Red currant diseases are not uncommon, despite the plant’s increased immunity and its good resistance to many diseases. The article provides a description of various diseases of red currant, as well as a description of methods for controlling pests of this crop.
Diseases of red currant leaves
Red currant leaf disease can manifest itself in a wide variety of cases. Even proper care, which consists in the regularity of preventive measures, cannot always guarantee the health of your favorite berries.
Climatic conditions, features of the terrain and soil in which the plant grows can have the most detrimental effect on it. And it often happens like this: at first glance, it seems that there are no factors provoking the disease, however, if we consider them together, it turns out that the reason lies in several of them at once.
Most currant diseases are fungal or viral in nature. Lesions of the bacterial type are quite rare, although they also occur. Many of them can be cured, however, there are a number of diseases, after which the plant will have to not only be removed from the garden, but also all traces of its presence must be destroyed.
In order for the treatment of red currant diseases to be effective and successful, it must be started on time. To do this, you should regularly diagnose the condition of green pets in the garden. Daily inspections will help you quickly determine the source of infection and take adequate measures in time.
Important! In most cases, treatment consists of stopping the obvious manifestations of the disease and its further preventive support.
Let's look at the descriptions of red currant diseases on specific examples with photos.
Glass rust
The symptoms of this disease are not immediately noticed, since everything happens on the lower part of the red currant leaves. It is not possible to detect the problem during a routine inspection.
An interesting fact is that red currants are only a temporary host of the fungus. To continue its development, the fungus needs to spray spores. This happens at the moment when a dying leaf falls from the bush. Further development of the rust fungus occurs on another host.
Glass rust is a very unpleasant disease. It can lead to a loss of 50% to 70% of the crop. Most often, plants growing near natural bodies of water and in conditions of high humidity are susceptible to it.
Powdery mildew
The most common disease of all gooseberries is powdery mildew, often called a sphere library. Fortunately, it is red currants that have the highest resistance to this disease. And, nevertheless, cases of the disease are recorded, although infrequently.
The main risk group is young plants under 3 years old. Symptoms of the disease manifest themselves in the covering of the affected areas with a white coating of a fairly hard consistency, which turns brown and hardens even more over time.
With further development of the disease, the leaves become deformed and the berries disappear. In addition, advanced cases of powdery mildew lead to a decrease in the plant’s immunity, and it may die.
Anthracnose
The main symptom of this red currant disease is red leaves. The causative agent is an ascomycete fungus.
Usually red spots are just the beginning of the disease. They look like small (up to 3 mm) tubercles and are mainly located on the lower row of leaves.
Over time, their hue changes to orange. At the same time, partial lesions merge into large spots that occupy most of the leaf surface and are bordered by a purple border.
With further development of the disease, anthracnose covers not only the leaves, but also other parts of the plant. Almost any plant above the soil can be affected by the fungus. Fruits affected by a fungal infection are also affected by the ascomycete and rot.
The disease is easily transmitted from affected plants to healthy ones through plant debris, fruits and seeds, as well as through soil.
The prevalence of the disease has a fairly wide range. For example, almost the entire temperate climate zone is at risk. A favorable condition for the development of anthracnose is high humidity(up to 90%), moderate temperature (+ 20-22 °C) and frequent precipitation, so it is found much less frequently in southern and arid regions.
Terry
Another name for the disease is reversion. Its causative agent is still unknown. It is assumed that such changes in the tissues of red currants are caused by a virus, although there is evidence that the disease may also be fungal.
Despite the fact that black currants are more often affected by this disease, approximately every tenth case of reversion occurs in red ones.
There can be several sources of spread of the disease:
- infected planting material;
- bud and flower mites;
- in rare cases, aphids.
The symptoms of the disease are very unusual. The plant changes significantly appearance, in particular, the leaves become three-lobed, the veins and teeth along the edges of the leaves become more textured. The size of the leaves also changes - they sometimes decrease by 1.5-2 times.
The flowers are significantly deformed - growths form instead violet shade. The number of leaves increases and deformed shoots appear. The bush may look uneven, lopsided, and asymmetrical. In general, in some cases it is impossible to even say whether it is red currant or not.
It has been noted that during dry periods terryness practically does not appear. But in conditions of high humidity it is observed quite often.
Septoria
Another name for this disease is gray spotting. Symptoms of the disease include the appearance of a large number of red-brown spots on currant leaves. As the disease progresses, the affected area increases in size and takes on the shape of a circle. The spot border has an interesting feature: the spots on it have a clearly defined White color in the central part.
Over time, the leaves of the plant completely fall off, even those leaves on which the damage was not visually observed. It is believed that there are no varieties of red currants that are immune to septoria, although, as in the case of other diseases, it is not red currants that are most often affected, but black currants.
Diseases of red currant bark
In addition to leaf diseases, red currants are rarely susceptible to bark diseases. Let's look at red currant bark diseases with photographs.
Phomopsiasis
With this disease, a sudden withering of the part of the branch located above the lesion occurs. Along with the branch, naturally, the leaves also wither. At the same time, the core of the shoot remains unchanged and does not even change its color. The cause of this disease is a fungus living in the bark. It may not manifest itself for several years, but with the advent of normal conditions, it is activated.
One focus of Phomopsia is enough to infect the entire plant. When affected by this disease, the shoot is completely lost.
Tuberculariosis
A disease that is also fungal in nature. Visually, darkening of entire sections of shoots is observed, while, similar to Phomopsia, only the bark is affected. However, unlike it, complete drying out of the shoot does not occur, that is, the process of the disease is reversible.
The leaves on the affected stem become limp and wrinkle, the flowers fall off, and the fruits, if they have already set, dry out. The life cycle of the fungus that causes tuberculosis is two years, that is, if timely measures are not taken, the situation will repeat itself next year.
Methods of treatment and prevention of diseases
Let's look at how red currant diseases are treated and prevented; the most important points will be illustrated with photos for clarity.
Treatment of already advanced forms of diseases, especially fungal ones, is ineffective and, most likely, will be pointless. Therefore, in most cases, therapy procedures will be reduced to removing from the plant and destroying damaged areas, disinfecting the cut sites and taking various preventive measures.
Thus, treatment of anthracnose comes down to treating the leaves several times a month with solutions Bordeaux mixture at a concentration of 1%. An alternative to this method is the use of Nitrafen, the effectiveness of which is several times higher than treatment with Bordeaux mixture.
Important! Nitrafen dissolves in the soil for a long time. It is not recommended to use it more than one cycle per season.
Similar activities are carried out for the treatment of other fungal diseases. Powdery mildew, goblet rust, and in general all fungi stop their development and spread quite well when treated with Bordeaux mixture.
In some cases, a solution of ferrous sulfate in a concentration of 3-5% is also used.
The use of a colloidal sulfur solution at a concentration of 1% against powdery mildew has also proven itself to be quite effective. Usually in such doses it is used for prophylactic purposes, and when applied directly to the affected areas, the concentration is increased to 2%.
Gray spot and red currant bark diseases, in addition to the traditional remedies considered, can also be treated with special means, for example, Fundazol or Topaz, as well as their analogues.
To combat reversion, garlic infusion is used (100 g of crushed garlic is poured warm water), which is sprayed on plants a week after flowering. Treatments are repeated several times at intervals of 2 weeks.
However, it is not the drug that defeats the disease, but the immune system. To do this, the plant needs to create certain conditions so that it can independently cope with any problem. Let's consider what preventive measures are necessary to help currants overcome possible diseases or avoid infection altogether:
- Already at the stage of planting and selecting seedlings, it is necessary to carefully select planting material in order to prevent uninvited guests from the kingdom of mushrooms from appearing on the site.
- It is advisable to disinfect seedlings before planting. Usually one immersion for no more than 5 minutes in the solution is sufficient. copper sulfate with a concentration of 1% followed by washing it with water.
- Planting should be done in places where there were no other gooseberries before, in order to avoid the entry of fungal spores from plants that previously lived there.
- Fallen leaves must be removed from the site and destroyed.
- The soil within a radius of at least 50 cm from the bushes must be constantly loosened and dug up. Ideally, it is advisable to use mulching with a cycle of changing mulch material at least once a month.
- At the very beginning and just before the end of the season (the time when insect carriers of fungal diseases are especially active), plants should be sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or iron sulfate.
- During summer season Similar spraying should be carried out up to 4 times at intervals of 2-3 weeks or in connection with the agrotechnical cycle of the crop:
- first spraying - before budding begins;
- the second - immediately after flowering;
- the third – 1-2 weeks after the second;
- fourth - immediately after harvest.
By carrying out such activities, you can be guaranteed to rid yourself of 90% of cases of various red currant diseases appearing on your site.
Pests of red currants
In addition to diseases, red currants are also endangered by certain types of pests that can not only feed on the juices and fruits of the plant, but also be carriers of many of the previously listed diseases.
Let's look at the most common pests of red currants and how to combat them.
Gall (red currant) aphid
The most annoying pest of all. Its peculiarity is that it causes damage to the leaves at the tops of the shoots and can damage the growth cone, after which the entire shoot can die. The result of the work of this pest is the appearance of red tubercles on young leaves at the top of the shoots.
Often a growing colony of pests spreads to other leaves; their spread speed is so high that literally within 1-2 days the entire bush can be affected. That is why it is necessary to carefully inspect the plant every day for the appearance of various pests.
Currant goldenrod
Also a nasty pest. First of all, it is unpleasant because its destruction requires the use of insecticides that are potentially dangerous to humans. The goldenrod is a small pest, which is a small bug a few mm in size. It has an interesting shiny metallic yellow-green color.
The peculiarity of the pest is its relative invisibility - the larva of the borer makes passages in the core of the red currant, so its appearance can be noticed after the fact, when, in fact, nothing can be done.
Adult beetles lay eggs on young shoots and feed on leaves.
How to control pests on red currants
Fighting aphids is quite simple. There are many insecticides that have a long-term effect, cope well with it and do not have any effect on humans. Examples of such drugs are Biotlin or Fitoverm.
Various pests from the insect world (weevils, moths, sawflies and spider mites) can be treated with insecticides wide range– from the most powerful Actellik to simple Agrovertin.
To combat pests such as borer beetles, leaf gall midges, glass beetles and others that are highly resistant to insecticides, preventive methods are used, which consist of constantly loosening the soil around the plant and regular weeding. Fallen leaves and dried shoots are also regularly collected. In addition, their larvae are more vulnerable to insecticides, and, knowing the time when the larvae of these pests emerge from the ground, you can treat the soil with weaker and non-hazardous insecticides, for example, Karbofos.
Conclusion
Red currant diseases can cause a lot of trouble for gardeners, but you should not despair when they appear. Course of diseases and life cycle Red currant pests have been studied quite well and methods of counteracting them have already been repeatedly tested in practice.
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Ecology of consumption. Estate: Black, white and red currants: diseases and treatment, control and symptoms of diseases. In order for the currant bushes in your garden to delight you with abundant harvests for a long time, it is very important to notice and diagnose the disease in time
Why do currant leaves turn yellow? Why are there red spots on currant leaves? Does it exist effective protection currants against powdery mildew? Are currant varieties resistant to diseases? The Gardener and Gardener will try to give comprehensive answers to these and other questions.
Currants: diseases and treatment
Red currant diseases and black currant diseases mostly manifest themselves in the same way and are treated in the same way. The same applies to white currants. The only thing is that one of the three species is more susceptible to certain diseases, which will definitely be noted in the description of the disease. Currant diseases appear in spring and early summer and can be viral or fungal.
Viral diseases of currants:
Black currant plumpness
Striped currant mosaic
Fungal diseases of currants:
Anthracnose
Glass rust
Columnar rust
White spot (septoria)
Powdery mildew
Nectria drying
Black currant plumpness
Otherwise, this disease that causes infertility is called reversion. And this is the worst viral disease of all. In general, all types of currants are susceptible to this disease, but most often for some reason you can see it on black ones. If you have blackcurrant terry, treatment will not help. None. At all.
Terry is determined only during flowering by the shape and color of the leaves and petals.
Leaves:
Three blades on a leaf instead of five,
The shape is elongated, the tips are pointed,
The denticles along the edge of the leaf are larger and less frequent,
The veins on the leaf are coarser and there are fewer of them,
The leaf blade is thicker,
Leaf color is darker
There is no smell of currants.
Inflorescences:
The petals are smaller, elongated, narrow,
The color of the petals is purple, dirty pink or even green,
The inflorescences dry out without producing berries,
The flowering of a diseased bush is delayed by a week.
Prevention and treatment of currant terry
1. Healthy planting material. Varieties resistant to this viral disease No. Therefore, you need to be especially careful when choosing new cuttings. Planting material should be taken only from those bushes that have not had even a hint of terry growth for the last three years.
2. Thorough inspection. It is necessary to carefully inspect the bushes every year during the flowering period, because... Often the first symptoms can be missed. It happens that terry infestation lasts for years. But this is precisely what is dangerous. After all, this disease with the juice of diseased currants is transferred by insects (bud mites and aphids) to healthy bushes. The longer you take to get rid of an infected plant, the higher the likelihood of destroying all the others.
3. Vector control. In order to prevent the spread of terry, if it does appear in your garden, it is worth protecting the plants from currant bud mites and aphids.
4. Increased sustainability. To make the bushes less susceptible to terry, you can increase the number potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Foliar feeding with a solution of manganese, boron, and molybdenum is also recommended. Increased use of fertilizers with nitrogen, on the contrary, will increase the risk of terry disease in currants.
5. Fire. For a bush where blackcurrant terry is noticed, there can be only one treatment - uprooting. Moreover, it is necessary to remove the entire bush, even if only one shoot is diseased. You won’t get by with half measures in the form of one or two cut branches. Immediately burn the uprooted bush to the ground so that even a hint of the virus does not leak out. During the next five-year period, currants cannot be returned to this place.
Blackcurrant striped mosaic
A viral disease that has no cure. It is spread by sucking insects (aphids, mites), transferring it with saliva from diseased plants to healthy ones. The reason may also be the grafting of a diseased cutting onto a healthy bush. Well, pruning diseased and healthy bushes in a row without intermediate disinfection of the instrument is also a very real reason.
The disease can be identified by the appearance on the leaves in early June of a pattern around the large veins of the leaf. The color of the stripes is bright yellow.
Control and prevention of vein mosaic
1. Healthy planting material. Resistant varieties does not exist in nature. Therefore, carefully select the bushes from which you are going to receive new cuttings. They must be healthy.
2. Thorough inspection. Inspect the bushes annually at the beginning of summer for symptoms of the disease.
3. Vector control. To prevent striped mosaic, treat currants with products against sucking pests.
4. Fire. Like any viral disease, it cannot be cured. This means only drastic measures: uprooting the entire bush and then burning it.
5. Quarantine. Be careful not to plant currants on a sore spot for at least five years.
Currant anthracnose
In common parlance this disease is called “fly-eater”. Another fairly common one fungal disease currants The fungus overwinters on the remains of leaves under the bush and is spread by insects and water. In dry and hot summers, the development of the disease is unlikely.
Anthracnose is easily detected. Small brownish-red dots on currant leaves are the first stage. The further you go, the more the brown spots on the currant leaves “spread” to the sides and eventually the entire leaf turns brown, after which it dries out and falls off ahead of time. For red currants, anthracnose is even more dangerous: leaves can fall off with just a few spots.
The first red spots on currant leaves appear on the lower branches, located closer to the wintering site of the fungus. Further, the disease can spread along leaf petioles, stalks and young shoots. Anthracnose will reach its apogee of development at the end of July - August.
Currant anthracnose: treatment and prevention
1. Cleansing. All fallen leaves are collected and burned. The soil under the bushes must be dug up in time, the top layer should be sealed to 10 cm. Weeds must also be destroyed.
2. Spraying. When spraying, you need to remember to treat the underside of the leaves.
If you have just noticed currant anthracnose, treatment should be carried out immediately. Immediately upon detection, spray the bush with “Fitosporin”, and at the end of August repeat the procedure.
In early spring or late autumn, after the leaves have completely fallen, spray the bushes themselves and the soil under them with a 3% solution of 60% nitrafen at the rate of 30-40 kg/ha.
3. Choice of variety. It is worth planting varieties that are less susceptible to anthracnose: Belorusskaya sweet, Varshevicha, Victoria, Golubka, Dutch red, Gonduin red, Reibey Castle, Zoya, Jonker van Tete, Koksa, Luchezarnaya, Melodiya, Minay Shmyrev, Nochka, Primorsky Champion, Firstborn , Ural white, Yuterbogskaya.
Currant glass rust
Glass rust is caused by a fungus and is quite common. Many people have seen orange-red bubbles on currant leaves more than once. The most susceptible to this disease are bushes next to which any type of sedge grows. It is on this that the fungal spores overwinter, and in the spring they “migrate” to the currants with the wind. The development of the disease will be particularly strong at high humidity in the place where the bush grows (rainy spring, lowland). The main danger is that leaves and berries turn yellow and fall off.
Goblet rust on currant leaves is determined by the appearance of brightly colored warts (pads). orange color. In some cases, swellings may appear on inflorescences and ovaries. Rust spores develop on the underside of leaves, mature and fly away, so that by mid-summer the signs of the disease may disappear.
Currant cup rust: treatment and prevention
1. Right place. It is best to plant currants on a hill, away from wetlands.
2. Cleansing. Destroy any sedge growing nearby or mow it in a timely manner. If you notice orange-red swellings on currant leaves, be sure to rake and burn all fallen leaves in the fall.
3. Spraying. When spraying Special attention Apply to the underside of the leaves.
During the blooming of leaves, the beginning of flowering and immediately after flowering (i.e. 3 times), you can spray the bushes with 1% beard liquid.
Before flowering, after flowering, 12 days later and after picking berries (i.e. 4 times), you can spray a 0.4% suspension of 80% cuprosan and 1% colloidal sulfur at a rate of 3- 4 kg/ha.
4. Choice of variety. The following currant varieties are least susceptible to the development of this disease: Versailles white, Victoria red, Goliath, Dutch red, Gonduin, Zoya, Cantata, Neapolitanskaya, Nina, Minskaya, Pulkovskaya, Suite Kievskaya, Chereshneva, Faya fertile.
Currant columnar rust
Currant columnar rust is another fungal disease. Unlike glass rust, it is transferred not from sedge, but from pines and other coniferous trees. Black currants are most susceptible to the disease.
The disease can be identified by small yellow spots on the leaves that appear during berry picking. Turning the sheet over, you can see orange bubbles on the bottom side. As the disease progresses, spore columns appear in the areas of swelling, which change their color from orange to brown. Outwardly, they resemble stubble.
The danger of an advanced disease is the premature fall of leaves, deterioration of shoot growth and loss of winter hardiness of the bush. As a result, next year's harvest will be significantly smaller.
Columnar rust on currants: control and prevention measures
1. Right place. It is best to plant currants away from pines and other conifers.
2. Cleansing. If you notice yellow spots on currant leaves, then in the fall you should collect and burn the fallen leaves, or embed them in the soil.
3. Spraying.
Before the leaves appear, immediately after flowering and collecting the berries (i.e. 3 times), treat the affected bushes with 1% beard liquid.
If you just notice how the leaves on the currant are turning yellow, immediately treat the bush with Fitosporin.
4. Choice of variety. The varieties least susceptible to columnar rust disease are: English white, Dutch red, Houghton Castle, Reibey Castle, Meat Red, Feya fertile.
Powdery mildew on currants
Powdery mildew on currants is a fungal disease that has two types:
The European one appears as a white coating on currants in the form of a cobweb and is quite rare. Red currants are more susceptible to the disease.
Spheroteca or American powdery mildew is visible as a loose white coating on currant leaves, which darkens over time and looks like felt.
Fungal spores overwinter on the bushes themselves and on fallen leaves. Young leaves are the first to become infected during flowering. Then the disease “goes” further, to older leaves. They curl into a tube, darken and eventually fall off. Next, a white coating may appear on the currant berries and they will also dry out and fall off.
Treatment and protection of currants from powdery mildew
1. Cleansing. In early spring, you need to cut off the ends of infected branches (twisted and black), capturing a couple of buds of a healthy shoot. Collect and burn fallen leaves; spores may remain on them.
2. Pinching. At the beginning of the ripening of the berries, you can pinch the tips of the branches (growth buds) to prevent powdery mildew from developing on them.
3. Treatment of currants against powdery mildew.
The first spraying in the spring is on young leaves, the second - a couple of weeks later on the formed ovaries. For processing you can use: preparations “Topaz” or “Vectra”; 0.1% solution of copper sulfate or Borodsky liquid at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 5 - 7 liters of water.
Spraying and repeating after three days (i.e. 2 times) with a solution of 5% iodine at the rate of 10 ml per 10 liters of water. This method is good because the berries can be consumed immediately.
Treatment of currants against powdery mildew can also be carried out with “Fitosporin” once a month, the first time in mid-May. This is not a chemical preparation, which means it is not absorbed by berries.
In order to destroy a fungal infection, you can spray trunk circle and currant bushes with iron sulfate dissolved in proportions of 300 g per 10 liters of water.
4. Choice of variety. The most resistant to powdery mildew: Asora, Binar, Dutch Red, Detvan, Zarya Polarya, Ilyinka, Temptation, Katyusha, Red Kislitsy, Kipiama, Red Cross, Kupalinka, Radiant, Natalie, Beloved, Nochka, Lights of the Urals, Rowada, Rolan, Market London, Stephane No. 9, Titania, Ural beauty, Ural white, Fertile Fairy, Tsiralt, Ceres.
White spot (septoria) of currant
White spot is a fungal disease that black currants are most susceptible to. The spread of the disease comes from diseased fallen leaves.
Septoria is detected in early summer. First to appear brown spots on currant leaves, they can be angular or round in shape. Over time, the spots turn white, leaving only a narrow brown strip along the contour. So in July you will no longer see brown, but light spots on the currant leaves.
Control and prevention of white spotting
1. Fertilizer. To increase the resistance of currants to disease, in addition to mineral supplements, you also need to add microelements. It can be manganese sulfate, copper, boron or zinc.
2. Choice of variety. Give preference to currant varieties: White Versailles, Houghton Castle, Star of the North, Early Favorskaya, Wonderful, Chulkovekaya, Shchedraya.
3. Other control measures are similar to those used for anthracnose.
Nectria drying of currant shoots and branches
A fungal disease to which white and red currants are more susceptible. As the name implies, the damage caused by this disease is shrunken and dead branches and shoots. The longer you wait to treat the drying out, the less the bush will eventually remain. This means that harvests will be lower and lower every year.
The disease can be identified by the appearance of small orange dots on the branches, which may not be noticed. Then they grow and become reddish-brown tubercles, which are quite difficult to miss. Over time, the spores mature and change color to black.
Treatment and prevention of drying out
1. Cleansing. Diseased branches and shoots must be pruned and burned. You don't want a repeat next year, do you? Be sure to disinfect the cut areas with 1% Bordeaux mixture, and then cover them with garden varnish.
2. Agricultural technology. Follow the rules for caring for currants (destruction of weeds, covering up fallen leaves, fertilizing, etc.). These simple measures will minimize the spread of the fungus and increase the bush's resistance to the disease. Your currants will not get sick, which means you won’t have to treat them.
Gray rot
A fungal disease that affects many crops. Spread by wind and rain from mummified fruits and infected branches.
On currants it appears as brown spots on the leaves. The wood suffers mainly in white currants, becoming covered with lumps of mold.
How to treat and fight gray mold
1. Agricultural technology. Follow the rules for caring for currants (weed control, water regime, fertilizing, etc.)
2. Cleansing. Leaves, shoots and fruits affected by gray rot must be removed from the bush and destroyed.
General prevention of currant diseases
1. In late autumn, you can spray all the bushes with a highly concentrated urea solution, at the rate of 700 g per 10 liters of water. They also need to treat the soil under the currants. This spraying will kill pests that have settled for the winter in the fallen leaves; overwintering spores of fungal diseases will also not survive. In early spring (preferably in April), be sure to carry out another such spraying.
2. Gives good results spring treatment currants against diseases with the drug "Zircon", which increases the resistance of currants to various diseases. Repeated spraying will need to be scheduled for the second half of August.
Now you will have healthy currants; we have considered diseases and their treatment in full. published
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In the garden plot, currant bushes from the moment the buds open until the varnish-scarlet clusters ripen are threatened by a host of pests and pathogens. Sometimes you wonder how much effort it takes to grow a healthy crop without losses. You have to choose: either consistently and persistently fight insect pests and pathogens, or immediately buy seedlings of disease-resistant varieties.
Treatment and prevention of red currant diseases
The gooseberry family, which includes red currants, has a lot in common, including diseases. Plants are most often affected by fungal viral infections. And experienced gardeners recommend approaching the issue of treatment strategically: treating not individual affected plants, but also all other bushes on the site.
It is important for the gardener to recognize the signs of the disease in its early stages, before it spreads.
Diseases cultivated plants They probably exist as long as the gardens themselves, or even longer, because even wild berry plants get sick.
Anthracosis
Caused by a fungus that causes plants to lose their leaves. In particularly wet years, the disease can spread to all plantings.
Green appears on the surface a large number of pinpoint dark spots that grow to tubercles measuring 2.5 mm. The lowest-lying, shaded leaves are affected first. As the disease progresses, the tubercles rupture and fungal spores come out. They are spread by rain and wind. Arthropods also play a significant role in the transmission of pathogens.
Sores form on the affected parts and the berries fall off. Red currants are defenseless against the pathogen anthracosis. Even if there are only a few lesions, the bushes can completely lose their leaf cover.
Even a few outbreaks of anthracosis can cause redcurrant leaf loss
Plants affected by anthracosis lose their immunity and their frost resistance decreases. There are high risks of crop loss. There are no varieties that are immune to anthracose. Relatively immune
- Victoria,
- Dutch red,
- Faya is fertile,
- Chulkovskaya,
- Generous.
Treatment and prevention measures:
- A careful selection of seedlings is carried out.
- Before planting, the plants are immersed for 5 minutes in a 1% solution of copper sulfate, then washed with water.
- Plant only in places where currants have not previously grown, avoiding proximity to trees and low-lying areas that contribute to the preservation and spread of the fungus.
- Remove and destroy fallen leaves.
- They dig up the ground under the bushes.
- In late autumn and spring, before the buds swell, the plants and the soil under them are sprayed with 1% solutions of copper preparations.
- In summer, currant plantings are treated at least 3-4 times with 1% Bordeaux mixture, first before budding, then immediately after flowering, then after 10 days. The final treatment is carried out after harvesting.
Some guidelines recommend using the drug Nitrafen. But it is poorly decomposed, very toxic and accumulates in the soil. Now it is prohibited to use it on private farms.
When spraying plants, make sure that the treatment and prophylactic solutions irrigate the bush abundantly, especially carefully treating the underside of the leaves.
Reversion (terry)
Some authors believe that the causative agent of reversion is a virus; according to other sources, the disease is of mycoplasma nature. Black currants are most susceptible to terry, while red currants are affected sporadically. The disease is transmitted through infected planting material or through a kidney mite.
During reversion, the appearance of the plant changes. From five-lobed leaves become three-lobed, teeth appear along the edges, and the veins become coarser. They become smaller and lose their intense color. Terry appears most clearly on flowers. Instead, purple scales are formed. The whole plant is reborn. A large number of deformed shoots appear, and the number of leaves increases.
Terryiness leads to degeneration of currant flowers
Sometimes the bush looks asymmetrical: the part affected by terry is thickened due to excess foliage, while the other has a normal appearance.
High humidity aggravates the damage. During dry years, the disease may subside only to reappear during rainy periods.
Considering that the currant mite contributes to the spread of terry disease, it should be identified as early as possible and the affected plants should be thoroughly treated with a 1% solution of colloidal sulfur.
Good result give early treatments to the bushes in the spring with a hot shower from a watering can and spraying with freshly prepared garlic infusion: 50–100 g of crushed garlic is poured with water (10 l), stirred and irrigated the plants. The procedures are carried out after the currants have faded and are repeated a week later.
Glass rust
Most often, the disease affects currant bushes growing near wetlands. Caused by a fungus that requires sedge at an intermediate stage of development. Loss of red currant yield due to damage by goblet rust reaches up to 70%. Rainy weather and dampness worsen the situation.
The proximity to sedge contributes to the spread of goblet rust on currants
At the end of May, bright orange growths with small depressions appear on the underside of young leaves. With further spread of the disease, damaged leaves and ovaries fall off. The spores are carried to the sedge, and the next phase of fungal development takes place there. In early spring they find themselves on the currants again, and the cycle repeats.
The spread of goblet rust leads to the loss of a significant part of the crop
To eliminate the risk of infection of bushes, it is necessary to destroy the surrounding sedge and not plant plants of the gooseberry family in wetlands.
It is recommended to treat currants during periods of greatest susceptibility to the fungus - from May 1 to June 15. To do this, the bushes are sprayed three times with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture. The first treatment is carried out in early May, and subsequent treatments are carried out at intervals of 10-12 days. When using a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture, spraying can be done once.
The most resistant to goblet rust varieties of red currants:
- Gonduin,
- Victoria,
- Faya is fertile,
- Chulkovskaya.
Columnar rust
A fungal disease that most affects currant plantings located near coniferous trees, intermediate hosts of the causative agent of columnar rust.
It appears in the form of yellow spots on the upper side of the leaves, from below they are covered with a fluffy red coating like lint. The disease flares up and spreads in humid, warm weather.
Columnar rust inhibits shoot growth and leads to early leaf fall, which weakens the bushes and reduces future harvests.
Precautionary measures are the same as for anthracose. To combat the disease, fertilizing with preparations containing copper sulfate and zinc is used. Superphosphate and potassium nitrate have a beneficial effect during the period of kidney swelling. It is not recommended to give ammonium nitrate.
The Chulkovskaya currant variety exhibits relative resistance to columnar rust.
Columnar rust is caused by spores of pathogenic fungi
Septoria (white spot)
The disease is fungal in nature and is characterized by the appearance of small red-brown spots on the leaves. Subsequently, the lesions increase in size and take on a rounded shape. The spots, brown on the periphery, have a white center. The disease is accompanied by complete loss of foliage. Infected shoots stop growing or grow weakly. The buds near the lesions dry out.
The first manifestations of the disease are noticeable from the end of May or the beginning of June. The manifestation occurs in the second half of summer. Loss of foliage negatively affects the adaptability of bushes to wintering, suppresses plants and reduces future harvests.
White spotting affects red currants relatively rarely; gooseberry and plantings are more often affected. black currant. There are no varieties resistant to septoria in Russia.
Measures to combat the disease are the same as for anthracosis. This is the use of fungicidal agents; you can also use a 3% solution of iron sulfate and carry out agrotechnical measures.
Plant resistance to white spot increases significantly when applied to the soil. mineral supplements containing boron, manganese, copper.
Currant septoria causes leaf drop and suppresses plant immunity
Spheroteka (American powdery mildew)
A fungal disease common among all members of the gooseberry family, although red currants are the most resistant to powdery mildew. Mostly young shoots, buds, and leaves of plants suffer. At the beginning of the disease, the affected areas are covered with a white coating, which later turns brown. The leaves become deformed and the berries fall off. Plant immunity is suppressed, and by the onset of winter they are weakened. If the disease is advanced, the bushes may die.
Protective measures against spheroteca include the entire range of measures used for anthracosis. Preventive spraying with a 3–5% solution of iron sulfate is also practiced after autumn leaf fall and in early spring before buds open to eradicate fungi. For this purpose, the bushes themselves and the soil under them are carefully processed.
Three sprayings with a 1% solution of colloidal sulfur are used, which begin before flowering, then repeat twice with a break of 10–12 days.
Many summer residents prefer traditional methods of combating powdery mildew, using infusions of manure and water mixed in a ratio of 1:3. The solution is left for three days, after which it is decanted, diluted threefold and the bushes are irrigated abundantly.
Natural fungal antagonists multiplied in the infusion – bacteria - when sprayed, cover the plant, destroying the coating. For the procedure, choose cloudy weather so that the sun does not dry out the bush ahead of time and the treatment is effective.
The currant variety Faya fertile is the most resistant to the pathogen of powdery mildew.
Spherotheca most often affects young leaves.
To treat and prevent the spread of fungal diseases of berries, the microbiological systemic fungicide Fitosporin is increasingly being used, the principle of action of which is based on the suppression of pathogenic fungi and bacteria by the waste products of spore cultures included in the preparation.
But still, the best treatment is prevention. To maintain plant immunity and prevent major currant diseases you need:
- Comply with agricultural standards, maintaining the required distance between plantings for better ventilation, growth and nutrition.
- Provide illumination to plants through a well-thought-out planting location and crown formation.
- Carry out pruning in a timely manner, getting rid of weak and damaged shoots, avoiding excessive thickening of the bushes.
- Maintain the required level of plant nutrition by applying organic and mineral fertilizers.
- Constantly weed out, preventing the proliferation of pest larvae and fungal spores, while simultaneously improving the nutrition of the roots.
- Remove and destroy fallen leaves to prevent the spread of disease.
- Systematically loosen the soil around the bushes. In this case, soil larvae and pupae die, and plant roots receive more air.
- Regularly water the currants and mulch the tree trunk.
- Do not plant bushes in the shade of trees or in low-lying areas.
- Treat prophylactically berry crops fungicides and drugs that enhance plant immunity.
- Replace old, degenerate bushes in a timely manner with more resistant new varieties.
Careful owners who responsibly select seedlings, carry out measures to care for plants, increase their resistance to disease, bushes, as a rule, suffer less often, and the harvest is stable and of high quality.
Pest control of red currants
Gall aphid, weevil, narrow-bodied currant borer, spider mite, gooseberry sawfly, bud mite, glass beetle, currant gall midge, moth - that's far from full list insects that threaten berry plantings.
The drugs must be used in strict accordance with the instructions, observing protective measures.
Pests of red currant - table
| View | Signs of defeat | Treatment options | Prevention |
| Gall aphid (red gall aphid) | Causes damage to young crown leaves. Reddish-brown swellings and galls appear on them. Their spread leads to the suppression of the growth of new shoots and the death of foliage. | If deformed leaves are found, they are removed and destroyed. The bush is treated with insecticides or safer biological means of controlling aphids:
The drug Biotlin is also successfully used against roseate aphids: flowering plants, cherries, cherries, plums. During the season, you can carry out several treatments of plantings with a break of 2 weeks, stopping spraying 10–12 days before harvest. | Some plants promote the reproduction and spread of aphids. You should not plant lavender, mint, monarda and others from the Lamiaceae family near currants and gooseberries, as they provide food for aphids when the currant leaves become coarse. Flying from plant to plant, gall aphids remain in the area and infect gooseberry crops. |
| Weevil (gray bud weevil) | Not very picky about food, found on almost everything berry bushes, stone fruit trees, pear and apple trees. It feeds on buds, young leaves and buds, significantly reducing the yield. | The following drugs are effective against weevils:
| It is believed that tobacco dust and pine infusions repel bugs. |
| Currant goldenrod | A small bug with a shiny greenish-golden color. The larva of the borer makes passages in the core of the shoots. Affected stems dry out and die. Adult beetles emerge in June and feed on leaves. They lay eggs on the bark of young shoots, and the emerging larvae gnaw holes in them and remain for the winter. In the summer, during warm times, the golden borer begins to fly, and the cycle repeats. | To combat the borer, regular sanitary pruning of shoots to healthy tissue is carried out not only in spring and autumn, but also throughout the summer. During mass flight of beetles, spraying with a 0.3% solution of karbofos is effective. | - |
| Spider mite | It mainly affects red currant bushes. It feeds on young leaves and berries. It is usually located on the underside of the leaf blade. Yellow and red spots appear on its surface. Small mites gradually entangle the leaves and bunches of currants with their web. The berries lose their presentation and their taste deteriorates. | To combat spider mite acaricides are used. The most common means:
They are toxic and must be used in sunny conditions with protective measures. | Periodically pollinate the bushes scented products. Some gardeners plant nearby plants that repel ticks: tansy, chamomile, calendula. |
| Sawfly gooseberry or currant | Sawfly larvae can eat through the entire leaf blade down to the veins, which leads to weakening of the bush and shredding of the berries. | Control measures come down to checking the condition of the leaves. If holes are found on them, and in the later stages of leaves eaten away to the veins, all diseased parts of the plants are removed and destroyed. From chemicals Actellik is effective. | Frequent loosening of the soil, autumn digging and covering the space under the bushes with dense material or a high layer of mulch significantly reduces the number of insect pests. |
| Threatens representatives of the entire gooseberry family. The damage to the plant is indicated by unnaturally enlarged round buds. Normal shoots and leaves will not develop from them, and a crop will not form. Instead, many mites spread, which weaken the plant and can lead to the death of the bush. They are carriers of reversion pathogens. | Ways to fight:
| The source of infection is often poor-quality planting material and tools not treated with disinfectant after working in the garden. | |
| Glassware | If at spring pruning currants were found on the branch in the core area black dot, this glass has chosen your bushes. Its larvae gnaw tunnels in plants. Affected bushes cannot feed normally, weaken and risk dying. | It is necessary to push back the shoot to healthy areas or completely if the damage is severe. All collected waste is immediately burned after pruning. The massive flight of an adult glass beetle coincides in time with the flight of the borer, therefore, when sprayed with a 0.3% emulsion of karbofos, both the borer and the glass beetle will be destroyed. | - |
| Leaf, shoot and flower gall midges | The larvae damage young currant tissue. After the invasion, ugly leaves remain, the stems are covered with ulcers and cracks, damaged buds are deformed, and flowers fall off. | To combat gall midges, the condition of the bushes is systematically checked. If signs of damage are detected, the affected buds, buds, leaves are immediately removed, shoots are cut off and all collected plant debris is burned. In order to make it difficult for adults to fly, the root zone is dug up and mulched with peat or humus. The bushes are sprayed with 0.3% karbofos before flowering; if necessary, the treatment is repeated after picking the berries. | - |
| Currant moth | Flight begins at the time when buds form on the currant. She lays eggs in them. The hatched larvae eat the flowers and then crawl onto neighboring ovaries. So they, voracious and numerous, are capable of destroying the entire harvest. | In case of significant damage by the moth, the bushes are sprayed with insecticides such as Actellik or Iskra. Fitoverm treatments against larvae give good results. | In addition to combating the use of insecticides and biological products, agrotechnical techniques are used based on knowledge of the development cycle of the moth. Since the larvae pupate and in this state remain on the soil surface or shallowly in the ground, remove weeds around the plants and periodically loosen the soil around them. If you mulch the soil with non-woven material after loosening or simply hill up the plants to a height of ten centimeters, the flight of butterflies will be difficult. After the currants bloom, the bushes are unplanted, as the danger has passed. |
Pests of red currant - photo gallery
The Victoria variety is characterized by winter hardiness and high yield.
Faya fertile - American mid-season variety. Winter hardiness is average. Berries small sizes, with thin delicate skin. The brush is 6–10 cm long. The variety is relatively resistant to anthracose, goblet rust, and spheroteca;
Chulkovskaya is a variety of folk selection. Widely distributed throughout the Russian Federation. Early ripening. Self-fertile. Maturation is friendly. The berries are medium or small in size. The taste is ordinary. Transportability is good. Shows resistance to fungal diseases, but is affected by terry. Winter hardiness is average; flowers may suffer from spring frosts. Drought resistant.
In Russia, the Chulkovskaya and Faya fertile varieties are grown everywhere
Common currant diseases usually do not select the type and variety of berries. They affect all shrubs of this type without exception. Both red and white currants suffer equally. The descriptions of currant diseases on this page allow you to get a basic idea of possible problems when growing this shrub. All currant diseases and their treatment proposed in this material are widespread throughout our country.
Therefore, the information will be relevant for different regions. Most of the causative agents of pathologies belong to fungal microflora. They are not afraid of serious winter frosts and feel great in rainy weather with high humidity levels. Therefore, the spread can be lightning fast. If you see the first signs, react immediately.
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In this article we will look at diseases and pests of red currants and tell you how to deal with them.
Red currants are susceptible to viral and fungal diseases.
These include:
- anthracnose,
- glass rust,
- septoria,
- spheroteka,
- green mottling
- reversion (terry).
What diseases threaten red currants?
Like other species, red currants are susceptible to fungal and viral diseases. The most dangerous among them is terry. This is a very insidious virus, which, as it develops, changes the appearance of the bush and leads to currant infertility. Most often it affects black currants, but since the carrier is the bud mite, which also settles on red currants, bushes with scarlet berries are also not immune from it. If no signs of bud mites are found on the currants, then the virus was transmitted with planting material or through contaminated garden tools. Reversion - doubleness is the popular name - does not develop in one year, and the longer the infected bush remains in place, the higher the risk of disease on the remaining plants.
Determine the presence of the virus during flowering:
- currants have no aroma;
- the flowers are ugly, greenish or dirty pink (even purple), with pointed, elongated petals;
- the leaves are darker than usual, denser and wider, with three corners instead of five.
Due to the terry nature, the inflorescences do not develop: before the berries begin to set, they fall to the ground. The virus cannot be treated: the infected bush must be removed. For several years, currants cannot be planted in this place.
Anthracnose of red currant
Anthracnose is a fungal disease of the currant bush. A humid climate is favorable for the development of the disease. The place of activity of the fungus is green young shoots.
At the initial stage of anthracnose, small dark spots. They gradually increase as the disease progresses.
The spots deform the leaves and fruits, and also have a negative effect on the entire bush. Anthracnose causes premature leaf loss and reduced winter hardiness of the bush.
To destroy the causative agent of anthracnose, fungicides are used in accordance with the instructions. The most famous drugs for treating the bush are: “Fitosporin”, “Previkur”, “Acrobat”, “Ridomil”.
Articles for gardeners
The fungal spores overwinter on fallen leaves. For prevention, it is necessary to destroy infected foliage in a timely manner.
White spot or septoria red currant
White spot or septoria is caused by the fungus Septoria sibirica. This disease is one of the most common.
Septoria blight is characterized by the appearance of small spots on the surface of leaves. Brown. Later they acquire a white color, but the brown border remains. The spots can spread to the berries.
The harmful fungus survives the winter on fallen leaves. Spores move to the surface when they swell from moisture (during wet weather or from excessive watering). Infection of leaves occurs from the underside.
Harm from white spotting:
- leaves falling off prematurely;
- stopping the growth of the bush and its withering;
- destruction of the crop.
To treat currant plantings and soil, they are treated with “Nitropheron” or copper sulfate in the form of a solution. The event must be held in spring period before the buds begin to bloom.
IN summer time a four-stage treatment with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride is allowed.
For prevention, it is necessary to monitor soil moisture, promptly destroy fallen leaves, plant currant plantings, cultivate and dig up the soil in the autumn and early spring.
Goblet rust of red currant
Small orange or reddish spots appear on the lower surfaces of the leaves, which gradually increase in size and become convex. They contain fungal spores.
Treat the bushes with fungicidal agents (Prognoz, Skor, Fitosporin-M, etc.). Collect and burn affected leaves and berries.
To prevent the appearance of the disease, remove sedge from the area, which is the source of infection. In autumn, the ground around the bush needs to be cleared and dug up several times.
Spheroteca (powdery mildew) of red currants
The causative agent of the disease is a fungus.
Main symptoms:
- a light gray coating appears on the shoots, leaves and berries, then it becomes brown;
- leaves curl and fall off;
- unripe berries fall off;
- the bush stops growing.
As a treatment, it is necessary to spray the diseased red currant bush with fungicides (Alirin-B, Fitosporin-M, Baktofit, Topaz).
Pest Control Articles
You can use folk remedies:
- A solution prepared from 50 g of soda ash, 40 g of laundry soap shavings and 10 liters of water.
- A solution of mullein and water. Mix the components in a ratio of 1:3, leave for 3 days. Then dilute with water in the same proportion. Spray the diseased bush weekly.
Be sure to trim off damaged shoots and burn them.
Terry red currant
The causative agent of terry disease is phytoplasma. Black, red and white currants are affected. The first signs of spring currant disease appear in the spring, but widespread symptoms are noticeable a year or two after infection. The infection occurs in a hidden (latent) form, and before the appearance of “double” flowers, infected bushes are a source of infection.
On diseased bushes, bud opening and flowering are delayed, leaves, flowers, and shoots are deformed. The leaves change from five-lobed to three-lobed, with large, sparse teeth. The leaves become smaller and become asymmetrical; there is often a light green edging of the veins. On affected bushes due to currant bud disease, there are more shoots, but they are shorter and thinner than usual, and the smell specific to black currant disappears.
Flowers turn from fused-petaled to separate-petaled, and pubescence decreases. Instead of petals, stamens and sepals, small narrow violet scales develop. The pistil becomes thread-like, and the ovary becomes superior. “Double” flowers do not produce berries at all or form small and ugly ones. The infection persists in the affected plants. It is transmitted with planting material, with cuttings taken from diseased bushes. Mycoplasma is carried from plant to plant by the bud mite.
Green mottling of red currants
Description of the disease.
A viral disease of currants, the causative agent of which is the cucumber mosaic virus. Affects all types of currants. The disease spreads quite slowly in plantings. The source of infection is about 60 species various plants, including weeds, as well as infected planting material. Its main carrier is aphids.
Signs of defeat.
When black currants bud, pale green dots appear on young leaves. In summer they turn into watery streaks stretched along the veins. Sometimes, instead of strokes, pale green spots appear, which occupy large areas of the sheet and are very clearly visible in transmitted light. In red and white currants, instead of light green streaks, pale yellow spots appear near the petiole. The spots can be large, but are always located in the central part of the leaf. The leaves are severely deformed, wrinkled, and their edges curl down. Most often, with yellowing of the leaves on red and white currants, young shoots dry out. In young bushes and rooted cuttings, the first signs appear the next year after planting. If currants are propagated by seeds, the disease appears in the same year. The bushes begin to lag behind in growth, the yield decreases.
Control measures.
Green mottle is incurable. When the first signs appear, the bushes are uprooted and burned.
Disease prevention.
Control of weeds that are affected by the virus (bindweed, sow thistle, woodlice, quinoa). Pumpkin should not be planted next to bushes, as it is also susceptible to the disease. Destruction of aphids in the garden.
Currant is a berry with a bright taste. Most people like her. But in order to get a harvest that is optimal in terms of volume and quality, you will have to deal with a number of unpleasant factors.
Diseases
There are a number of currant diseases, the description of which mentions red spots. This kind of negative manifestation is especially often associated with infection or pest attack from April to August inclusive. Less commonly, this problem occurs in the fall. This problem is most likely to occur when infected with anthracnose. It appears equally often on black, red and white currants.
The damage of anthracnose is not limited to the deterioration of the external appearance of plants. The shoots begin to grow worse and the yield decreases. And even those fruits that can still be collected will turn out to be less pleasant to the taste. The first phase of the lesion is sometimes expressed instead of red spots on the foliage in the appearance of plaque in the form of shiny tubercles. Gradually, the protrusions merge and turn brown, while the foliage turns yellow and dries out.
If red currants grow on the site, the leaves will fall off fairly quickly. In the black variety they are able to hang until the end of autumn. But this is not very pleasant, because mutilated foliage only spoils the view and is unable to fulfill its function. Continuation of the disease leads to gradual infection of the fruits. Fungal spores survive the winter in fallen leaves, so you need to get rid of them persistently and completely.
The good news is that when the summer is hot and there is little rainfall, the likelihood of disease is low. But still it persists. And therefore it is worth carefully, at least once a week, inspect all the bushes in order to promptly notice the source of the lesion.
There are other currant disorders in which it drops its berries. It is worth noting that such yield loss is not always associated precisely with pathological processes. When a shrub is planted recently, it may simply not have time to reach the required condition. That’s why the plant loses berries and does a poor job of retaining them on the branches. For a similar reason, the problem also occurs on old bushes that have almost outlived their useful life. For gardeners, this is a kind of warning that allows them to prepare for planting new currants or for radically changing them to a different crop.
It is also worth checking such non-pathological conditions as:
- moisture deficiency;
- incorrect choice of site (excessive shadow);
- lack of pollination;
- mechanical defects of the bush;
- action of pests.
Berries fall off, however, also due to fungal infections. This problem occurs especially often when when currant plantings cross the ten-year mark. White plaque indicates a powdery mildew infection. Anthracnose can also destroy standing crops; it is recognized by black dots on the leaves, and in its developed form by brown spots.
Currant chlorosis invariably turns out to be a formidable opponent for gardeners. The infection manifests itself in the fact that in the last days of June or at the beginning of July, a sudden change in the color of the leaves begins. Initially green color becomes paler (lighter), then an admixture of yellowness appears. Gradually it grows and ends with complete yellowing of the foliage, up to a deathly white hue. The leaves change color very quickly, each change in tone occurs in a maximum of 10 days, and the end is always the same - early leaf fall.
Powdery mildew
Anthracnose
Chlorosis
Due to lack of nutrition, the fruits do not develop enough. And even those berries that can be collected are small in size. There may be problems with planting the crop for next year. In trees affected by chlorosis, the tops of young shoots dry out first.
Moving further, the lesion covers the shoots and moves to the main branches. It is noted that with chlorosis, currants live 2-3 times less than a healthy plant. She suffers much more from freezing in winter. After all, many times less accumulates in the tissues of the tree. nutritional components than is required to overcome the frosty period. You can expect the appearance of chlorosis due to factors contributing to it, such as:
- prolonged drought;
- flooding of gardens;
- excessive concentration of lime in the ground;
- long-term lack of organic fertilizers and the associated depletion of the fertile layer;
- deficiency or even total depletion of easily digestible forms of iron;
- poisoning with various substances.
But suppose there were no floods in the garden, the weather was not dry, there was enough fertilizer and farmers did not abuse pesticides. However, it is likely that chlorosis may occur due to other factors. Thus, the ingress of toxic substances from industrial emissions, high rise of soil water or the use of obviously incompatible vaccinations is sufficient. Another source of the problem is the excessive introduction of chicken droppings.
The difficulty is that it is impossible to conduct a comprehensive investigation every time with the involvement of chemists, biologists and experienced agronomists. Even soil analysis, a seemingly ordinary matter, costs thousands of rubles. For ordinary summer residents, such an amount is unaffordable. There is still a way out: train your powers of observation and learn to understand what exactly happened based on visual manifestations. Leaves turning yellow throughout the shoot are the result of soil oxygen deficiency.
Sometimes it is provoked by the farmers themselves. Currants love water moderately, but they mindlessly water it, leading to flooding. But in some cases, the root cause is stubborn cyclones that bring rain or torrential downpours. There is only one result: almost all the air has been forced out of the ground. It is extremely difficult to do anything in such a situation, so we can only count on a more successful next season.
When the weather is good but long time no organic matter was added, the likely primary source of chlorosis is the absence of worms or their migration to more favorable areas. These invisible diggers build kilometers of tunnels that facilitate access to oxygen and water. The absence of such passages, together with a limited amount of humus, creates a lot of problems. There is no way to quickly “close the issue.” First you have to add organic fertilizers with a reserve, then loosen the soil so that it remains scattered to the depth of the fork entry.
The garden or vegetable garden will have to be kept moist for some time. This is exactly what farmers do when they decide to radically break with the erroneous course of action and make amends for their plantings. If yellowing of the foliage is noticeable on the shoots from bottom to top, the most likely culprit is poor nitrogen nutrition. But the movement of yellowness in the opposite direction immediately reveals a lack of iron. Experienced farmers will immediately tell by yellowing between the veins of the leaves: the earth has lost its supply of zinc.
A currant disease called septoria blight is purely infectious in nature. Its main foci cover the leaves; berries and shoots are much less often affected. Diseased leaves are distinguished by rounded or angular spots with a diameter of up to 0.3 cm. The initial color of the lesions is brown, soon their middle part turns white, while the perimeter is surrounded by a dark brown rim. A very powerful development of infection leads to the merging of spots and can even destroy the infected parts of the plant.
The appearance of black dots in the central parts of the lesions suggests a high intensity of the process. Berries and stems are also covered with separate spots of this kind. The first place to look for them is on the poles of the fruit and on the stalks. Septoria blight is caused by a fungus, so it most actively attacks currants and other plants in hot, wet weather. The threat is especially great in the second part of summer; it is facilitated by the onset of disease in plantings with unreasonably high density.
Septoria
Currant leaves become infected with septoria in the spring. The source of infection is spores released by fungal structures that have ripened on already diseased stems and fallen leaves. A characteristic feature of the infection is that the upper shoots suffer less and less often. Even with persistent struggle, the productivity of the bushes is likely to drop by 40, sometimes by 50%.
If you compare septoria with scab, you should immediately point out the insidiousness of the second disease. It is provoked not only by fungi, but also by actinomycetes and even bacteria. Under the influence of scab, leaves and underground parts, shoots and berries are affected, and productivity sharply decreases. It should be borne in mind that all types of plants affected by scab have a special appearance. A situation in which the disease would spread from potatoes to apple trees or berry crops is excluded. But the similarity of external manifestations, which allows us to give a common specific name for the disease, still attracts attention.
Sick plants have peeling skin. Both spots and pustules appear on them. The formation of warts and ulcers is likely. Strong activity of the pathogen leads to drying out and falling of leaves, disorganizing the movement of juices in the plant. Both the current and future harvests are at risk.
When the scab covers the flowers and buds, they also fall off, first losing their grace. If you try to save scabbed fruits, they easily begin to rot. Cracks in the peel are a convenient entry point for decomposing microorganisms. Gardeners who have planted currants should be wary of scab only under certain meteorological conditions. High humidity is critically important, without which the infection is almost unviable.
In spring, the fungus begins to act when the snow melts and the air warms up to about 12 degrees. In summer, scab actively develops if:
- dew often falls;
- there is systematically thick fog;
- It's raining heavily.
Farmers have the power to eliminate another risk factor: excessively dense planting. The danger is especially great when the rows are filled with herbaceous plants, which easily transfer spores from one tree to another. There is a growing danger of scab transfer in gardens whose owners do not bother species diversity. Infection of a currant bush directly by currants is quite likely, but it will be more difficult for a fungus to transfer a bridge from an apple tree to berry crops, say.
Another important point– immune characteristics of the variety, they can vary significantly. If the branches simply dry out, the blame should be primarily on harmful insects. Only when the assumption of their invasion is rejected does it make sense to look for pathology. Please note: diseases on red, black and white currants should be treated in approximately the same ways.
Glass rust is another type of fungal infection. External manifestation The disease is caused by the appearance of orange bubbles with a red tint on the leaves.
The transfer of fungal spores occurs due to gusts of wind, but initially they develop on sedge. Glass rust, like other fungal infections, requires wet weather to thrive. The name of the disease is given by the characteristic change in the color of the foliage. In the advanced phase of the disorder, it may disappear, and soon the same fate befalls the fruits. There is also columnar rust, the primary source of which is coniferous trees; this enemy attacks primarily black currants.
At first, you can only notice small spots of yellow color appearing in different places on the foliage. Below these spots correspond to orange pads. Leaf fall noticeably accelerates compared to the norm, and shoot development slows down. Currant bushes affected by columnar rust survive the winter much worse than healthy ones. Important: regardless of the reason that provokes the degradation of parts of the bush, it must be dealt with immediately.
Drying of shoots is a separate disease that appears more often on red and white currants than on the black variety. The disease is expressed in the rapid death of branches. Initially, the branches are covered with small orange dots, which are quite difficult to notice. But gradually the affected areas become larger and turn into brown protrusions. Once the spores mature, these projections will turn black.
Drying of shoots
Gray rot occurs due to the movement of spores by wind and rain. The source of infection is diseased branches and fruits degraded to the state of a mummy. A characteristic defect is brown spots on the foliage. What is important is that gray rot is often accompanied by mold and attacks primarily white currants. This concludes the list of dangerous fungal pathologies of shrubs.
Gray rot
Even worse than fungus viral infections, sometimes they end with the complete death of the plant. It is impossible in principle to get rid of harmful microorganisms. Terry, or in other words, reversion, deprives any chance of harvesting fruit. There is no currant disease that affects it worse. Terryiness begins to affect itself already at the flowering stage, so at this moment you need to carefully examine the petals and foliage.
Normally, currants grow leaves with five lobes, but if the plant is affected by doubleness, two lobes disappear. The end parts become sharp and elongated. There are fewer teeth at the edges, and each of them is larger than normal. An unusual darkening of the foliage is noted, and the characteristic currant aroma completely disappears. Differences from the norm also appear during flowering - it occurs several days later than required.
The inflorescences themselves are pitiful in appearance and oblong, painted in a dirty pink color, sometimes the green color remains. The formation of berries is excluded; the affected inflorescences will soon dry out. It should be borne in mind that there are no ways to combat terry.
Even when just one branch is sick, you need to get rid of the entire bush. Moreover, the greens have to be burned to prevent the spread of infection.
As for the striatal mosaic virus, its spread is due to:
- aphid damage;
- contact with ticks;
- grafting infected cuttings onto initially healthy bushes;
- pruning various plants without changing or disinfecting tools.
Sick plants are distinguished from the first days of June. The main veins of their foliage acquire a bright yellow color. Like other viral disorders, currant streak mosaic is incurable. The only way to fight is through prevention. When the plant does get sick, it is uprooted as soon as possible and set on fire. In the same place, the next attempt to grow currants is made in at least 5 years.
Alternaria blight is a serious fungal infection of currants, in which its leaves are covered with gray spots with a black tint. The disease affects the stalks and cuttings. Its crushing power hits foliage, berries, and green shoots. By the end of summer, currant bushes are covered with a strong, elastic coating; it is described as a brown olive film. The causative agent of Alternaria does not destroy red and black currants. However, the development of plants is suppressed, their branches ripen worse, and they can even freeze in winter. You shouldn’t count on a normal harvest either.
It is also important to know about the signs of cercospora blight, sometimes also called brown spot. It is characterized by chestnut-colored spots, the outer edge of which is bordered by a light stripe. Gradually, the growth of spots leads to the appearance of a continuous brown layer on the plate.
Phyllostictosis spotting is noticed first of all on outside leaf. With this disorder, small reddish spots appear. Later they lighten and acquire a dirty brownish tint. In severe cases of the disease, diseased parts of the leaf often fall off, leaving empty holes. Ascochyta blight infects black and red currants.
Any fungal spotting leads to:
- dying of foliage;
- unreasonably early leaf fall;
- freezing or drying out of young shoots;
- general deterioration of the bush’s resistance to cold;
- loss of productivity;
- poor taste of the collected berries.
With verticillium wilt, the vascular system is primarily affected. The mycelium threads tend to grow as quickly as possible. But since they occupy the vessels of the root, these canals become impenetrable and rot. No matter how much moisture the root obtains, no matter how fertile the soil, the surface part starves and suffers from thirst. The signs are predictable:
- yellow leaves;
- dried berries;
- quick death of the bush.
Verticillium wilt cannot be cured. All that remains for gardeners is to sigh sadly and destroy diseased plantings in the flames of a fire. Plus, it’s better to take care of prevention for next year.
Another thing is moniliosis, also known as fruit rot. Even those ignorant of agronomy and microbiology can recognize such a pathology. A sufficient basis for the diagnosis is lightening and flabbiness of the berries. Even these weak, puny fruits cannot stay on the branch in full. Some of them fall off and collapse to the ground before the time allotted by nature.
Each such berry must be collected and destroyed, because it is a time bomb.
Prevention
To protect currant bushes from various types of ailments, special spraying should be done. In the spring, Zircon works best. Repeated processing is also allowed, which must be done in the last days of August. An important measure preventative care behind the bushes there is autumn spraying. Urea is prepared for it by dissolving it in water in a proportion of 7%.
This preparation requires treating not only the bushes themselves, but also the ground underneath them. To further enhance protection, Zircon is used again - already in April. In the spring, before the buds swell, but after the end of severe cold, the currants are doused with boiling water. Its preventive properties will be higher when adding soda or potassium permanganate. These reagents do an excellent job against fungal infections and spider mites.
An important preventive measure is compliance with the principles of crop rotation and acceptable proximity. To reduce the threat of infection by viruses (we repeat, all of them are incurable), it is necessary to combat infestations of aphids and mites. Careful selection of planting material is of great importance. In case of cold, damp weather, shelter can sometimes help. Complete drainage orchard accelerates water removal and also slightly reduces the risk of waterlogging during heavy rainfall.
Prevention of powdery mildew necessarily implies optimization of doses of nitrogen fertilizing applied directly under the bushes. Excessive volume leads to an increased risk of disease. If part of the plantings are affected by anthracnose, its further spread can be stopped by thoroughly removing fallen leaves. It must be disposed of and is not suitable as a fertilizer. Do not replant or graft individual parts of diseased plants.
Agrotechnical prevention of currant diseases includes:
- planting seedlings with the root collars extending 30-50 mm and cutting off the shoots (a maximum of 2 or 3 buds should remain above the surface);
- regular watering;
- rational mulching;
- replacing bushes that have lived for 7 years with younger plants;
- normal annual pruning;
- digging between rows in the fall;
- treating all damage, regardless of their origin, with garden varnish;
- usage wood ash for supplementation under bushes (this saturates the bush with phosphorus and potassium, while simultaneously strengthening immunity to powdery mildew).
Infusion turns out to be a strong prophylactic agent cow dung. 5 kg of it is filled with water to the very edge of the bucket and placed in a warm place for 2-3 days. Next, dilute a couple of liters of the prepared composition with 10 liters of clean water. You can dilute it either in a bucket or in a watering can. But apply only by watering on the foliage from a watering can.
Preparation of celandine infusion is also possible using cut branches and flowers of the plant. They fill a regular bucket (rated at 10 liters) to the middle. After adding water, wait from 2 to 4 hours. Then you can immediately treat the currant bushes. This procedure will not directly protect against diseases, but it will destroy aphids and mites that climb into the kidneys. Namely, these organisms are responsible for the spread of many infections.
In some cases, a good preventative measure is the use of onion or garlic infusion. 1 fruit pour 1 liter of water room temperature and placed in a warm place for a week. If the room is quite heat, you can reduce the exposure time to 5 days. Direct preparation consists of diluting 20 g of solution in 10 liters of water. This infusion is effective not only against fungi and microbes, but also in the fight against aphids and mites.
You can prevent anthracnose by choosing varieties that are resistant to it: “Chulkovskaya”, “Victoria” or “Schedruya” currants. But even the seedlings of these plants are subject to careful selection. Before planting, they are dipped for 5-6 minutes in a weak (1%) solution of copper sulfate and washed in clean water. Planting is recommended only where currants have never grown before. Getting close to trees and using low-lying areas is categorically unacceptable.
When currants are treated or solutions are applied for preventive purposes, it is very important that they get on the entire bush. We must not forget that the bottom edge of the sheet also needs protection or help. You can prevent infection with goblet rust by removing sedge from the area and avoiding planting currants wherever they grow. You should also abandon the idea of growing this shrub in wetlands. Even if marshiness is moderate, it provides favorable conditions for infection.
Preventing columnar rust generally requires the same approach as controlling anthracnose. The only specific measure is feeding with mixtures containing zinc and copper sulfate. It is also worth using potassium nitrate and superphosphate. Ammonium nitrate is undesirable in this case. From comparatively resistant varieties agronomists recommend “Chulkovskaya” berries.
Traditional methods
Treatment with boiling water in some cases helps to preserve currants no worse than proprietary factory products. It is necessary to water the bushes and the ground around them evenly with hot water. To make the work more efficient, it is worth mixing potassium permanganate into boiling water. Immediately after completion of the treatment, pruning is carried out, and the old leaves and old mulch must be removed. The use of Bordeaux mixture is also useful, but boiling water itself often helps to preserve the health of the bushes, especially if there are no special reasons for alarm.
It should be borne in mind that boiling water is not suitable for treating bushes. It is worth waiting a while and letting the water cool. Before starting processing, it is recommended to tie the branches together. If the plant has already “come to life”, even only in a small part, you cannot water it: you need to try to catch it between the start of warming and the formation of a green bud on the bush. Another option is to use boiling water in the winter, as soon as the leaves fall.
Treatment with colloidal sulfur can bring good results. This composition is used in the form of a suspension at a concentration of 0.5%. Shrubs are processed five times per season. It is first done before flowering, and then the composition is used immediately after flowering. Then they take breaks of 10 and 20 days. The final blow to the infection is delivered when the crop is harvested.
Prepare the suspension as follows:
- take 50 g of sulfur powder;
- diluted to some extent warm water to make a paste;
- add water in small portions, achieving a total volume of liquid of 10 liters.
The use of celandine helps support treatment with synthetic drugs or even replace them altogether. It simultaneously attacks microorganisms and pests visible to the naked eye. To prepare a liquid preparation, 4 kg of fresh crushed shoots or 1 kg of dried green mass are usually used. Such raw materials are poured with 10 liters of water and kept under a lid in a warm room for 36 hours, then filtered. The same infusion also helps a lot in protecting gooseberries. Another option involves using powder obtained from dried shoots of celandine: you need to dust the bushes with this powder.
Fighting methods
You should not take currant pathologies lightly. The approach to dealing with them varies greatly depending on the current season. The plant needs to be treated as early as possible in the spring. Then it is possible to get ahead of the awakening of both the kidneys and aggressive microorganisms and the pests that carry them. In some cases, they begin to fight before the snow cover melts.
The very first step is to closely inspect the plants and remove any dead branches. Along with them, you will have to remove everything that has been damaged by frost, ice or snow movement. The longer this procedure is delayed, the higher the risk of problems.
Currant plantings deserve exceptional attention in the fall. Since the harvest is completely harvested, you can use any means you like without being particularly embarrassed by their harmful effects. But at the same time, of course, we must not forget about our own safety.
Watering currant bushes with boiling water in the fall is a useless exercise, because microorganisms and pests hidden in the buds are inaccessible to it.
Before treatment or prevention in the autumn months, pruning must be carried out. It is even easier for plants to experience than in the spring, because seasonal dormancy sets in and stress decreases. It is recommended to combine “business with pleasure”: since the opportunity has come to perform sanitary pruning, why not form a crown at the same time and thin it out. All shoots of the sixth and subsequent years must be removed. You still won’t get berries from such parts, but they become a fertile base for infection.
As soon as pruning is completed, the bush should be sprayed with a solution of karbofos or colloidal sulfur. Their concentration is 2% and 1%, respectively. Such compositions must be applied not only to the bushes themselves, but also to the areas adjacent to them. Only after spraying is completed against the backdrop of dry autumn is watering done before winter. Regardless of the humidity, the circle around the trunk is covered with a fresh layer of organic mulch, taking measures to prevent infected plants and their parts from getting there.
Anthracnose infection, according to agronomists, is worse than an aphid invasion. It's rare to beat him in one season. When symptoms are noticed in the fall, it is worth postponing treatment measures until spring. When the snow melts, use hot water.
But with a summer infection, delaying help for several months means significantly worsening the situation. It is recommended to immediately spray all sick currants with Bordeaux mixture, and cut off and burn the directly affected parts.
As already mentioned, no methods have been developed to combat terry. There are only general recommendations for prevention:
- sanitary pruning in early spring;
- removing immediately after it even single old leaves;
- treating shrubs with boiling water;
- systematic weeding.
Among the drugs used to combat currant diseases, Bordeaux mixture is very useful. It effectively suppresses different kinds spotting, rust and anthracnose. The same liquid helps to avoid illness. The standard schedule involves processing immediately upon completion of flowering, then with a pause of 10 days. The last planned pass is made when all the berries are removed; Of course, when symptoms of damage appear, it is necessary to treat the plantings outside the schedule.
Preparing a solution of Bordeaux mixture most often involves diluting it to 1%. For this purpose, take 0.1 kg of copper sulfate and 0.15 kg of quicklime. First, the vitriol is dissolved in 3 liters of water. The same volume is used for slaking lime, while taking well-known precautions. When both manipulations have been completed, the vitriol is poured into the lime, mixed thoroughly, filtered through a metal sieve and water is added to make 10 liters.
A good replacement for Bordeaux mixture is a solution of copper oxychloride (at a concentration of 0.3%) or systemic fungicides. As for the fight against anthracnose, the same Bordeaux mixture is used at a concentration of 1%. And of the synthetic compounds, “Phytodoctor” is recommended. When using it, you must not deviate from the instructions. When goblet rust appears, it is advisable to use phytosporin.
Returning to powdery mildew, it is worth emphasizing that some experts believe that the best option for combating it is the use of iron sulfate. 10 g of this reagent is dissolved in 30 liters of water. Such spraying should be done immediately after flowering. Then it is repeated 2 or 3 times, with a pause of 10 days. From natural mixtures, an infusion of humus helps. It is prepared by taking 1 part of the substance and 2 parts of water; it takes 2 days to infuse the drug.
If powdery mildew has completely taken over an individual shoot, it will definitely have to be cut off and destroyed. A similar approach is used for nectric drying. All cutting points should be lubricated with garden varnish. Suppression of gray mold is achieved through the use of fungicides.
However, you need to have time to use them before the fruits form. The best option is to act when the plants are blooming.
See the video below for all about diseases and treatment of currants.
