DIY Trichoderma
Content:
It's no secret that if you neglect the rules of caring for plants, you should not expect a large and high-quality harvest, abundant fruiting and active flowering of crops. Plants have many enemies in the face of bacteria, pests and other pathogens of various diseases. These pests live everywhere. They hibernate underground, take refuge in all kinds of suitable shelters. And in any appropriate case, they attack plants, attacking the weakest, unprotected specimens. In our article we will talk about such a drug as Trichoderma and the concept of “Trichoderma at home”.
Trichoderma at home. Description of the drug
Currently, a large number of different drugs are produced, which are aimed at combating a variety of pests or pathogenic microorganisms. The most popular here are natural remedies that are based on natural ingredients and do no harm to plants, animals or people.
In addition, they are harmless to beneficial insects, pollinators and other living creatures. One of these drugs is Trichoderma Veride. This is a biological preparation, the main ingredient of which is a fungus that settles in the soil and feeds on the very pathogenic microbes. And also by the products of their vital activity, thereby greatly disrupting their quality of life.
The organism of Trichoderma is a mold that has pronounced green spores. This microorganism perfectly destroys all pathogenic microflora around it. At the same time, without harming the plants themselves, the fruits at all. And accordingly, to animals and people. The drug has no tendency to accumulate in the soil. Therefore, it is environmentally friendly.
Application area
This drug is very effective against many other fungal diseases.
The fungus significantly interferes with the normal functioning of other fungi, which damage the cultivated culture.
The tool has established itself as an effective, complex effect on any affected areas. It not only destroys harmful microorganisms, but also prevents them from actively growing and multiplying. A biological product is often used against many diseases, such as black leg, gray rot, peronosporia, Alternaria and others.
The drug actively fights against the emerging fungal diseases. He is able to prevent the development of these ailments at the very beginning of the disease. It also relieves the root system of the resulting rot. Therefore, it is logical to use this tool in any case when growing such vulnerable crops as tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and other plants.
If you use this drug in a timely manner, you can increase the yield of the plant by about half. And also to reduce the risks of fungal diseases in cultivated plants.
How to grow trichoderma at home: optimal temperature
The optimum temperature for the active life of the fungus is 20 degrees. The permissible temperature regime is from 10 to 30 degrees. Anything that exceeds these indicators disrupts the performance of the drug.And if the temperature exceeds 40 degrees, then the mushroom dies.
The mechanism of action of trichoderma
To investigate the mechanism of influence of the organism of Trichoderma on other fungal diseases, a special experiment was carried out. Here you can clearly see how the drug acts on pathogenic organisms, destroying them.
Trichoderma spores and spores of such a common fungal disease as gray rot were placed in a special vessel. The vessel was covered with a lid and placed in a dark place at above-zero temperature.
Thus, the spores grew mycelium within a week. Then, when the vessel was opened, they noticed that the spores of Trichoderma not only were able to stop the growth and development of the gray rot mycelium, but also grew and parasitized right on it. This experiment shows how effective the use of the drug is against many fungal diseases when growing crops vulnerable to them.
The active component of the drug "Trichodermin" in its composition contains live spores, mycelium, similar to a mushroom. This tool can be prepared by yourself. Not only is it fun, but it will save your budget substantially. Since a biological product is quite easy to make, and therefore you do not have to buy it in a store.
You can pre-prepare a lot of the drug and use it either one-time or by dividing several parts. Store the remaining solution in the refrigerator.
Trichoderma: growing at home. Mushroom cooking rules
Trichoderma is grown quite simply at home. In order to cook a fungal organism, you will need two types of cereals. Sanded and not sanded. Oatmeal, which is made from unpolished whole grains, works well. As the second experimental material, you can take, for example, polished pearl barley.
So you will have the opportunity to compare which type of grain will be more suitable for the manufacture of the drug. In which one the Trichoderma fungus grows and multiplies most quickly. And then buy the type of cereal that showed the best effect.
Pearl barley and oatmeal are thoroughly washed with water. It is worth paying special attention to this process, since it is necessary to wash off the starch contained in cereals. Then we soak the cereals in warm water for about a day so that the grains swell.
After that, it is necessary to steam the resulting material. You cannot cook the mixture, since we need exactly the raw material. The cereal is steamed in order to get rid of mold. And also from yeast spores, from mucor cells and other microorganisms that we do not need.
The groats should be poured into a glass jar or other container and placed in the microwave for ten minutes. This time will be enough for the grains and cans to be steamed.
When our grains are ready, we should begin to populate the trichoderma itself. The drug must be purchased at a specialized store. It is sold both in the form of a solution and in dry form.
If you bought the drug in powder form, then, according to the instructions, you should first dilute it. We need 50 grams of "Trichodermin" for each jar. Next, we close the jars with plastic lids and shake them well. This is done in order to thoroughly mix the fungus with the grain. Then the cover must be removed. Because, like any other creature, the fungus needs oxygen to maintain life.
The jar should only be covered with paper and wrapped around the neck with a string. Then we remove the cans in a dark but warm place so that the mushroom begins to multiply. In the process of growing, the Trichoderma fungi will feed on our grains. In two days we will see a white bloom appear on the grains. And then it will turn green and look like mold.When you see that the mycelium has completely covered all the grains, and its color has become a bright emerald color, then the preparation is ready for use.
Trichoderma at home - the result of research
As a result of the experience, you will notice that the mycelium spores have grown in both containers. This means that both polished and unpolished grains of any cereal are suitable for making homemade trichoderma. There is only a slight difference. In a jar with polished grains, the fungus has grown much more than in a jar with unpolished grains.
Therefore, it is only a matter of time. If the period for receiving the drug is not so important, then you can use unpolished cereals. If you need to get a lot of the drug in a short time, then you will have to spend money on polished cereals.
Thus, you will receive a whole half liter of the finished product, which is used in horticulture. Now you don't have to buy the product in the store. In addition, this home-made biological product can be used in several passes, when it will be necessary for the garden. The tool will always be at hand.
Storage rules for the drug
If you have not completely used up the entire prepared mixture, then you can store the product in the refrigerator for no more than three months. You can also freeze or even dry the fungi. This will not affect the life of the dispute.
Scope of homemade trichoderma
The prepared product can be used for various purposes. Its main purpose is to fight and prevent the appearance of fungi that are pathogenic for plants. Therefore, with the help of the drug, seeds of various crops are disinfected. Trichoderma grains can be added to the wells before planting.
You can make solutions with the addition of Trichoderma and treat plants for prophylactic purposes. You can water the plant with the prepared mixtures. Plants can be processed with trichoderma throughout the growing growing season of crops. Both for the purpose of prevention and in the event of a disease.
Duration of mycelium exposure
The drug has a fairly long exposure time. About a week to a month. The protection time will depend on the plant variety. From what stage of development the culture is. From weather conditions, from the soil and from the peculiarities of care. Here are how many factors affect the effect of the remedy. However, in any case, after a while, it is advisable to re-treat the plants.
Instructions for use
Any ready-made drug "Trichodermin", which can be purchased in the store, must be accompanied by instructions with the recommended dosage for certain purposes. Having studied these rules, you can safely apply them on your own preparation. Since they will be absolutely identical.
Usually, the drug is diluted at the rate of one glass of Trichoderma per bucket of water. This mixture should be infused for 12 hours. Then the mixture is filtered and the plants are treated with the resulting solution. This procedure will be effective against a large number of fungal diseases.
You should follow the instructions and do not exceed the concentration of the drug. Since an excessive amount of fungus can negatively affect the composition of the soil. Since it will suppress not only pathogenic microflora, but also useful. Which, in turn, will not be reflected in the best way on the plant itself. In addition, there are microorganisms that negatively affect the trichoderma itself.
Trichoderma copes well with many fungal diseases. It is beneficial to use the drug on your site both for the purpose of prevention and for active influence on the disease. Now you can prepare this excellent product yourself at home, saving your family budget.