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Tomatoes are plants from the nightshade family. Tomatoes are native to South America. The Indians cultivated this vegetable as early as the XNUMXth century BC. In Our Country, the history of tomato cultivation is much shorter. At the end of the XNUMXth century, the first tomatoes grew on window sills in the homes of some townspeople. But their role was rather decorative. Few people know, but at the time when the first tomatoes were brought from Europe to the imperial table, they were a fairly common culture in the southern regions of Our Country. The first variety of tomatoes was bred by the inhabitants of the Pechersk Sloboda near the city of Nizhny Novgorod at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, it was called Pechersky and was famous for its taste and large fruits.
Some 50 years ago, when tomato diversity was much less, tomatoes grew well in open ground even in central Our Country, since there was simply no greenhouse film at that time. Phytophthora, which affects modern tomatoes both in greenhouses and in open ground, did not rage either. It cannot be said that this dangerous disease did not exist then.
The history of the struggle of nightshade crops with the fungus phytophthora infestans is long and has tragic moments. This fungal infection was first noticed on potatoes in the thirties of the XNUMXth century, and at first they did not pay attention to it. And in vain – literally fifteen years later, it took on the character of epiphytosis and in just four years reduced the population of Ireland by a quarter. Potato, which completely destroyed late blight, was the staple food in this country.
Stages of change in the phytophthora pathogen
The main target of this dangerous disease has long been potatoes. Yes, and the causative agent of the disease was represented by simple races, most of all dangerous for potatoes. But, starting from the end of the 60s of the last century, the late blight pathogen genotype began to change, more aggressive races appeared that easily overcame the defensive reaction of not only potatoes, but also tomatoes. They have become dangerous for all types of nightshade.
Breeders all over the world are trying to develop varieties of tomatoes and potatoes that are resistant to this disease, but its pathogen is also constantly changing, so the war between nightshade and late blight continues and the preponderance is still on the side of late blight. In 1985, a new genetic form of the fungus appeared, capable of forming oospores that overwinter well in the ground. Now the source of infection lies not only in tomato seeds or potato planting material, but also in the soil itself. All this forces gardeners to take comprehensive measures to protect their tomato crop from this dangerous infection.
How to disinfect a greenhouse from phytophthora
- All plant residues are removed from the greenhouse. Tops from tomatoes must be burned, if thrown into a compost heap, it will be possible to disperse a dangerous disease with compost throughout the garden.
- Remove all ropes and pegs to which tomatoes were tied; in case of severe infection, it is also better to burn them.
- Even weeds that remain after the end of the season in the greenhouse can become a breeding ground for disease, so they need to be removed and burned. All tools that were used when working in a greenhouse with tomatoes must be disinfected, for example, with copper sulfate.
- Thoroughly wash the entire frame of the greenhouse with detergents, and then disinfect it. For disinfection, a solution of copper sulfate in the proportion of 75 grams per ten-liter bucket of water or a solution of bleach is suitable. It is prepared from 400 grams of lime per ten-liter bucket of water. The solution must be infused for at least four hours. This treatment is most suitable for greenhouses with a wooden frame. When the treatment is completed, the greenhouse must be closed for two days.
After processing the frame, it is necessary to disinfect the soil in the greenhouse. Every three years, the top layer of soil in the greenhouse in which tomatoes are grown needs to be updated. The soil is taken from the beds on which plants from the nightshade family, namely tomatoes, have not grown before. If late blight raged in the greenhouse during the season, the topsoil must be replaced. New soil should be processed. Fitosporin solution is best suited for this.
You can see how to properly treat a greenhouse from phytophthora in the following video:
Of course, pathogenic microorganisms will die in this case, but it won’t be good either. And without them, the soil loses its fertility, the biological balance is disturbed, and next year pathogenic bacteria and fungi will develop even more actively.
During the gardening season, care must be taken to protect the tomatoes. To do this, it is necessary to increase their immunity with the help of immunostimulants, feed tomatoes correctly and on time, observe the water regime, protect tomatoes from sharp temperature fluctuations and night fogs.
They will help protect tomatoes from late blight and preventive treatments with protective agents. Before flowering, spraying can be carried out with contact fungicides of a chemical nature, for example, hom. When the first brush of tomatoes blooms, it is undesirable to use chemical remedies. Now microbiological preparations and folk remedies can become good helpers. One of them is furatsilin from late blight on tomatoes.
Furacilin is a well-known antibacterial drug that is often used in traditional medicine to combat pathogenic bacteria. It is also used in the treatment of fungal infections in humans. As it turned out, it is also effective in combating the late blight pathogen on tomatoes, since it is also a representative of the fungal microflora.
The use of furacilin to combat phytophthora
The solution for processing is prepared very simply. 10 tablets of this drug are kneaded into powder, dissolved in a small amount of hot water. Bring the volume of the solution to ten liters by adding clean water. It must be remembered that the water should not be chlorinated or hard.
Due to its bactericidal properties, it is well stored, but only in a dark and cool place.
During the growing season, three treatments of tomatoes will be needed: before flowering, when the first ovaries appear, and at the end of the season, in order to protect the last green tomatoes. There are many positive reviews about this method of protecting tomatoes from phytophthora.
With proper protection, even in an unfavorable year, tomatoes can be protected from such a dangerous disease as late blight.