After my post on howpowdery mildew infected my pumpkin , I pick up from many gardeners about the same problem . drouth shape can cause an terrible lot of tenseness on plants , and when rainwater and heavy , humid air appear by and by , condition become ripe forfungito grow . Powdery Mildew and other infections suddenly appear . One lecturer commented that he uses a milk spraying to subdue powdery mould , a proficiency which I was unaware of ( one of the great affair about compose this web log is that I ascertain so much from all of you ! ) .
So I did a piffling digging and found a dissertation paper published by the University Of Connecticut Graduate School . The paper measure intervention spray for suppressingpowdery mildewon acorn mash , ticklish squash racquets , and pumpkins in fields and glasshouse ( industrial plant in the squash category , cucurbits , are infamous for powdery mold infections ) . Squash and pumpkin in test plot were treated with various spray , including chemical fungicides , and control plots were established that received no sprays . All run sprays were applied on a regular schedule before symptom appeared , and ocular inspection were performed on a weekly basis . Some plant were treated with combinations of the compost teas , milk , humic acid , and seaweed .
The spraying used to treat the plants were :
UCONN ’s account of compost teas:“Compost Camellia sinensis is a melted extract ofcompostmade by steeping the compost in water for various time periods … Compost teas are think to suppress disease by promote the proliferation of good microbes , which then act as a biologic control over pathogens … There are two main type of compost teas : Actively aerated compost tea ( ACT ) is made by the unvarying induction of air into a water - compost mixture . Non - aerated compost tea ( NCT ) is made by just placing the compost into water system and allow it to steep for a bias distance of time . The addition of melodic phrase to the compost - water smorgasbord creates aerobic conditions for the microbial growth , while the stagnate NCT ’s offer consideration primarily for the growth of anaerobic micro-organism . ”
Compost tea and milk were nearly as effective as chemical fungicides
The study ’s termination were surprising . In the field tests , Non - charged compost tea used in junction with dilute powdered milk was nigh as in force in oppress powdery mildew as the chemical Chlorothalonil . The compost teas used alone , however , had nearly no effect on the disease . In the greenhouse plot , the Milk River handling was just as effective as the chemical control .
prescribed conclusion of the paper:“Both nursery and study result show that Milk River provides control condition of powdery mildew alike to the control supply by a antifungal . constitutional and ceremonious growers could profit from using milk in place of the fungicides typically spray to control powdery mould . ”This begs the motion , why are n’t agrarian grower using milk instead of fungicides ? It ’s cheaper and environmentally good .
3 reasons milk spray prevents powdery mildew
The paper paint a picture three reasons why Milk River might suppress powdery mildew:“A simple-minded forcible roadblock may be created reducing the attachment efficiency of the fungus to the leaf open . The pH of Milk River , which is slightly basic , could be altering the pH of the leaf surface and slowing the development of this surface live fungus . Milk River also stop lactoferrin , which is a innate antimicrobial agent . ”
It was a big surprise that compost teas applied alone had virtually no effect on preventing powdery mold . That ’s not to say that compost teas are useless – they definitely are not – just not effectual in this casing . The conclusion is obvious : As a preventative measure – before any powdery mildew symptoms appear on your squash vine fellowship plants – spray them with a diluted Milk River solution .
take the entire theme , Compost Tea and Milk to Suppress Powdery Mildew ( Podosphaera xanthii ) on Pumpkins.(pdf )
