MECHANICAL APPLICATION OF FUNGICIDES FOR CONTROLLING BLACK SCURF DISEASE OF POTATOES

Black scurf of potatoes causing by Rhizoctonia solani Kühn is an important soil borne diseases of potato, causing reduced quality of fresh potatoes and quantity of tuber yield. In Egypt, Traditional methods is still application fungicides manually by humans ,this method consuming more time, critical side effect for labors, effort and little bit control. The main objectives of this study were to manufacture fungicides injector as attachment modification on planter during sowing potatoes seeds for controlling the black scurf disease incidence of potatoes tubers. Grimme belt planter GB 430 modified to can be equipped with manufactured an injector liquid chemical system, provide for wetting soil around tubers automatically. Fungicide was injected by pump and eight nozzles provide for a thorough wetting of the tuber or application to the soil around the tuber in all furrow openers. Monceren (fungicide) 25% WP was used at the rate Kg/t of tuber seeds. The equipment was tested under different operating conditions, at four levels of tractor forward speed (4.2, 5, 5.8 and 7.1 km/h), suspension of pressure of the injection pump (1, 1.5 and 2 bar) as well as three diameters of spray nozzle (0.015, 0.020 and 0.025 mm). Tested factors were evaluated on black scurf disease incidence of potato tubers yield quality and quantity, 120 days after planting. The optimum delivery of one nozzle of 0.6 l/min, highly yield and least diseased tubers by black scurf disease were recorded with tractor forward speed 5.8 Km/h, delivery of injection pump was 2bar and diameter of spray nozzle 0.02 mm respectively. Black scurf disease, and reconsolidate soil led to improving of potatoes crop yield. Present findings indicate that modern technology has the potential to be used as an alternative traditional fungicides application in managing black scurf disease of potatoes.