The Siberian Federal University (SFU) has improved the method of protecting potatoes from fungal diseases using fungicides. Scientists have found the optimal “packaging” for them from birch sawdust, which allows the drugs in the soil to act more effectively.
Siberian Federal University biotechnologists have developed granules 5-7 mm in size into which the fungicide is placed. Once in the soil, it is released in microdoses to provide a long-lasting protective effect on the root system and potato tubers.
The granules contain poly-3-hydroxybutyrate and crushed birch sawdust. They are shaped like small wood pellets. The choice of material is due to the fact that, unlike clay or peat, sawdust absorbs moisture. The granule made from them breaks down slowly, gradually releasing the fungicide into the soil.
As Svetlana Prudnikova, professor of the Department of Biotechnology at Siberian Federal University, noted, the invented method is accessible, economical and simple. Fungicide granules are applied once and continue to act throughout the growing season, until harvest.
Tests of the new method were carried out in laboratory conditions and at a pilot site in the Sukhobuzimsky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. As a result, the potatoes showed early germination, and the level of pathogen damage did not exceed 10%. The weight of the resulting tubers turned out to be 30% more, and the increase in yield varied from 60 to 70%.
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