2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The silvery scab, although it does not form rot, contributes to a large extent to the weight loss of infected tubers, which in turn is a consequence of active moisture loss. In addition, the seed quality of potatoes is also noticeably reduced. Infected nodules give very thinned and weak shoots, and are also easily affected by a secondary infection, after which they quickly begin to rot. Therefore, it is extremely important to promptly identify this ailment and get rid of it as soon as possible
A few words about the disease
When harvesting potato tubers, as well as when sending them for storage, you can notice the slightly depressed specks of a grayish-brown color formed on them. And under the skin, in this case, the formation of chiseled black sclerotia occurs.
Closer to spring, a massive infestation of potatoes with silvery scab begins in storage facilities. Most often this happens if the tubers stored there regularly sweat. Infected tissues are characterized by a slight depression and a silvery sheen resulting from air penetration.
The ill-fated silver scab is caused by a pathogenic fungus called Spondylocladium atrovirens. Its development occurs mainly in the upper cell layer, between the peridermis and the epidermis. The affected epidermis begins to lose moisture, as a result of which numerous air cavities form between it and other cell layers, and the infected areas acquire a silvery sheen. As for the surfaces of the spots, conidial sporulation develops on them and the formation of small black sclerotia begins, the dislocation of which is the dead cells of the cork layer and potato skin. All conidiophores are dark in color and densely dotted with numerous black-olive conidia. They are located whorly, attaching to the conidiophores with the help of short tips. All conidia are equipped with pointed tips, are distinguished by an inverse-club-like shape and are endowed with transverse septa in the amount of four to seven pieces.
The source of infection can be both soil and potato tubers. Sclerotia located on the surfaces of nodules are especially dangerous - they are considered to be the main source of infection. And the spread of silver scab is facilitated by temperatures above three degrees and humidity over 90%.
By the way, varieties of foreign selection are considered to be the most susceptible to attacks of silver scab.
How to fight
Compliance with the rules of crop rotation when growing potatoes and the use of healthy planting material helps to reduce the infectious background. Mechanical soil cultivation also helps to reduce the harmfulness of the ill-fated silvery scab. And the potato crop should be harvested in a timely manner and only in dry weather, while mowing the tops.
Before sending for storage, all tubers should be thoroughly dried, and in the spring, immediately before sowing, all damaged specimens should be removed. The temperature in the storage facilities should be kept within one to three degrees. And in order to reduce the relative humidity of the air, the used potato storage facilities must be constantly ventilated.
Before planting, potato tubers are recommended to be treated with an insect-fungicidal agent called Celest Top. You can also etch them with TMTD, only this must be done fifteen days before planting. During the planting of tubers, the soil is sprayed with the fungicide "Quadris", and before sending them for storage, it is recommended to treat the tubers with the fungicide "Maxim". Another good option would be to treat the tubers with the Titusim preparation - for this, they are briefly immersed in the working solution of this product. It is important to have time to carry out such processing within the first three days after harvesting. You can also use the preparations "Fundazol", "Celest", "Nitrafen" and "Botran
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