Everyone will shortly be gearing up for seedbed.
It is important to remember many of your fungal and bacterial diseases start in the seedbeds and is transported into the lands. Fighting disease in the seedbeds is much cheaper than trying to control it in the lands.
When using Metham Sodium (100mls in 4lts per m2) remember to bring site up to just under field capacity (If it is at 100% field capacity the Metham sodium won’t be able to penetrate). Beds should only be sown 3 to 4 weeks after application. It is also a good idea to rip the site before making up the beds just to make sure you get rid of any gas still in the soil. Also, remember that if you are using a grass mulch, to fumigate that too. Maguires has fumigation tents in stock!
Firstly, hygiene is very important to eliminate disease. Maguires has Germoll-S which is a broad spectrum, multi-purpose disinfectant. Germoll-S highly effective against a number of pathogenic organisms including bacteria, antibiotic resistant bacteria, viruses, moulds, fungi and mildew. It should be used for cleaning; hands, shoes and all tools uses in the beds.
For Fungal diseases I would suggest using Azoxy Duo (dual active ingredient of Azoxystrobin & Difenoconazole) from 2 weeks after germination. Mix 200mls Azoxy Duo in 10lts water. Apply 2lt/108m2 for first 2 sprays and 4lts/108m2 for second 2 sprays. After 4 applications of Azoxy Duo change to spraying with Mancozeb or Bravo. Mix 100g Mancozeb in 10lts water. Apply 2lt/108m2 for first 2 sprays and 4lts/108m2 for second 2 sprays and 6lts/108m2 for third 2 sprays. Mix 200mls Bravo in 10lts water and apply 2lt/108m2 for first 2 sprays and 4lts/108m2 for second 2 sprays and 6lts/108m2 for third 2 sprays.
For Pythium root rot in float beds mix 0.125g Ridomyl Gold to every liter of pond water. If you get any Pythium root rot mix 15mls Azoxy Duo in 75lts water and apply over 72 tray floatbed.
For you bacterial disease start spraying Copper Oxychloride at 3 weeks after germination. Mix 300g in 10lts water. Apply 2lt/108m2 for first 2 sprays and 4lts/108m2 for second 2 sprays and 6lts/108m2 for third 2 sprays. Also spray with Copper Oxychloride after every clipping. Make sure to clean your clippers with Germoll-S (whilst clipping) to avoid spread of disease.
I also recommend doing 2 sprays of Bion. Mix 120g Bion in 100lts water, first application apply 40mls mixture per m2 at 7 weeks after sowing and second application at 60mls mixture per m2 at 9 weeks. This will help the plant to build up a resistant to fight disease.
Maguires also has early seedbed tents and nappy liner for early protection against the weather.
Once you have pulled your early beds for your irrigated and you intend to use the left over seedlings for further pullings, it is very important to continue your fungal and bacterial sprays and do a further spray of Bion to stop infections from the first pulling.
Hope this helps you on your Seedbed Journey! Please get in touch for any further assistance.
Sean Price
