In viticulture, a healthy condition of the bushes plays an important role in obtaining a good harvest. To do this, they must be sprayed with special solutions. Processing of grapes with copper sulfate is carried out to destroy pathogens of various diseases.
Processing of grapes with copper sulphate
Features of use
You can spray grapes with copper sulphate for the winter, spring and summer. Due to its composition, the solution is able to destroy insect pests and parasite fungi that provoke diseases. It is recommended to be used not only in the presence of problems with the vineyard, but also for the prevention of diseases.
It is believed that spraying bushes with copper sulfate in the spring is dangerous. This is due to the fact that some substances of the solution are able to accumulate in the soil, worsening its fertile qualities and reducing the yield of vineyards.
If you follow the rules for the use of the drug specified in the instructions, and adhere to the recommended doses and proportions of the solution, you can avoid problems and get a quality crop.
After studying the properties of copper sulfate, drugs were developed against parasites and diseases with a wide spectrum of action, which retained all the qualities of the substance, but less toxic.
Advantages and disadvantages
The use of copper sulfate for grapes has both positive and negative sides.
The advantages of the solution:
- the chemical is readily available for sale;
- the price of the drug is relatively low;
- fungicide has a wide spectrum of action;
- copper sulfate actively destroys the fungus;
- the product is intended for the treatment of diseases and their prevention.
The disadvantages of the solution:
- high toxicity;
- the ability of a substance to accumulate in soil, plants and fruits;
- the properties of the drug have not been improved for a long time.
The disadvantages of copper sulfate should also include possible burns of leaves and roots. They appear if the drug is diluted incorrectly. Despite this, the processing of grapes with copper sulfate is still carried out: it has been tested for decades and its price category is very affordable, which is of great importance when owning large vineyards.
Recommendations for use
Fungicide is poorly combined with top dressing, because, getting into the soil, it destroys not only bacteria and fungi, but also useful trace elements contained in the soil. Any organic fertilizers applied to the soil as top dressing almost completely lose their properties when interacting with lime and copper sulfate, so it is better to process grapes with copper sulfate a week or a week after fertilizing.
Spraying is best done after watering.
Also, it is not recommended to spray with a fungicide before watering the bushes: there is a possibility that the water will wash off the solution from the leaves. For the substance to work, it must be on the plant for at least a day, especially after removing the bush from the shelter.
Undesirable treatment with a pure solution of grape cuttings: they are too sensitive to this chemical. For them, it is better to use a 4% solution prepared in proportions of 40 g of substance per 1 liter of water. There is another treatment option: dip the cuttings in a liquid for 15 seconds.
Comparison of copper and iron sulfate
Iron sulfate is less toxic and cheaper. Its advantage is that it gives iron to the grape bushes, which is involved in oxidative and energy metabolism and promotes the formation of chlorophyll. Iron sulfate is used as a fertilizer and as a remedy for pests and fungal diseases. However, its insecticidal properties are not as active as those of copper sulfate.
After processing the vineyard with iron sulfate in the spring, the buds open a few days later. Its use makes sense during the period of frost, in order to prevent the death of the kidneys.
The rules for preparing the solution
A solution of copper sulfate is also called Bordeaux liquid. To prepare it, you will need 100 g of copper sulfate, 10 l of water, lime. The suspension is easy to prepare: vitriol is dissolved in warm water, lime is mixed separately with water to make milk of lime, after which the previously obtained solution is added to it.
Components must be bred in plastic or stainless buckets / containers. Do not use metal utensils.
To determine whether a quality solution is obtained, pay attention to its color. A light blue shade of the liquid means that the suspension is prepared correctly, and green says that the solution is too acidic. To reduce the acidity level, another portion of milk of lime is added to it.
Acidity is checked by dipping a new iron nail into the liquid: if after some time a deposit appears on it, the acidity level is increased.
The solution retains its properties for 24 hours, after which irreversible chemical reactions occur in it. They should be treated with vineyards 1-3 hours after preparation.
Vineyard processing times
Usually, grapes are sprayed with copper sulfate in early spring, when there are still no leaves, ovaries and young vines on the bushes, or in autumn, after harvesting.
The timing of processing grapes with this fungicide depends on the regions and climatic features. In the south, spraying is performed in mid-March, because at this time the vine is already starting to grow, or after October (then it is better to use a 3% solution prepared in a proportion of 300 g of substance per 10 liters of water).
In the northern regions, the process is carried out taking into account the weather and the time of extraction of the bush from the shelter. It is better to process grapes until the first greens appear. If you spray a bush on which there are already leaves, there is a risk of burning them.
The second time it is better to process the bushes with 1% Bordeaux liquid: it is less acidic and is safe for swollen buds and first flowers.
Before processing grapes with copper sulphate, you need to carefully inspect the bushes for pests and infected leaves and be sure to remove them. It is especially important to do this in the spring, since in winter some pests hide under the vine and on the back of the leaves. Before spraying the grapes, dig the soil lightly under it and use the acceptable concentration rate so as not to damage the root.
In summer, it is forbidden to use the fungicide in its pure form, because at this time the hands begin to appear and the berries ripen. The use of Bordeaux fluid is allowed a month before the harvest.
Conclusion
More and more often, farmers prefer processing grapes with copper sulphate, because this fungicide effectively fights pests and fungal diseases. In order for such treatment to be safe for plants, it is important to observe the proportions when preparing the solution and the dose when processing the bushes. It is also worth sticking to the recommended timing of the procedure, so as not to harm the young leaves.
