Mycostop and endomycorrhizae innoculants

[tnkrer]

Hello fellow gardeners!
This year I was finally deciding to use actinovate as root drench at the time of planting the seedlings. However, it is really difficult to find small size actinovate online. So I was looking for another product with same or similar ingredients and mycostop came up on my radar.
Mycostop is Streptomyces griseoviridis strain k61 while actinovate is Streptomyces Lydicus

They are labeled for 3-4 common diseases and Mycostop lists 1-2 more. So I decided to use mycostop and bought it. Now I am wondering if mycostop will kill or be bad for the endomycorrhizae innoculant. I have emailed the question to the manufacturer of mycostop (http://verdera.fi/en/front-page/) and will report what they say.

https://www.lebanonturf.com/educatio...on-mycorrhizae - This article suggests that I should wait 2 weeks before applying innoculant or 4 weeks after - which allows the spores to colonize the roots. However, it does not list biofungicides, only chemical fungicides ..

So any experience using mycostop with endomycorrhizae innoculants?

Thanks

[RayR]

I don't see why you would have a problem, Streptomyces like many other beneficial rhizosphere bacteria naturally coexist in undisturbed natural soils with mycorrhizae and other beneficial fungi. The plant root exudates attract them all because they help shield the roots against pathogenic organisms that try to invade the same space and also form a symbiotic relationship with the plant that makes nutrients more available and increases disease and pest resistance. Just because a Streptomyces species produces antifungal compounds doesn't mean they arbitrarily target, kill and consume every fungal species they run into. Mycorrhizal fungi and some species of bacteria even form a symbiotic relationship between themselves.
Mycorrhizae that have successfully colonized the roots and have grown down through the soil have a natural barrier to chemical attack by other organisms since Mycorrhizae encase their filaments with Glomalin which is highly resistant to degradation by chemicals other microorganisms produce.
I think that's why the Lebanon Turf article warns against using some of these nasty chemical fungicides before inoculating the roots with Mycorrhizal spores and allowing the Mycorrhizal association to take place which usually take a couple weeks.

[tnkrer]

Thanks RayR. I have also thought about using actinovate + Excel LG instead of daconil. However, actinovate seems like a very costly option 2 oz for about $20 and I think that 2 oz will be good for 5-6 weeks only.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by tnkrer

Thanks RayR. I have also thought about using actinovate + Excel LG instead of daconil. However, actinovate seems like a very costly option 2 oz for about $20 and I think that 2 oz will be good for 5-6 weeks only.

You have to be aware of the exact pathogens that you typically have in your garden and target them with preventatives or curatives that would help.
Excel LG (was renamed ORGANOCIDE PLANT DOCTOR™ a few years back) is marketed as a systemic Phosphorous Acid fungicide but it is only really effective against Oomycetes pathogens (water moulds) which are not true fungi. So if your typically dealing with an Oomycetes like Downy Mildew, a Phytophthora or Pythium then it's definitely a way to go.
If you're dealing with actual true fungal pathogens like Powdery Mildew. Early Blight, Botrytis Gray Mold or Septoria, it won't do a darn thing, so it is not a replacement as a preventative against true fungal leaf and stem pathogens like other chemical fungicides as Daconil or copper based fungicides.

[tnkrer]

Thanks RayR. I have never really figured out with 100% confidence the diseases that my plants end up dying with. I think cukes get powdery mildew (leaves show white stuff on them), some tomatoes get gray mold (leaves start to die off with spots on them) and black tomatoes just die with something that I have not figured out yet. Sungold and Sweet Ozark Orange typically fight off all the diseases.
I will continue to rotate between daconil and copper. I need to be more consistent. Life gets in the way and I fail to do that one or two weeks in a row and then it is too late.

[RayR]

I always get Powdery Mildew on my Corcubits, especially the squash, I do use the Phosphorous Acid fungicide as a preventative in case Downy Mildew shows up also but it doesn't do anything against Powdery Mildew. For Powdery Mildew I use Neem Oil and Potassium Bicarbonate sprays, that keeps it under control as long as I spray at least weekly.
My only real fungal scourge on tomato plants is Septoria, I did have Early Blight bad in the past too but that hasn't been a problem for years now since I've inoculated my seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi. Gray mold I haven't seen in years here also and thankfully no Late Blight too.