Fusarium cucumber is an infectious disease in which the plant is affected from the inside. The disease quickly captures healthy tissue, which entails the death of plantings. The sad consequences can be avoided through timely prevention.
Fusarium - what is it
The causative agent of the disease is the imperfect Fusarium fungus. The parasite survives for 4 years after getting into the ground. Most often, cucumbers are infected through the root system. The pathogen can enter the soil along with the affected seed, wind, water. After the penetration of toxins into the vessels, the metabolism is disturbed, the xylem is clogged. This is evidenced by necrosis in various parts of the plant.
In the initial stages, it is rather difficult to identify fusarium. There are no characteristic symptoms during this period.
The fungus progresses if the plant is weakened, the air humidity is at least 85%, and the temperature varies from +18 ° C to +27 ° C. Cucumbers require special attention during flowering and fruiting.
Most often, vegetables grown in greenhouse conditions suffer from fusarium infection.
Causes of Fusarium
Infection, once in a personal plot, can be activated under the influence of the following factors:
- sudden changes in temperature;
- lack of soil nutrition;
- high humidity;
- plentiful watering;
- unsuitable soil (severity in mechanical composition, high acidity, waterlogging);
- damage to the root system;
- pest infestation;
- abuse of nitrogen fertilizers;
- non-observance of crop rotation and fertilizer application schedule;
- lack of heating (when growing vegetables in a greenhouse).
When growing any crop, the gardener should be guided by agrotechnical requirements.
For example, soil before planting cucumbers must be disinfected. Refusal of this procedure will significantly increase the risk of infection with fusarium infection.
Symptoms of Fusarium on cucumbers
The disease can proceed stealthily and swiftly.
In the first case, the first signs of fusarium are found only in adult plants during flowering and fruiting. It was at this time that cucumbers were most weakened. In addition to leaves, stems and root system, inflorescences and fruits are affected. The stem begins to rot 7-10 days after the appearance of chlorosis.
The rapid germination of the fungus entails the rapid withering and drying of the affected plants, the disease spreads from the bottom up. Foliage noticeably dims, the root neck acquires a brown hue, the stem crackes. With increased humidity, a pink coating may appear on it.
If the infection of plants occurred during planting, seed germination will decrease markedly. In this situation, the gardener is unlikely to wait for the harvest of cucumbers. The seedlings that managed to sprout rot and die.
The main symptoms of the disease include:
- thinning of the root;
- darkening of the lower part of the stem;
- the formation of yellow spots on the leaves;
- wilting and deformation of foliage;
- twisting and slow growth of the peduncle;
- death of ovaries;
- complete absence of fruits.
Cucumbers that have formed have a bitter aftertaste. In the absence of regular prevention and treatment, the plant will die.
Preventative measures
To prevent infection with fusarium, the gardener should:
- disinfect seeds before planting by means of gradual warming.
This method is characterized by high efficiency, although it takes a lot of time. The temperature is gradually increased: the first day - not higher than + 35 ° C, the second - +55 ° C, on the third day - +70 ° C. To save time, the seeds can be treated with Insur Profi; - Steam the prepared soil. The procedure is not difficult. The bed is watered with boiling water and covered with a film for 24 hours. It is necessary to conduct three sessions. After the end of the last, Trichodermin is necessarily introduced into the soil cover. The biological product can be replaced with analogues;
- after harvesting the cucumbers, clear the area of all residues (tops, debris, roots), disinfect the soil (150 grams of bleach must fall on 1 m2). A good alternative to this method is to replace the topsoil. Inventory will also have to be processed.
Weakened plants are not recommended for replanting.
In order for the cucumbers to produce a good harvest, they need to create favorable conditions for growth. The air temperature should vary between + 20 ... +26 ° C, relative humidity can not be more than 85%. It is also necessary:
- carefully select seed;
- sow siderata, for example, white mustard next to cucumbers;
- comply with the schedule of agricultural activities;
- water the beds only with warm, settled water (preferably in the morning);
- spray soil and plants with biofungicides, growth stimulants;
- do fertilizing regularly.
Cucumbers cannot be planted in the same place for several years in a row.
Treatment of fusarium in cucumbers
If all the same it was not possible to avoid Fusarium infection, treatment should be started immediately. The sooner treatment is started, the higher its effectiveness.
Biological products for the treatment of fusarium
The most effective include Trichofit, Trichodermin, Gliokladin, Bactofit, Fitosporin-M, Vitaros. They contain components that can destroy the pathogen and stop the ailment. The solution is prepared following the instructions for use (it is attached to the medication).
Biological preparations are absolutely safe both for plants and for humans. Most often they are used for preventive purposes. If the ailment is severely launched, they will not be able to neutralize the pathogen.
It should be noted that combining chemical and biological agents is not recommended.
Chemicals
They differ from biological ones in a more powerful therapeutic effect. Among gardeners, drugs that contain benzimidazole or its derivatives are especially popular.
The list of medicines is quite extensive, it includes Fundazole, Arbotrin, Fundazim, Agrocyte and Benomil. Each of them is accompanied by an instruction in which the norms and order of dilution of the solution are indicated. At least 10 days should elapse between treatments.
Folk methods
You can deal with the symptoms of Fusarium using unconventional methods. Using them, the gardener will avoid crop loss, save money and protect cucumbers from chemical attack. It should be noted that they are most effective in the initial stages of a fungal disease. To achieve the desired effect, you must clearly follow the selected recipe.
| Title | Ingredients | Mode of application |
| Milk iodine solution |
| Stalk processing. |
| Infusion of Onion Husk |
| Watering, spraying the whole plant. |
| Garlic mixture |
| Ground handling. |
| Infusion of wood ash |
| Spraying foliage, stems, vegetables. |
| Whey solution |
| Spraying bushes, watering the soil. |
Sustainable Cucumber Varieties
Each cucumber variety has its own characteristics. Gardeners should choose seed, focusing on climatic conditions, soil properties, resistance to infectious diseases, in particular, to fusarium. The best in the last category are considered such varieties as:
- Ryabinushka;
- Vocals;
- Zhukovsky;
- Hector;
- Raphael;
- Noble;
- Kristina.
Despite the increased immunity of resistant varieties, their cultivation should not forget about prevention.
Fusarium wilt of a cucumber is an insidious disease, the signs of which can appear suddenly. The better the gardener is prepared, the less plants will suffer. Their condition directly depends on compliance with agricultural technology and proper care.
