What does peronosporosis of cucumbers look like and how to treat it?

Cucumbers are a crop susceptible to many diseases, including peronosporosis. If a similar ailment has arisen, it is imperative to deal with it correctly. What does peronosporosis look like and how it should be effectively treated - read below.

First of all, it makes sense to understand what a disease such as peronosporosis is. This ailment is also called downy mildew. The disease is fungal, caused by lower fungi, namely oomycetes.

Cucumbers are susceptible to this serious disease. Like many other plants of the pumpkin family, they are most often attacked by Pseudoperonospora cubensis. Spores of a pathogenic nature can remain on plant debris, as well as in the soil layer. As a rule, with the onset of the spring season, pathogens begin to spread under the influence of gusts of wind, as well as raindrops.

Any mechanical damage to plants contributes to penetration and infection. It should be borne in mind that downy mildew is found literally everywhere. Cucumbers have every chance of catching this disease both in the open field and in a greenhouse or greenhouse.

If you start to fight this disease in a timely manner, then the culture can be saved.

Usually, the ailment in question is provoked by specific negative factors. Let's consider the most serious of them.

• Peronosporosis has every chance of occurring under the influence of temperature jumps. For example, when the indicator is +14 degrees at night, and +23 degrees during the day.
• If cool morning dew occurs, cucumbers can also contract this disease.
• The ailment in question often appears due to excessively moist soil and air.
• Excessively high stocking density also contributes to the development of downy mildew.
• Cucumbers should not be irrigated with cold water, otherwise they quickly begin to suffer from peronosporosis.
• Lack of proper ventilation in the greenhouse is another reason for the development of this planting disease.
• Cucumber beds must be freed from all weeds, otherwise the culture will soon have to be treated for downy mildew.
• Another common cause is cold and rainy weather.

If cucumbers are grown in greenhouse conditions, then here peronosporosis gives its development at lightning speed. The fungus is able to almost completely ruin a planted plant in just a few days.

Peronosporosis is a disease that can be easily identified by several signs. Summer residents are advised to constantly monitor the state of the culture in order to detect the first stages of the development of a serious ailment in time.

• When plants are attacked by dangerous fungi, characteristic spots are formed on them, which have a white, light gray or light purple edge.
• After a while, "fluffy spots" are replaced by well-visible oily stains of light yellow color. They are formed on the outer half of the sheet plates. Such spots are characterized by the limitation of the area of ​​distribution by leaf veins.
• Soon you can see how the spots that have formed begin to grow. This happens at a fairly high speed.
• The leaves of plants gradually begin to change their original colors. They are no longer green, but brown. Such processes occur due to the disruption of the processes of photosynthesis. After that, the leaf blades begin to fade and dry out altogether.
• Following the dying off of the leaf plates, the process of disturbed formation and maturation of the cucumbers themselves is activated.

In most cases, the fact of the defeat of cucumbers by peronosporosis can be noticed towards the end of the summer season. We are talking about the period when the daily temperature values ​​fluctuate much more noticeably, and in the open ground in the morning it is possible to notice the formation of condensation on the foliage.

As soon as you notice that the plants you have planted are sick with downy mildew, you need to start treating them as soon as possible. Peronosporosis manifests itself vividly, so it can be quickly recognized even at the initial stages of development.

Treatment of the disease in question can be implemented through different means. These can be specialized preparations sold in garden stores, and popular folk remedies, known for a long time. Each of the methods has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Different summer residents prefer to turn to different methods of treating cucumbers for peronosporosis. We will find out which tools are the most effective.

Many gardeners decide to use various biological preparations that are the most effective and safe. Usually, they contain special concentrates of bacteria or fungi, which can effectively neutralize the pathogenic infection of peronosporosis.

The most effective and popular drugs that can safely treat diseased cucumbers include the following items:

• Fitosporin-M;
• "Glyocladin";
• Planriz;
• "Gamair";
• Trichodermin;
• Alrin-B.

The listed funds are biological.

Most often, the use of chemicals is turned to when their biological analogues have not demonstrated the desired effectiveness. Cucumbers suffering from the ailment in question can be sprayed with the following effective chemicals:

• Efal;
• "Strobe";
• "HOM";
• "Quadris";
• "Kurzat";
• "Acrobat MC".

Many summer residents, who are well versed in the treatment of plants from fungal diseases, note the high effectiveness of the Topaz fungicide.

With proper use, biological and chemical preparations allow you to quickly and without unnecessary consequences relieve plants of peronosporosis. With some formulations, this disease can be eliminated forever.

It is possible to cope with peronosporosis not only with the help of biological or chemical preparations, but also with various folk remedies. Many of them are no less, and often more effective in the fight against fungal plant ailments.

We will learn about some popular folk recipes that allow you to overcome downy mildew in a short time.

• Soap and soda based. At home, you can make a very effective remedy that will quickly relieve cucumbers from peronosporosis. To prepare it, you will need to take 1 tbsp. l. soda powder and dilute it in 5 liters of well-heated water. Then 80 g of pre-crushed soap is added there. The resulting composition is thoroughly mixed.
• From iodine and milk. Such a remedy is also prepared extremely quickly and easily.You need to take 2 liters of milk and mix them with 8 liters of raw water. Then 10 ml of iodine is added to the indicated ingredients.
• From onion skins. This folk remedy is very effective. It is used by many gardeners. It is prepared from 2 glasses of onion peel. It is poured into a bucket filled with water, and then boiled. When the liquid boils, it is removed from the heat, after which it is left to infuse for 3 days. The prepared solution can be used to spray diseased cucumbers.
• From milk. Not all summer residents know, but peronosporosis, which affects cucumbers, is quite possible to neutralize with milk solution. It must be prepared from 1 liter of non-fat drink diluted with 9 liters of water with the addition of 10 drops of 5% iodine. The resulting solution must be thoroughly treated with diseased plants.
• From brewed ash. And this is another popular folk recipe familiar to many gardeners. It is necessary to dilute the brewed ash in 10 liters of water. The resulting liquid can be safely used for further spraying of cucumber bushes. To properly brew the ash, you need to take it in a volume of 2 glasses, and then pour 3 liters of boiling water. The prepared broth should be infused. Then it is filtered through cheesecloth folded in several layers.
• From manure. A highly effective agent for controlling dangerous fungi can be prepared with the addition of manure. You can do it like this: you need to take 1 part of cow dung, dilute it in 3 parts of water. The resulting solution should settle well for 4 days. After that, it will need to be thoroughly filtered. The resulting concentrate will need to be diluted in 7-8 liters of water. Then it can be used to process sheet plates once every 1-1.5 weeks in the evenings.

It is much easier to prevent peronosporosis than to treat it. Consider what preventive measures can help protect cucumbers from this scourge.

• With the beginning of the autumn season, it is imperative to clean up absolutely all plant residues from the beds on time. Subsequently, they will need to be burned.
• It should be borne in mind that cucumbers should not be planted exclusively in the same place every year. This planting technique provokes the development of peronosporosis.
• Before planting cucumbers in your area, their seeds must be etched in 0.1% potassium permanganate. This should be done within 30 minutes.
• It is very important to always strictly adhere to all the necessary rules of agricultural technology. This refers to the regular weeding of the beds, the timely introduction of suitable dressings based on the needs of the planted plants. If everything is done correctly, then the cucumbers will be reliably protected from downy mildew.
• To maximize the immunity of the planted plants, it makes sense to resort to the introduction of special stimulating drugs. We are talking about products such as potassium humate, "Gumistar", "Baikal EM-1".
• Watering cucumbers should be carried out only with warm and previously settled water.

If all preventive measures are not neglected, then the plants in question will not be susceptible to peronosporosis. Protecting vegetables from this ailment can be very simple.

It is possible not to encounter the fungal disease in question not only due to preventive measures, but also by planting varieties of cucumbers that are resistant to peronosporosis. However, remember that there are no separate types and hybrids of vegetables that are characterized by absolute immunity to this ailment. But many of them can boast of very good immunity.

So, against the background of a flared epidemic of downy mildew for 12-18 days from the beginning of fruiting, the following popular hybrids can give the desired yield:

• "Understudy F-1";
• "Crane F-1";
• "Swallow F-1";
• Octopus F-1;
• "Eaglet F-1";
• "Swift F-1";
• "Chizhik".

Even if the spread of the disease in question turned out to be quite wide, then the maximum fruiting ability for 21-28 days boast such unpretentious varieties of cucumbers:

• Far Eastern 27;
• "Moment";
• "Phoenix";
• Phoenix Plus.

There are also such varieties of cucumbers, which are characterized by complex resistance to pathogens of fungal diseases. We are talking about such varieties:

• "Cupid";
• Erofei;
• "Whale";
• "Lotus";
• "Khabar".

If we talk about the cucumber varieties most resistant to the occurrence of peronospora, then it is worth noting the following positions:

• "Brunet F-1";
• Katyusha F-1;
• "Pretty Woman F-1";
• "Strong F-1";
• "Fan of F-1".

Peronosporosis is a common disease that often attacks cucumbers, carefully planted by summer residents both in the garden and in greenhouses. If you decide to overcome this ailment, it is worth taking on board a few useful tips.

• It is very important to always monitor the condition of the cucumbers planted on the site or in the greenhouse. This is the only way to detect the first signs of a developing disease in time. Some summer residents do not notice that with peronosporosis, a characteristic bloom of a whitish or gray hue forms on the back of the leaves. It is recommended to keep track of these details.
• If you decide to treat plantings with biological drugs, then you need to remember that they are completely incompatible with any pesticides. If you have planned the use of both the first and second means, then you should take the necessary pauses. For example, biological agents are allowed to be used no earlier than 2 weeks after extreme chemical treatment.
• In order to preserve the effect obtained thanks to chemicals, it is recommended to process the underside of the sheet plates as carefully as possible.
• The summer resident must remember that leaves that have fallen to the ground and are infected with a fungal infection remain dangerous for other plants. The point is that malicious components are able to remain viable for 5 years. That is why it is so important to remove all old fallen leaves in a timely manner in order to avoid further damage to the plants.
• Fungicide demonstrates very good effectiveness in the fight against the ailment in question. Many summer residents immediately use this remedy if their plants get sick with peronosporosis. After the first spraying with fungicide, it is recommended to repeat the treatment after another 10 days.
• When planting cucumbers, it is highly recommended that you follow a proper planting pattern. If the stands are too dense and closely spaced, then they will be more susceptible to attacks by pathogens.
• If you have treated cucumbers with special chemicals that fight peronosporosis, then after that it is recommended to treat them with any high-quality complex fertilizers.
• If you decide to spray the plants with purchased protective compounds, then you need to purchase them only in specialized retail outlets, where everything you need to care for the garden is sold. Such funds should be brought in strictly according to the instructions indicated on the original packaging. Always read the description of the chosen remedy so as not to accidentally harm diseased plants.
• During the growing season, it is highly recommended to keep the soil moisture level under control.
• If you are growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, it is very important to monitor the microclimate inside it. In no case should drip moisture form on the leaf plates of vegetables.
• If you notice that some of the planted cucumber bushes have already become infected with powdery mildew, then you should not feel sorry for them. Damaged plants will need to be destroyed immediately. Such drastic actions will prevent the fungal disease from spreading to other plantings. Sick bushes will need to be dug up and then burned.
• An excellent assistant in caring for plantings is Bordeaux mixture of lime and copper sulfate. However, in the case of progression of peronosporosis, it will be ineffective.
• Do not use too much fungicides. This leads to the accumulation of substances harmful to the human body together with pesticides in products.
• Above were listed some cucumber varieties and hybrids that are less prone to downy mildew. If you decide to plant such vegetables on your site in order not to fight the considered ailment, this does not mean that proper planting care should be neglected. Despite the excellent immunity, even vegetables resistant to downy mildew can still suffer from it, so they need to be properly cared for.

You can find out how to treat it peronosporosis of cucumbers if fruiting is in progress, you can find out from the video below.