Abstract
Effective pathogen management, as an aspect of agroecological crop protection (ACP) necessitates the replacement of copper (Cu) fungicides, but there is little knowledge relating to the performance of potentially suitable alternatives in large-scale, open-field agricultural settings. The present study was aimed at investigating the potential of Equisetum arvense (horsetail macerate) compared to Cu-based treatments for the control of Solanum lycopersicum. and Triticum turgidum ssp. durum fungal pathogens in established organic commercial farms located in Emilia Romagna (Italy) over a three-year period (2017–2019). Both the Cu-based and horsetail foliar sprays were routinely applied as preventative treatments and in the event of pathogen establishment as curative treatments. The Cu-based and horsetail macerate treatments were both equally effective at significantly reducing Phytophthora infestans (late blight) and increasing yield in tomato compared to the untreated control. For durum wheat, the horsetail macerate and Cu-based treatments were successful at significantly reducing Puccinia triticina (brown rust) infection and increasing yield under moderate infection, but unsuccessful under unfavorable meteorological conditions resulting in the combined and severe spread of Puccinia triticina, Fusarium graminearum, and Zymoseptoria tritici. From the present results, horsetail macerate is a promising and suitable Cu-free ACP alternative for late blight management of tomato.
Highlights
Agroecology, based on the convergence of the two disciplines agronomy and ecology, can broadly be defined as “the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems” [1]
Predisposing factors to the majority of plant fungal pathogens include cool, wet weather and for this reason the average monthly temperatures and cumulative rainfall patterns were monitored over the three-year period, with particular interest centered on the period between April and July, encompassing the entire tomato crop cycle and the final part of the durum wheat cycle, respectively
The present results demonstrated the efficacy of horsetail macerate as an Agroecological crop protection (ACP) Cu-free alternative for late blight management of tomato in organic agriculture
Summary
Agroecology, based on the convergence of the two disciplines agronomy and ecology, can broadly be defined as “the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems” [1]. Agroecology is central to the growing dispute between the role of conventional agriculture towards sustaining the rising world population and sustainable agriculture contesting deleterious effects of conventional or “industrial” agriculture [5,6,7]. In addition to botanical pesticides, biopesticides are permitted in ACP strategies and include the application of bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculants, or other fungi that can control deleterious organisms [12]. Both organic and agroecology approaches encompass more than pest management, this aspect is suggested to be a pivotal element in the future of sustainable agriculture [7]
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