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The process of growing crops requires constant attention. This is due to the plants’ needs for light, moisture and nutrients. But often gardeners still have to deal with infections of fungal origin, which bring a lot of trouble. It is not always possible to cope with the disease immediately, so gardeners prefer to use preventive measures. Modern drugs that can protect plants from pathogenic microflora provide great assistance in this matter. These products include fungicides. In this article we will look at the action and detailed instructions for using the fungicide “Luna Tranquility”. This is an innovative development by Bayer for farmers or private owners.
With the help of the drug it is easy to control the spread of fungal diseases of vegetable and fruit crops - spotting, scab, rust, rot diseases. To make it easier to understand the benefits of not only Luna Tranquility, but also the drugs of the entire Luna® family, let’s take a closer look at fungicides.
Classification and properties of fungicides
Fungicides are intended to prevent and treat fungal diseases on plants. “Fungicide” is translated as a compound word consisting of two parts – mushroom (“fungus”) and kill (“caedo”).Substances with a fungicidal effect are:
- chemical origin (inorganic);
- biological origin (organic).
The first group includes compounds of elements such as manganese, potassium, iron, nickel, mercury, copper, and sulfur. In the second group, there are no heavy metals among the components, and therefore decomposes over time due to the action of living microorganisms. Organic fungicides have a significant advantage over synthetic ones in their environmental friendliness and ease of preparation. In addition, biological preparations combine well with many other pesticides, while chemical ones cannot always be combined with drugs of another group. The disadvantage of biological fungicidal compounds is their rapid decomposition time. After a few days they are already destroyed, leaving no traces of their use in the soil.
Fungicides are classified according to their mode of action. They serve for:
- Prevention or protection of plants. Such drugs prevent infection of the crop by pathogens.
- Treatments. This group destroys fungi already at the plant infection phase.
But there are combination drugs that combine both types of effects on pathogenic fungi. Such broad-spectrum fungicides include the drug “Luna Tranquility”.
Description and properties of the drug
According to its intended purpose, the Luna fungicide is used to control a very wide range of fungal diseases. It is used in areas where vegetables, fruits and berries and even ornamental plants are grown. It has not only a preventive, but also a healing effect.
The instructions for use of the Luna pesticide indicate that the drug is a systemic fungicide.This means that its use is advisable both during the period of an already developed infection and to prevent the onset of the disease. The advantages of systemic drugs over contact ones can be distinguished by their mode of action on pathogens:
Contact agents remain on the surface of the plant, their action is based on the defeat of pathogens upon contact. If it rains after treatment, the effect of the contact preparation is reduced. Systemic ones, which include the drug “Luna Tranquility,” penetrate the plant. They then move away from the treatment area and work in remote locations to destroy the pathogenic infection.
When using systemic drugs, frequent treatments are not required. Therefore, the number of applications is reduced compared to contact ones. This is indicated in the instructions attached to the Luna Tranquility fungicide. If you carry out treatments at the recommended phase of plant development, fungal diseases will bypass your area.
Advantages and disadvantages of a systemic drug
Based on the instructions for use and reviews of the drug “Luna Tranquility”, you can make a list of the advantages of the systemic fungicide:
- It is active against fungi of different classes, for example, deuteromycetes (Deuteromycóta), ascomycetes (Ascomycota), basidiomycetes (Basidiomycota) and nematodes.
- The active substance (pyrimethanil) is highly active in the gas phase.
- Due to the fact that the fungicide contains two active ingredients, pathogens do not become accustomed to its action. This is very important, because fungicides have to be changed during the growing season to get a good effect.
- The drug helps destroy various types of rot when storing crops.
- Has no phytotoxic effect on plants.
- Proper use of fungicide increases the yield and shelf life of crops.
- Toxicity class does not pose a threat to humans and domestic animals.
These advantages are based on the fact that the two active ingredients of the drug complement each other, although they have different effects. Fluopyram (125 g/l) blocks the process of cellular respiration in pathogens, and pyrimethanil (375 g/l) blocks the synthesis of methianine (sulfur-containing amino acid).
Application
The instructions for use indicate that spraying of crops with the drug “Luna Tranquility” must be carried out during the growing season. The rate of material consumption and the number of treatments are calculated depending on the degree of fungal damage to plants. Preventive measures are allowed to be carried out only when the ambient temperature reaches +10ºС and above. A repeat procedure is prescribed no earlier than 2 weeks later.
To prepare a working solution, the drug “Luna Tranquility” is diluted in a large volume of water according to the instructions for use of the fungicide.
The remedy is used in the fight against:
- Alternaria blight;
- powdery mildew;
- gray rot;
- rotten storage.
The degree of action of the fungicide in the fight against various diseases is clearly demonstrated by the following diagram:
The properties of “Luna” allow the drug to be used in cooler conditions than other fungicides. In their reviews of the fungicide, gardeners write that this makes it possible to use “Luna Tranquility” for early and late treatments of plants.
The instructions for use recommend selecting the dosage of Luna Tranquility depending on the type of crop disease:
Disease | Consumption rate of working solution (l/ha) |
Alternaria and powdery mildew | 0,6 – 0,8 |
White and gray rot | 1,0 – 1,2 |
Moniliosis and fruit scab | 0,8 – 1,0 |
Preventive treatments every 2 weeks | 400 – 1000 (according to instructions for different crops) |
The table shows that the effectiveness of the drug is high even at low dosages.
According to feedback from farmers, fungicides of the Luna® family, in particular “Tranquility”, are characterized by a new mechanism of action on pathogenic microorganisms. This characteristic makes the preparations very useful for protecting plants and already harvested crops. The product is stored for 3 years.
Review video:
Varieties
In addition to Tranquility, the Luna® family of drugs is represented by other fungicides.
"Luna Sensation" is a fungicide that is used to combat a range of diseases on fruit species.
Refers to systemic-translaminar drugs. Available in the form of a suspension of saturated concentration. The active ingredients of the fungicide are Fluopyram (250 g/l) and Trifloxystrobin (250 g/l). Both block the respiration of the pathogen’s cellular mitochondria and destroy the enzymatic complexes of the cells. Fluopyram acts on complex II, and Trifloxystrobin acts on complex III.
"Luna Sensation" works well against pathogens of stone fruit and pome crops and is able to protect the garden from a wide range of diseases. The instructions for use of the Luna Sensation fungicide clearly and clearly describe the dosage of the drug for plant protection:
Culture | Disease | Consumption, l/ha | Processing (number and waiting period) |
Apple trees | Monilial rot, powdery mildew, scab, storage diseases | 0,3 – 0,35 | 2 times 20 days |
Peaches | Fruit rot, monilial burn, powdery mildew, leaf curl. | 0,25 – 0,35 | 3 times 30 days |
Stone fruits | Fruit rot, cocomycosis, monilial burn | 0,25 – 0,35 | 2 times 20 days |
Strawberries, strawberries | Types of spots, gray rot | 0,6 – 0,8 | 2 times 20 days |
Benefits of Luna Sensation:
- innovative mechanism of action of the drug;
- a wide range of pathogens whose action is blocked by the drug;
- significant increase in crop yields when treated with fungicide;
lack of pathogen resistance.
Another representative of the same family of fungicides is "Luna Experience".
Contains a similar active ingredient - Fluopyram. To prevent the resistance of fungi to the drug and expand its range of action, the developers added tebuconazole as the second active ingredient. It works to destroy the synthesis of ergosterol for cell membranes, which significantly reduces the ability of pathogens to resist the action of the fungicide. The drug belongs to the combined full systemic means, with its help it is possible to qualitatively treat affected plants. But Luna Experience still shows its best results with timely preventive treatments before the onset of mass development of diseases.
Today, the Luna Experience fungicide has surpassed all available preparations of similar action for vegetable crops. Another advantage is a high degree of security. It is even used in areas with close proximity to beekeeping farms.
Fungicide Luna® Experience is the best preparation for tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, onions, carrots and any other vegetables.
The listed crops are susceptible to damage by Alternaria and powdery mildew, as well as specific diseases of their species.For example, carrots can be easily saved from white rot and phomosis, cucumbers from ascochyta blight and anthracnose, cabbage from ring spot, tomatoes from cylinrosporiosis and cladosporiosis, and from stemphylium, rust, and botrytium blotch. With timely use of Luna Experience, losses from fungal infections will be minimal.
Another important ability of the fungicide is the excellent commercial appearance of crops. Carrots grow uniform in size; onions do not have any disruption of their integumentary scales. The same indicators are maintained when storing vegetables. Fungicides of the Luna® family provide protection to plants throughout the entire growing period from sowing to consumption.
To protect the body from possible poisoning, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment.
I used it, but wasn’t particularly puzzled. Processed it and forgot. Now I'll be more careful. I will observe, record and draw conclusions.