wet weather. If the summer is dry, dots do not form. Since the spots on the foliage gradually lighten, the disease is also called “white spot”.

A currant leaf affected by septoria is easy to spot by spotting.

What is dangerous septoria

Like any fungal disease, septoria poses a serious danger to black and other types of currants:

• leaves are deformed, dry out and fall off;
• the bark becomes brown;
• the yield drops sharply – up to 50%, and it may not recover for the next season;
• if the lesion is severe, the bush dies;
• since the pathology is infectious, it applies to both currants and other plantings.

Therefore, each gardener needs to learn how to correctly identify the signs of septoria and carry out processing already when the first symptoms appear.

Treatment of blackcurrant septoria

For the treatment of septoria, mainly chemicals are used – systemic, contact type fungicides. Along with them, folk methods are also used. They are especially effective in the early stages. Agricultural practices also help. All the described means are used in combination – thanks to this, it will be possible to cope with septoria quite quickly.

Agrotechnical measures

To prevent the spread of infection, it is necessary to organize proper care for currant bushes:

1. In early spring, before the start of sap flow, old, diseased, weakened branches are removed.
2. In autumn, all leaves, shoots and other residues are removed from the trunk circle. They are taken away and burned.
3. The bushes are watered periodically, but in moderation, making sure that the soil is not too wet.
4. After watering, the soil is loosened. It is also dug up in the row-spacing to a depth of 5-10 cm. At the same time, weeds are destroyed.
5. Another agrotechnical measure to combat septoria is the cultivation of currant varieties with good immunity.

The most resistant varieties include:

• An ant;
• Pearl;
• Shmyrev;
• Cranberry;
• Cypian;
• pass by

Ant is one of the blackcurrant varieties resistant to septoria

There are also medium-resistant varieties, for example, Narodnaya, Zorya Galitskaya, Orlovskaya, Gamma, Augustinka. But individual representatives of currants have practically no immunity to septoria – these are Exotic, Brown sweet and Vigorous.

Chemicals

Blackcurrant septoria can be treated with special preparations – fungicides. The most effective include:

1. “Homecin” (also called “Kuprozan”) – a drug based on cineb and copper oxychloride. Processing is carried out before flowering, as well as after harvesting. The rest of the time, spraying is prohibited, since oxychloride accumulates in the body and poses a health hazard.
2. “Ftalan” – a powdered drug, poorly soluble in water. To treat currants from septoria, a suspension with a concentration of 0,6% is prepared. Low toxicity to humans and animals. It is also used to treat various types of spotting, powdery mildew.
3. “Kaptan” is an insoluble yellow powder. For treatment of septoria, a suspension of 0,6% concentration is also prepared. Used as an alternative means of Bordeaux mixture.
4. “Ridomil” is an effective fungicide, used mainly for the prevention of septoria, but not for treatment. During processing, it is important to use a mask and goggles.
5. Bayleton is a drug against septoria and other fungal diseases. Compatible with many other tools. It gives the first result in a day, the period of protective action is up to four weeks.
6. “Abiga-Peak” is a good tool that destroys pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Does not pose a danger to plants and soil, does not penetrate the fruit. Well kept on the surface of the leaves.
7. Vitriols (copper, iron) are available fungicides that help to cope with currant septoria. Protect bushes for 20-30 days after treatment.

“Abiga-Peak” eliminates both fungal and bacterial diseases

Folk remedies

Folk remedies are effective in the early stages of currant septoria. As a rule, they are used in combination with chemicals. The most effective recipes include:

1. A solution of edible salt – 200 g per 10 liters. They are sprayed with bushes along with foliage and fruits after the removal of shoots affected by septoria.
2. Infusion of garlic – crush the cloves (from four heads), pour warm water (2 l). Insist in a dark place during the day. It is necessary to strain and bring to a total volume of 10 liters. Add 1 g of potassium permanganate and process currant bushes.
3. Pharmaceutical iodine solution (20 drops) with whey or milk (1 l) per 10 l of water. All components are mixed and processed (once every seven days). It is very important not to disturb the concentration of iodine – otherwise, signs of a burn will appear on the currant leaves.
4. Horsetail is collected, chopped, 300 g are measured and boiled for half an hour on low heat in 1 liter of water. Then filter and bring to a total volume of 10 liters. Processing is carried out once a month.
5. They take a piece of laundry soap, grind it on a grater, dissolve it in 10 liters of warm water and process it. You can also add 200-250 g of wood ash.

Prevention

Coping with the consequences of black septoria and other types of currants is not always easy. Sometimes bushes die, they can also infect gooseberries, lilacs, peonies, roses, phloxes and many other fruit and ornamental plants. To prevent negative consequences, experienced gardeners recommend following basic preventive measures:

1. Treatment with copper-containing fungicides in early spring.
2. Compliance with the minimum landing interval – 50-70 cm.
3. Destruction of pruned branches, fallen leaves in autumn.
4. Regular fertilization.
5. Proper shelter for the winter, especially in the Urals, Siberia, northern regions.
6. Preventive currant fertilizers from septoria – before flowering and after harvesting, are watered with a solution of manganese sulfate (0,1%), and a month after picking the berries – with a solution of potassium salt (1%).
7. Weeding, loosening the soil, digging in the fall.

Regular pruning and preventive treatments reliably protect plants from disease.

Conclusion

Currant septoria is a rather dangerous disease that affects bushes at different ages. To determine the pathology is quite simple by the spots on the leaves. At the first detection of symptoms, it is necessary to start treatment, otherwise you can lose not only the crop, but also the shrub itself.