Effective Powdery Mildew Disease Control and Prevention
Among the most common plant diseases, powdery mildew is easily recognized by white powdery spots on plant leaves and stems, and is known to infect almost all plant types, weakening plants and diminishing the flavor of fruits and vegetables.
One of the most important steps in combating powdery mildew is to regularly apply fungicides such as OxiDate. OxiDate’s breakthrough scientific formula rapidly oxidizes on contact to prevent and control many different plant diseases. It has a zero-hour re-entry interval, and can be used from seed right up to harvest in a variety of applications such as: pre-plant dip, soil drench, foliar treatment, and surface disinfectant. OxiDate is also approved by OMRI, meaning it can be safely used without jeopardizing organic crop status.
OxiDate contains only non-toxic components, is earthly-friendly and EPA approved, and is one of the few fungicides that exceeds the strict environmental standards for use and sale in green-friendly California. OxiDate is also specifically registered for citrus de-contamination, packinghouse, and field applications by the EPA and the state of Florida. OxiDate’s revolutionary oxidation chemistry is also exempt from pesticide controls and regulations and effectively prevents the development of resistant strains of disease.
Not only is OxiDate effective against powdery mildew, it has also proven effective in combating a wide range of plant diseases such as: Downy Mildew, Fusarium, Early Blight, Late Blight, Alternaria, Pythium, Anthracnose, Red Stele, Angular Leaf Spot, Phytophthora, Bacterial Speck, Trichoderma, Bacterial Blotch, Verticillium, Gummy Stem Blight, Bacterial Spot, Wilts, and Rhizoctonia, Greasy Spot, and Brown Rot.
OxiDate is recommended for use with a wide variety of crops such as: fruits, vegetables, cole crops, mushrooms, cucurbit crops, root crops, tomatoes, herbs, peppers, snap and dry beans, grasses, tobacco, spices, and peanuts.
Learn more about OxiDate today.
Powdery mildew treatment – is it working?
We had an inquiry from a customer applying our OxiDate RTS on powdery mildew at a rate of 1:50 and and was not sure if it was killing it. His questions were: should the mildew change color or change visually in any other way? How would he know if it is working or not?
Once powdery mildew sets in, it’s difficult to have an effective control. Hence, preventative applications are recommended early in the season rather than late season applications.
Results Identification
Symptoms of powdery mildew are white powdery mass of spores on the upper side of leaves. In chemical trials, the effect of a chemical treatment is normally measured by calculating the number of active spore colonies (white spore masses on leaves) on the leaves before and after treatment. The difference in number of active colonies are not observed right after first application and are normally measured at the end of the treatment cycle which involve 6-7 applications.
A grower should able to find differences in white spore mass after a few applications. With chemical control, white spore mass will get discolored over time and the number of active colonies should be reduced. This requires sampling of 10-15 leaves from different plants and counting the colonies before and after treatment.
Application
The recommended curative treatment for Powdery Mildew is 3 consecutive daily applications of OxiDate RTS, at a 1:25 rate (This rate should be ok but ensure by spraying on few leaves for 3 consecutive days and observe for any phytotoxicity over a 48 hr period time after the 3rd application). Subsequent sprays should be at 1:50 rate once every 5-7 days. We also recommend adding a spreader-sticker to the OxiDate solution to help it adhere to the leaves. Nufilm P works well (it actually has some fungicidal properties as well) and should be added @ 0.125%. OxiDate can also be tank-mixed with other natural spreader-stickers like molasses or orange oil.
Applications to treat Powdery Mildew with our agricultural concentrate OxiDate should follow the recommended label rates and instructions.
Posted May 18th 2012 at 5:47 am by BradyThe Importance of Choosing the Best Fungicide for Powdery Mildew Treatment
Powdery Mildew is a common fungus that attacks a wide variety of plants; it is easily recognizable and virtually no plants are immune to it.
Signs and Symptoms
Powdery Mildew appears as light gray or white powdery splotches on infected plants. While initially there are few visible spores, the fungus can quickly spread and coat leaves, stems, buds and fruit.
In fruit and vegetable-producing plants, Powdery Mildew will weaken the taste and quality of the produce. It can also stunt plant growth and distort the shape of buds, blooms and fruit. If left untreated, it can cause leaves to turn yellow and drop prematurely. It will eventually kill the infected plants.
Some plants are more susceptible to Powdery Mildew than others. Lilacs, crab apples, roses, grapes, squash and cucumber are particularly frequent targets of the fungal disease. However, it seems to be everywhere.
Powdery Mildew fungi overwinter in plant debris and start producing spores in the spring. The spores are then spread by wind, insects and splashing water. Eventually, they land on plants and under the right circumstances grow and spread.
Conditions that encourage the growth and spread of powdery mildew include humidity, dampness, poor air circulation and crowded planting.
Powdery Mildew Treatment and Management
Powdery Mildew infection is often possible to prevent. It is essential to choose healthy plants, especially resistant cultivars if possible. If disease-resistant varieties of desired crops aren’t available, it’s recommended susceptible plants not be grown in shady areas.
Maintaining good air circulation by first spacing plants properly and then thinning and pruning regularly will also help stave off the conditions Powdery Mildew thrive under.
Should plants be stricken with the disease, there are several steps involved in Powdery Mildew treatment. First, remove and destroy all infected plant parts. After doing so, sanitize garden tools to prevent them from carrying the spores elsewhere.
In addition, while treating Powdery Mildew, do not water from above or fertilize infected plants. The fungus thrives in damp conditions and flourishes on young, succulent plants. Consequently, these actions provide an ideal environment for disease.
Powdery Mildew Fungicide
Application of an environmentally friendly Powdery Mildew fungicide such as OxiDate is also effective in disease prevention and control. It can be applied as a soil drench, pre-planting dip or surface disinfectant.
While there are many fungicides available, OxiDate is especially popular due to it’s rapid effectiveness in treating Powdery Mildew. Because the spores can spread so quickly, a product that works quickly is important.
Posted October 3rd 2011 at 5:55 pm by Brady
