"HOM" - plant protection product

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Plant protection is an important branch of agricultural science. She is engaged in the development of methods for combating diseases, pests and numerous weeds, as well as with the consequences of their action. As you know, one of the measures in this fight is the use of a large number of different chemicals, including fungicides.

These substances can be systemic or local. The latter practically do not penetrate into plants, but remain on their surface and prevent infection by fungal diseases. Pathogens die on contact with such substances, so the drugs are called contact, for example: "Kuprozan", "Tsineb", "Homecin", "Bordeaux liquid", "HOM" (copper oxychloride preparation), "colloidal sulfur". The protective effect of these drugs is reduced when they are partially washed off during rainfall, but still remains.

Destination "HOM"

"HOM" is a drug well known to gardeners. They have long been successfully using it to protect vegetable and berry crops. Copper oxychloride is used to combat peronosporosis on onions and cucumbers, potato late blight andtomatoes, various diseases of ornamental crops and flowers.

For the treatment of leaf curl in peaches, scab of apple trees and pears, the drug "HOM" is also used. Gardeners' reviews confirm its high effectiveness against grape mildew and plum rot. What's more, copper was perhaps the most suitable control against this sunberry disease in its time, as well as the cheapest, until copper-free organic fungicides became available.

Drug "HOM": instructions for use

Copper oxychloride is a bluish-green crystalline powder, odorless. This is a full-fledged substitute for the Bordeaux mixture, but unlike it, "HOM" is a more convenient and ready-to-use preparation. It is inferior to the mixture only in the ability to stay on the leaves.

It is very easy to prepare a working solution: first, the "HOM" agent is diluted in a small amount of water, after which, stirring constantly, the liquid is added to the required volume. Processing of plants should be carried out in clear weather without wind with an air temperature of no more than +300, while trying to evenly wet the surface of the leaves. All the prepared solution must be used in one day.

All crops are sprayed during the growing season, except for ornamental plants, they should be treated before and after flowering. In order for the working solution to better linger on the plants, skimmed milk can be added to it in an amount of 1% of the totalvolume. The period of protective action of the fungicide lasts from 10 to 14 days, while the resistance of pathogens to copper oxychloride does not occur.

"HOM" is an ecologically safe preparation, within a short time it is completely decomposed by soil microorganisms into the simplest substances, leaving no traces of chemistry. To prevent the accumulation of the active substance in the fruit, treatment with drugs is stopped 20 days before harvest. For grapes, this period is extended to 30 days.

Safety measures

The drug "HOM" is a substance belonging to the third hazard class, moderately toxic to humans and animals. For bees, it also poses some danger, so plants should not be sprayed during flowering. Honey workers should be isolated for 5-6 hours before and after crop processing. Work on spraying plants is carried out in overalls, after they are completed, you need to change clothes, wash your face and hands with soap and water. Eating and drinking, as well as smoking during spraying, are not allowed. For most crops, the drug is not phytotoxic, but in some plants at high humidity it can cause burns on the leaves and brown mesh on the fruits, so the maximum effect of the "HOM" product is achieved in areas with dry summers.