Black leg on potatoes: how to fight, treatment measures

Planting tubers in the ground is only half the battle, you also need to take care of them to get an excellent harvest. The black leg of the potato is a common disease of this crop. Many summer residents have encountered this problem, and are looking for ways to solve it. This is due to the fact that you can lose most of the crop.

How do you know if a plant is infected?

Observing the appearance of the plant will help to identify the disease in potatoes in a timely manner and take measures to destroy it. A characteristic sign of the disease is the presence of blackening bases of the stems about 10 cm up. Hence the name.

The main symptoms of the onset of the disease:

The first sign of yellowing leaves, curling and drying. Revealed in the period of 3-4 weeks after germination.
The stems and roots of the plant begin to turn black. And easily come off in the place of defeat.
When flowering, diseased bushes lag behind others in terms of development. The active development of the disease occurs during this period.
If the disease is in an advanced stage, then the bacteria move from the stem to the tubers.
The junctions of stolons with root crops become rotten and exude an unpleasant odor.
In a rainy summer, the stem of a faded plant begins to deteriorate, the color becomes dark green. If you squeeze it, the place feels empty.
Bulba can become infected from the soil or from nearby infected fruit. First, the potato becomes covered with brown spots, then the tuber tissue turns black and begins to rot.
If the conditions are unfavorable for the development of the disease, it still develops, but in a slow form. It will only start progressing next year.

Careful inspection of potato bushes will help to identify diseases in time and take the necessary preventive measures. After all, those bushes that were struck by the black leg do not form tubers.

What conditions does a virus need for favorable development?

No disease will begin to actively develop if the environment resists it. Conditions that bacteria need for their active reproduction and progression:

The presence of the virus in the soil. Finding the remains of affected plants in it.
Planting infected seed.
The potatoes were damaged during harvesting.
The conditions for competent transportation and preservation of the vegetable were not met.
The disease is carried by insect pests.
Lack of nutrients in soil composition.

The disease progresses best in rainy weather and damp summers.

Breeders have not bred a potato variety resistant to black leg. But there are species that are more resistant to this disease.

What is the causative agent of the disease?

This is a kind of bacteria that is shaped like a stick. If the conditions suit them, they multiply very quickly. Uniting in colonies, they begin to infect plants. Many cultures are susceptible to this disease, so she does not experience a lack of nutrition.

The bacterium cannot overwinter on its own in the soil, so it looks for the remains of plants, tubers. It will survive the winter in the stem or root part of the weeds. With the onset of heat, it continues its reproduction. That is why it is recommended to remove all crop residues from the fields.

How to deal with the black leg on potatoes?

There are years of proven measures to combat the disease. It develops very quickly and persists on all plant residues. Proper prevention is effective treatment:

Quality seeds. It is advisable to plant tubers that have sanitary documents on compliance with quality standards.
Uncontaminated soil. Be sure to carry out crop rotation. If the site is already infested, it is better to refrain from growing potatoes on it for the next 3-4 years.
Favorable soil. The best environment for the development of the disease is damp clay soil. The acid contained in its composition can be neutralized by dolomite flour. It also destroys bacteria.
Feeding. Microorganisms do not tolerate sulfur. If the lower part of the plant turns black, then infection has begun. You can treat them with ammonium sulfate.
Drug "Effecton". Take 3 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of warm water, processing is carried out before the first hilling.

Removal of infected bushes. After the discovery of the focus of the disease, the affected plants are pulled out and burned or buried to a depth of at least 1 m. At the same time, sprinkled with bleach. You need to remove the bushes a few more times, until the end of the flowering period. The place where diseased plants grew is sprinkled with a mixture of wood ash (a liter jar) and copper sulfate (1 teaspoon).
Prevention before harvest. About a week before digging, the tops should be mowed. Parts of the plant affected by rot are burned in an area that does not belong to agricultural crops.
Collect only on dry days. Be sure to remove adhering soil particles. If the tubers from the infected bush seem to be outwardly he althy, it is better to remove them separately.Being next to a he althy root crop, they can infect it. And so along the chain, the disease will spread through he althy vegetables.
Prevention before storage. Drying of the harvested crop is carried out in the sun, or in specially designated places. The seed material can even be greened a little.
Drug "Maxim". They are sprayed with potatoes before storage. 100 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water.

Drying the premises. A few months before harvesting potatoes for storage, all warehouses and cellars are ventilated. And they are treated with disinfectants, lime and vitriol.
Equipment of premises with ventilation and creation of optimum temperature. The ventilation is mechanical, and the temperature is approximately +1-3 ⁰С.
Prevention of disease after flowering. To slow down the rate of development of the disease, you can sprinkle the infected bushes with ash or treat with a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g per 10 liters of water).
Processing of planting material. Do this in the fall or directly in the spring. Special preparations, phytosporin consumption, bactofit and others are purchased.
Disinfection of instruments, provided that the seed is cut. To prevent bacteria from spreading to he althy tubers, it is recommended to lower the knife into a solution of potassium permanganate.

A preventive measure is the destruction of insect pests, they are carriers of the disease.

It is necessary to treat plants immediately after the discovery of the disease. So you can save neighboring plants from the spread of the disease throughout the site.

Advice from summer residents

Blackleg disease is very progressive. In order to prevent most of the harvested crop from rotting, summer residents advise paying more attention to disease prevention.Since treatment is a laborious process. The presence of blackening stems indicates the active development of the disease. Help prevent development:

Three times weeding. Remove diseased plants at least three times. With subsequent disinfection of germination sites.
Treatment with preparations of seed and the site itself after germination.
Regular inspection of the bushes, at least once a week.

It is important to remember that every case is taken seriously. Observing the measures, rules and requirements, they get an excellent harvest. Everything is in the hands of the gardener.