Uncontrolled fungus can wreck havoc on a plants and their root systems.
Fungi are essentially living chemical factories whose only goal is to produce toxic compounds called mycotoxins. When the attacking fungus encounters another life form, such as a plant root system or leaves, it begins secreting mycotoxins that start dissolving the cell walls of the victim. The fungus will then liquefy and ingest the contents of the target cell, then reproduce into the space as an uninvited guest. From there the deadly process continues, until soon the invader has taken over significant areas of the host plant. If this attack occurs at the roots, plants can weaken and begin dying before any problems are visibly detectable.
Predatory fungus attack below ground portions of plants, including roots, seeds, and hypocotyls. In addition, they are capable of attacking the plant parts above ground such as fruits, leaves, and pods. Many of these fungi will also attack the nematodes in the soil, making soils less productive. And while some varieties of these roundworms are harmful, predatory fungi are not selective and will destroy beneficial nematodes as well.
Actinovate has the ability to inhibit and kill predatory fungus without causing unnecessary damage to the plants and surrounding soil. Actinovate contains a beneficial bacteria strain that inhibits and attacks predatory fungi such as pythium families, and rhizoctonia solani family (brown patch), fusarium family, phytophthora family, sclertinia family, phanerchaete family, coriolus versicolor, postia placenta, geotrichum candidum, and verticillium dahliae.
Many commercially available fungus killing agents (herbicides) contain large quantities of nitrogen in the form of ammonium nitrate or urea. High amounts of these chemicals can kill fungus, but they can also invite disease and stress the plant’s systems oftentimes causing as much damage as they prevent.
Fungicides are important tools in organic gardening. By preventatively using Actinovate you can help ensure your plants are protected before fungus problems ever begin. Take care of the dangerous predatory fungi in your garden with the safe and effective fungicide, Actinovate .
How fungus problems have helped reshape entire populations
It might surprise you to learn one of the greatest famines of the pre-industrial world occurred because of a large scale fungus outbreak. The devastating blights (a phytophthora oomycete or “water mould”) that occurred during the 1840’s destroyed nearly the entire crop of potatoes, a staple food in Ireland. Over half a million people, nearly one in eight Irishmen women, and children died of starvation. Fleeing the famine, more than 2 million refugees emigrated to England, Australia, the United States, and other parts of the globe. This mass exodus changed not only population levels but cultures and traditions that were found within the home isles. It also exported Irish heritage across the greater western world.
Today, many people of Irish descent living abroad can attribute this as an after effect of a simple plant disease. Irish influence can be found everywhere in America, reflected in the St. Patrick’s day holiday, high school mascots, even several U.S. Presidents able to track their ancestry back to immigrant descendants from this time period.