2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Onion smut most often affects seedling, that is, onions that have been grown from seeds. In addition to onions, onions and leeks can also suffer from this disease. Infected seedlings often die about six weeks after germination. And the very first signs of smut can be found already on the cotyledons, some time after they emerge from the soil - dark lesions will begin to appear on the tiny cotyledons. Onion seedlings are most susceptible to infection from the moment the first shoots form until the first true leaf appears
A few words about the disease
On onion leaves, when infected with this ailment, convex translucent longitudinal dark gray stripes are formed. Some time later, the skin on the swellings cracks, and the spores of the pathogen fungus come out of the cracks formed. The leaves begin to deform, and the very tips of the onion leaves (feathers) dry out quickly. Also, as the onion smut develops, the plants begin to lag behind in growth.
On the surface of the bulbs and on their cuts, you can see black stripes and strokes, which are a mass of smut spores visible through the skin. Such bulbs should not be sent for winter storage, as they rot rather quickly.
The causative agent of the most unpleasant onion smut is a mushroom called Urocystis cepulae Frost, which belongs to the smut family. The formation of spores of this fungus occurs in infected plant tissues in the form of a black mass. And the wintering of spores of the onion smut causative agent takes place in the soil - they are able to survive in it for four years. Spores usually enter the soil with infected bulbs and vegetation debris.
The development of a harmful fungus is directly related to soil temperature. At temperatures between 13 and 20 degrees, onion smut spores germinate best. In this regard, early onion crops suffer from this scourge to a much lesser extent.
How to fight
It is recommended to warm the sevok thoroughly before planting. It is best to take it from areas that have not previously been affected by smut. It is better not to plant different types of onions next to each other. Compliance with the rules of crop rotation in this case will also be very useful - the onion is returned to the previous site at least after 4 - 5 years.
The best way to grow onions is through seedlings. Strong and healthy onion seedlings, even if planted in infected areas, will not catch smut in any case. Sowing with germinated seeds is also a very good measure.
It is extremely important to control the weeds growing on the site, as well as remove all residual vegetation from the beds at the end of the harvest. Deep winter plowing will also do a good job. In general, any agrotechnical measures aimed at accelerating the growth of onions can significantly reduce the susceptibility of a given crop to smut. And it is possible to restrain the development of this disease by introducing balanced mineral and organic fertilizers.
In case of smut infestation, local disinfection of the infected soil is carried out. For this purpose, a formalin solution is used (for 15 liters of water, it is enough to take 100 ml of forty percent formalin), which is introduced directly into the grooves. For infected areas designated for growing onion seedlings, such a treatment will be extremely useful. TMTD (80%), also introduced into the grooves, will be no less effective disinfectant against a dangerous ailment. Moreover, this drug is allowed to be introduced into the soil and with seeds, using it for pre-sowing dusting (for each kilogram of onion sets, about 5 kg of this drug will be needed).
And before storing the collected bulbs, they should be kept for eighteen hours at a temperature of about 45 degrees.
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