Agro XP

Description:

The term mildew refers to a group of phytopathogenic fungi that causes diseases in plants. Mildew is also known as “powdery mildew” and as the disease spreads, the leaves curl up, necrotize and eventually fall off. The parts of the mycelium that contain the spores of the fungus emerge through the stomata of the plant. In good light it can readily be identified by the gray or purple felt like covering on the back of the leaves.

Visual Observation
Mildew is typically found on the upper side of the leaf, however, there are exceptions. One type of mildew that only grows on the underside of the leaf is called “downy mildew”. The leaf looks as if it has been dusted with powder.

Powdery Mildew vs Downy Mildew

Treatment & Prevention
Keep humidity low and your growing area clean. Use Agro XP as per instructions on the label referring to preventative protocol. The best treatment against these types of fungi is prevention; once they have set in and developed, they are very difficult to eradicate. Ideally, try to prevent spores coming in from elsewhere and contaminating your plants by keeping your growing area clean. You can do this by using only clean equipment and washing your hands thoroughly before entering.

Description:

Spider mites are more closely related to spiders. They are not insects and belong to a class called Arachnida. There are well over 1200 species of spider mite, of which more than a hundred can be considered as a pest, and about ten of those as a major pest. Spider mites affect many crops worldwide. The most well-known and problematic spider mite is Tetranychus urticae (common names include red spider mite and two-spotted spider mite). Their ability to reproduce extremely rapidly enables them to cause enormous damage in a short period of time. Spider mites have needle-like sucking mouthparts and they feed by penetrating the plant tissue with their mouthparts. Large populations can even cover entire plants with their web that are used to move around. Because spider mites are so small they can easily move through ventilators.

Visual Observation
Spider mites usually spin a silk webbing. When spider mites infest plant leaves, they damage the plant tissue leaving yellowing and dead spots that coalesce until the entire leaf is affected eventually. The leaf will turn yellow, wilt and finally shed. There are some varieties of mites that do not spin webs and live in the plants bud terminals, where the damage cannot be seen until the tip expands.

Treatment & Prevention

Use Agro XP as per label instructions. Spider mites also have several natural enemies that can be used to control the population. They can be used in conjunction with AgroGuard.

Description:

Whiteflies belong to the Aleyrodidae family, and can cause considerable damage and loss of production. The two species of whitefly that affect many crops are Bemisia tabaci (tobacco whitefly) and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (glasshouse whitefly). The main feature that distinguishes one from the other is the position of the wings. In the tobacco whitefly they are joined to the body. In the glasshouse whitefly they are parallel to the surface of the leaf. Additionally, the adult and pupa of the glasshouse whitefly usually have a greater quantity of waxy powder than the tobacco whitefly

Visual Observation

Discolored patches on the parts of the leaf where the insects have been feeding.

Treatment & Prevention

Controlling whiteflies is very important in order to prevent the crop from being infected by a virus that the insects may be carrying. Use Agro XP as per label instructions.