Bactericide

What Does Bactericide Mean?

A bactericide is an application or product that helps stop bacterial infections in plants. There are many commercially available bactericides on the market; some are designed for use with outdoor plants, and others are designed specifically for indoor growing applications.

Bactercides can be liquid or powder form, organic or non-organic, and double as fungicides in some cases.

Maximum Yield Explains Bactericide

In addition to insects, drought, poor soil nutrient levels, and other problems, plants also face threats from fungi and bacteria. The most common sign of a bacterial infection in plants is the appearance of brown spots on leaves, followed by yellowing and eventual leaf death. If left unchecked, this issue can eventually slow or stop fruiting, and even kill the plant. Note that bacteria can infect both fruits and vegetables, as well as ornamental plants.

A bactericide should be distinguished from bacteriostatic solutions. Bactericides will actually kill the bacteria responsible for the infection, while bacteriostatic applications merely inhibit or prevent infections.

Some of the most effective bactericides rely on copper to kill bacteria, and some double as fungicides. These can help treat conditions ranging from bacterial leaf spots to powdery and downy mildew, as well as both early and late blight in a range of fruiting plants, such as cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, eggplant, and peppers. Examples of these products include Camelot and Kocide 3000.

However, many indoor-grown plants are sensitive to copper, and the application of this type of bactericide should be carefully considered because of this. In this instance, it may be wise to use a solution based on citrus oils, such as Citrex, or even Regalia SC, which is formulated using giant knotwood extract.

No form of bactericide has proven 100% effective in all instances of killing plant-damaging bacteria, but many have shown significant benefits.