Botrytis on vines: the worst travelling companion
Botrytis on vines is the worst travelling companion for the vine grower. The most ungrateful, unpleasant and sullen. Nobody wants to travel with it during the campaign because of the damage it does to the crop and, above all, because it can affect the entire grape cycle, with all the headaches that entails. If you are in this situation you should know that Fungisei is a highly effective biofungicide solution developed by Seipasa to prevent and control diseases such as botrytis on grapevines.
Grapevine botrytis occurs during periods of rain, mild temperatures (in the range of 17 - 23ºC) and high humidity. It is necessary to be very cautious and attentive during periods of prolonged wetness, as its presence is particularly sensitive at several critical moments, usually coinciding with the flowering and ripening of the grapes.
The Botrytis cinerea fungus of grapevine overwinters in the shoots, bark and buds of the vine. It is able to survive in decaying matter until it finds favourable conditions for its development and initiates infection.
It is also known as grey rot of the grapevine and shows very characteristic symptoms on leaves, shoots and bunches. It is the last of these where the symptoms are most visible and the damage is most pronounced, either in the form of brown spots on the inflorescences or on the most woody part of the bunch, or by the appearance of rotten berries with the presence of a kind of greyish mould during ripening.
When talking about botrytis in grapes, it is also necessary to look for wounds on the berries caused by insect or bird bites, as these facilitate the penetration of the fungus.
Fungicides for botrytis on vines
Despite the threat posed by grey rot on vines, early control of the disease is possible if we are able to combine all the tools at our disposal: application of treatments, fertilisation and cultural practices.
In all cases, the watchword must be prevention, i.e. do not wait until you are confronted with a botrytis infection in grapes to try to control it. In this respect, we recommend starting treatment at the flowering stage if we observe weather conditions that are sensitive to the development of the disease.
Fungisei is a microbiological fungicide developed by Seipasa that fits perfectly into this preventive strategy against botrytis on vines and table grapes. Graph 1 shows the percentage of bunch area damaged by the disease in its early stages. It shows how Fungisei stops the spread of infection without the need for chemical treatments.
Extrapolated to a real field experience, these results would mean a reduction in the final chemical load in the treatments. In other words, with Fungisei we have been able to control the progression of the disease, so that we would only use chemically synthesized active ingredients when necessary and in situations where the disease pressure is much higher.
Graph 1. Severity. % of bunch area infected by Botrytis cinerea in table grapes.
Within the same trial, Graph 2 evaluates efficacy on disease severity in table grape bunches. Again, the results show that Fungisei is as effective or more effective than the chemical reference in controlling botrytis infection at the early stage of disease development.
Graph 2: Efficacy on the severity of Botrytis cinerea infection in table grape bunches.
Fungisei is developed from a highly potent and pure strain of Bacillus subtilis, with an exclusive and patented formulation. The Furity technology that brings the product to life is expressed in a molecular structure capable of protecting the active ingredient, ensuring its stability and homogeneity, and maximising its efficacy once applied to the crop.
In both cases, Fungisei has been incorporated into a preventive strategy as soon as the environmental conditions that allowed the disease to develop are present, reducing the incidence and severity of botrytis.
In addition to its effectiveness, Fungisei is a tool that makes life easier for the grower. It is a liquid formula with excellent dissolution, solubility and integration. It does not separate into phases after a few hours in the preparation tank and has a very wide compatibility with other synthesis products and also with copper. In addition, Fungisei leaves no stains or residues on the fruit after treatment and has no safety period.
Cultural practices: treatments against botrytis on vines
Prevention also involves a series of measures aimed at reducing the disease’s scope as much as possible. In this respect, it is very important to plan the vineyard accordingly. We recommend creating spaces that allow air circulation, natural ventilation and light.
The operations that include green pruning are also essential to avoid excessive vigour in the vines, to obtain better ventilation and to facilitate the entry of treatments.
It is also necessary to remove and destroy the plant debris affected by the fungus in order to reduce the presence of the inoculum as much as possible. It is important at all costs to avoid traces from accumulating or remaining near the vine throughout its development.
In viticulture, as in life itself, we all want to travel in peace and in good company. To do this without the presence of the dreaded botrytis is to travel smoothly, without rushing, and to enjoy every stop. It is much better that way.
