Protection methods

- During cultivation

When faced with an attack of Golovinomyces cichoracearum var. cichoracearum , it is often too late to intervene. It is indeed very difficult to control a declared powdery mildew epidemic, especially when it occurs at an advanced stage of the crop.

Various products are approved * in France for salads. They are listed in the table below according to the type of salad.

⁽¹⁾ On this type of salad, applications with this product can be made up to the 18 leaf stage.

We remind that a treatment is only effective if it is applied at the right time, at the right dose, with sufficient volumes of mixture and application equipment suitable for salads. Some of these treatments are likely to be phytotoxic when applied on hot, dry days. They should be done during cloudy and cooler periods.

Some prophylactic measures can improve the control of this mycosis. We can cite :
- the elimination of plant debris from the plots and their environment, if not burying them quickly and deeply;
- the destruction, in the plot and its surroundings, of weeds that can serve as relay plants to the parasitic fungus (especially Lactuca serriola ).


- Next crop

During the next crop, a number of preventive measures additional can be implemented to limit the risk of powdery mildew appearing.

Thus, we can achieve a crop rotation . This will not necessarily be long since powdery mildew cleistothecia do not keep long in the soil. We will choose the location of the future plot so that it is located in a fairly airy and sunny place. We will ensure a balanced manuring of the plants and we will ban the vicinity of crops which already harbor Golovinomyces cichoracearum var. cichoracearum . Unwanted watering should be avoided and any stagnation of water in the plot should be avoided.

In areas where powdery mildew is more constant from one year to another, preventive treatments can be carried out with sulfur. In France, it is recommended to treat curly leaves especially from the 12-14 leaf stage, with an additional treatment at the 18 leaf stage.

The differences in sensitivity between species Lactuca and between cultivars within the same species have been identified. Behaviors in the literature are not always consistent from one author to another. This situation could be explained by the existence in Golovinomyces cichoracearum var. cichoracearum of specialized forms; some authors have even spoken of races.


* As the number of pesticides available for a given use is constantly changing, we have nevertheless chosen to indicate in each sheet the name of a few active ingredients approved at the time of writing. We will try to update this list, as withdrawals and new approvals occur. Despite this, we advise you to always confirm your choice by consulting the e-phy site of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries which is an online catalog of plant protection products and their uses, fertilizers and growing media. approved in France. This also applies to all biological products based on microorganisms or natural substances.