A possible positive interaction between tebuconazole and electrolysed water as a wood penetrating formulation in propagation material against Phaeomoniella chlamydospora

Research on trunk diseases has shown that infections in the nursery are not only due to basal and graft union infections of the cuttings via the wounds but also to systemic infection from mother vines. To reduce cane infections the application of a highly penetrating fungicide, tebuconazole (Folicur®SE), provided in a special - devoted to wood treatments - formulation was tested at hydration. Cut ends of cuttings were sealed by wax, immersed in a fungicide suspension, and penetration into the wood of tebuconazole verified by HPLC analysis. To further improve both penetration into the wood and efficiency of the funcidide, tebuconazole (very active in reducing Phaeomoniella chlamydospora mycelium growth but not so efficient on spore germination) was also combined with electrolyzed water (EAW), very active in inhibiting spore germination, and previously studied for a possible use in hydration. The HPLC data showed that, even if systemic fungicide as triazoles can not be transported in the sap of cuttings as it happens in vines in the field, still the passive absorption of Folicur®SE in non active tissue was high enough to be at the active concentration in all wood parts after soaking, even after 3 months from treatment. Different trials were carried out in a commercial nursery on cuttings artificially or naturally infected with P. chlamydospora. The use of the Folicur®SE formulation without or, even more with EAW, provided a strong reduction of the infections in naturally and artificially infected cuttings.