As we have seen on certain occasions, plants can suffer from diseases, viruses, pests, etc. To prevent our plants from suffering there are numerous prevention mechanisms and if, inevitably, they have already been infected, we can solve them.
Today I come to talk about downy mildew. About what it is, how we can prevent it, the symptoms that we can notice and some treatments. Do you want to know more about it?
What is Downy Vine?
Is one of the diseases that is best known in viticulture. It is well known for its frequency and severity. It is a disease that depends on environmental conditions and that, if it is in its favor, is capable of attacking all the green organs of the vine plant, causing a huge loss in grape production.
It is a fungus that begins its activity in spring when environmental conditions are more favorable and it can spread better thanks to higher temperatures. This fungus, like almost all of them, depends almost entirely on environmental humidity, which is why in autumn, with decreases in temperature, it enters the resting phase and does not attack the vine.
Perfect environmental conditions for the fungus and symptoms
When we have a vine crop, we have to take into account that favorable conditions do not exist for the Downy mildew to attack our plantation. In addition, in the case in which it manages to attack our crop, we must know the symptoms to act as quickly as possible and alleviate the problems.
The most favorable environmental conditions for mildew to spread and act are:
- Shoot length of 10 cm or more.
- Fall of a rain of at least 10 mm.
- Average temperature above 10ºC.
We know that spring is a time when plants sprout and bloom the fastest. In addition, there are more abundant and frequent rains with higher temperatures. All this makes The conditions for this fungus to reproduce and attack our crops are ideal.
How do we know if our vine cultivation has been affected by Mildew? The first thing is to look at the leaves. Leaves that are affected by Mildew can be recognized by some oil stains on the upper surface, which may correspond to a whitish fluff on the underside.
We can also recognize other symptoms of mildew in the shoots and shoots. We have to see how the shoots are curved and also covered in the whitish fluff with which the leaves do. If the condition of the fungus is too strong, the sprouts may fall off.
Regarding the bunches, the grains can be affected both initially and later. In slower attacks, the bunches are not covered with fluff, but they do acquire a more brownish color. This can be an indicator that our vine is affected by Mildew.
What can we do to treat it?
Before putting a solution, we have to put prevention. If we are in spring where the disease develops and the conditions that I have mentioned above occur, the best option is to carry out a preventive treatment. To do this, we have to take into account that the conditions in which this fungus spreads are based on high temperature and high humidity. Relative humidity above 75% and temperatures between 12 and 30 degrees are idealsince they increase their survival by 25%.
Therefore, we have to take measures that make the temperatures and humidity not so favorable for the Mildew. Among the actions that we can carry out we find:
- Always place the plantation in the direction of the prevailing wind. In this way we will avoid excess humidity and favor natural aeration.
- We will thin the leaves that are affected to avoid further spread.
- We will avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer.
- We will plant vine varieties that are more resistant to the disease
There are also chemical treatments for Mildew, but we will always opt for the most natural solutions possible.
