Fungal diseases in crops can be devastating for agricultural productivity, leading to significant losses in yield and quality. Farmers around the world are constantly battling fungal pathogens that can cause rotting, wilting, and discoloration, and in extreme cases, render entire harvests unfit for consumption. Whereas chemical treatments are generally used to control these attacks, most farmers today are seeking natural and more environmentally friendly crop protection methods that can protect crops without causing damage to the environment.
In this blog, we shall discuss the effective natural means of preventing and controlling fungal attacks on crops with special emphasis on biofertilizers from Kibbutz Group, which will help kill fungi naturally and support healthy and environmentally friendly farming practices.
Understanding Fungal Infections in Crops
Fungi grow well in warm, moist conditions and multiply rapidly in such situations. Fungal diseases can be prevalent in most crops, from fruits to vegetables and grains to tubers. Some of the common fungal diseases are as follows:
- Powdery Mildew – white powdery fungal growth on leaves, stems, flowers
- Rust—orange or reddish-brown pustules present on the leaves, stems, and fruits
- Downy Mildew—caused by a fungal infection; it causes yellowing with wilting in leaves
- Root Rot—primarily due to soilborne fungi attacking roots, causing death of the plant
- Blight—rapid decay, especially of leaves and fruits, often causing massive yield losses.
The spores of fungal diseases can spread from contaminated soil, infected seeds, water, wind, and even contaminated farming tools. Farmers need to take precautions beforehand to maintain their crops health to avoid costly consequences of infection with fungal diseases.
Natural Methods to Prevent Fungal Infections in Crops
1. Crop Rotation and Diversification
Crop rotation is one of the simplest yet most effective methods for preventing fungal diseases. Rotating crops each season breaks the fungal life cycle. Fungal pathogens tend to thrive on specific crops, so by planting different types of crops each year, the chances of fungal buildup in the soil decrease. This method also improves the health of the soil by letting it rest and replenish its nutrients.
In addition to crop rotation, the diversification of crops types on a farm also prevents buildup of specific fungal pathogens. Different crops have different resistances to fungi, so plant diversity can also minimize the threat of infection occurring throughout the crops.
2. Maintain Proper Spacing Between Plants
Crowding plants too close to each other creates a microclimate that fosters fungi. Crops should not be crowded since proper spacing between them allows enough air circulation to reduce moisture formation on the surface of the plant. This would limit fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and blight.
3. Use Organic Mulching
Mulching is one of the most natural ways for retaining moisture, regulating temperature, and suppressing weeds in the soil. It prevents water from splashing onto the plant’s leaves, thereby avoiding spreading fungal spores. Organic mulches like straw, grass clippings, or compost can best prevent the formation of fungi in the soil while enhancing overall health.
4. Use Tricho Prilles to Grow Healthier Crops
It’s a granular biofungicide from Kibbutz Group called Tricho Prilles that will combat fungal diseases in soils. It has the advantage of preventing infections of injurious fungi like Fusarium and Pythium, besides keeping the plant health higher and crop yield more productive.
Tricho fungi strengthen the root system and increase nutrient uptake, thus leading to healthier and more productive plants. It can be used as a seed treatment, soil application, or root dip at the time of transplanting, ensuring that your crops grow healthy in a disease-free environment.
5. Improve Soil Health with Natural Fertilizers
Healthy soil is one of the primary preventions for fungal diseases in crops. Biofertilizers such as Kibbutz’s Symborhiza Mycorrhizal Biofertilizer can help increase the resistance power of the soil against fungal infection. Symbiorhiza contains vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi, which have a symbiotic relationship with the roots of plants, allowing them to absorb nutrients better and promoting better plant health. Through strengthening the root of the plants, Symborhiza helps them grow stronger and resistant to fungal attacks.
Moreover, the symbiotic fungi of Symborhiza increase soil structure and support a beneficial ecosystem of microbes that compete with harmful pathogens for growth.
6. Use Kibbutz’s Kora Liquid Fermented Organic Manure
Another great product of Kibbutz Group, Kora Liquid Fermented Organic Manure induces the healthy growth of plants while preventing fungal infections. Enhancing soil fertility and producing friendly organisms in the soil, it creates an environment where fungi cannot survive.
Kora remains to enhance the resistance levels of plants to diseases and particularly fungal diseases. Increasing tiller formation through the action of Kora gives room for healthy and productive crops from planting throughout their development cycle.
7. Proper Irrigation Practices
One common mistake that results in fungal diseases in crops is overwatering. Excess moisture on the soil surface favors the growth of fungi, particularly root rot pathogens. Proper irrigation practices should, therefore, be adopted to avoid fungal infections.
Drip irrigation is more efficient than overhead watering because it delivers water directly to the root zone of the plant, keeping the soil surface dry and preventing fungal growth. Moreover, irrigation in the morning allows crops to dry before nightfall, thus reducing the time spent in damp conditions.
8. Pruning and Removing Infected Plant Parts
Inspect your crops regularly for fungal infections, like discoloration or wilting leaves. Once you notice the infection, you remove and dispose of the infected area to avoid further spread of the fungus. Removing infected parts from plants improves airflow, reducing the humidity surrounding the plants.
The removal of the lower parts of plants, which are more prone to fungal growth, can prevent or reduce fungal growth in farms.
9. Natural Fungicide Sprays
Several natural elements that are also quite viable and produce good-quality, home-brew fungicide spray for crops are listed here. There include;
- Neem Oil. Among its well established antifungal and antibacterial qualities neem oil ranks well at the list of all types of homemade potent pesticides because their strong formulation spray directly prevents even cure fungi-infestation.
- Baking Soda Solution: A combination of baking soda and water changes the pH in the plant’s surface, so it becomes adverse to fungal spores.
- Garlic and Ginger Spray: This is a concoction of water and garlic/ginger and has antifungal properties to act as an organic fungicide.
These sprays may control surface fungal infections effectively but would need to be reapplied periodically, especially after rainfall or irrigation.
Conclusion
Fungal diseases pose a major threat to crop health and agricultural productivity. However, natural methods in conjunction with eco-friendly products like those of Kibbutz’s biofertilizers can be quite effective in preventing and controlling fungal infections without harmful chemicals. Indeed, there are various sustainable ways to keep your crops healthy and fungus-free: some through better soil health, some through irrigation improvements, and some through beneficial microorganisms.
Products such as Symborhiza Mycorrhizal Biofertilizer, Tircho prill, and Kora Liquid Fermented Organic Manure from the Kibbutz Group can help farmers protect crops from fungal diseases while providing high-quality yield and quality crop production. Such natural farming practices help protect your crops from the threat of fungal infection while fostering a healthier, more sustainable agriculture system.
With these natural and effective methods, every farmer can ensure long-term success and sustainability of their crops while safeguarding the environment for future generations.
FAQs
Q- 1. How can I identify fungal infections in my crops?
Ans- Fungal infection signs manifest as yellowing of leaves and fuzzy or powdery growth on plants, or dark spots appearing on leaves or fruit. Crops may rot in extreme cases.
Q- 2. How do Kibbutz biofertilizers help prevent fungal diseases?
Ans- Kibbutz biofertilizers such as Symborhiza,Tircho prill, improve plant immunity that prevents healthy root and soil microorganisms, thus preventing the crops from attacking fungal infections.
Q- 3. Does crop rotation prevent fungal diseases?
Ans- Crop rotation does reduce the fungal buildup in soil as different crops are planted each season and disrupt their life cycle for fungi.
Q- 4. Are natural fungicides safe for crops?
Ans- Natural fungicides such as neem oil and baking soda are safe when applied correctly but must be applied with caution to avoid harming beneficial insects.
5. How often should I apply biofertilizers and fungicides?
Ans- Biofertilizers are mostly applied once or twice a season, while the natural fungicide should be used every 7-14 days with increased frequency especially during humid periods.