Buckwheat phytophthorose: development factors and protection strategies

Abstract

Phytophthora blight of buckwheat (Phytophthora parasitica Dastur (Ph. fagopyri Takimoto)) is one of the most dangerous diseases of this crop, causing considerable yield losses and deterioration of grain quality. The infection affects leaves, stems, and inflorescences, leading to premature wilting of plants and reduced seed set and mass. In recent years, increased air humidity during the growing season and the expansion of buckwheat cultivation areas have created favorable conditions for the disease's development. At the same time, excessive use of chemical plant protection products poses environmental risks, necessitating the development of ecologically safe alternatives. Studies conducted during 2024–2025 showed that the development of Phytophthora blight was closely related to meteorological conditions – high air humidity (above 80%) and temperatures of 18–22 °C favored intensive infection. Pre-sowing seed treatment with preparations vertex, RK and biolan, VSR improved seed quality: laboratory germination increased by 2.5–3.5 %, and field germination by
6.2–8.5 %. The highest efficiency was achieved by combining seed treatment with two-time spraying of crops during the BBCH 12–15 and BBCH 55–59 phases, which reduced late blight damage by
3.2–4.1 times compared to the control. Among the studied preparations, the most effective was vertex, RK, whose technical efficiency in the tillering phase, averaged over the 2024–2025 years was 75.3%, while the yield increase compared to the control was
0.78 t/ha. The results obtained confirm the effectiveness of an integrated approach to buckwheat protection, which combines chemical and biological means, ensuring a stable phytosanitary condition, increasing yields, and ecologizing crop growing technologies.