Bordeux Mixture; Preparation, Precaution,
Advantages & Disadvantages
Bordeaux
mixture is the mixture of copper sulphate and lime solution. It can act as
fungicide, bactericide and algaecide.
Preparation of 1% Bordeaux mixture:
§ One kg of copper sulphate powder is dissolved in 50
liters of water in
a vessel and stirred well.
§ Similarly, 1 kg of lime is powdered and dissolved in
another 50 liters in another vessel and stirred well.
§ Then, both the solutions are poured simultaneously to
a third container and
mixed well.
lime CuSO4
Preparation of Bordeux Mixture
Test:
Dip a well-polished knife or blade or sickle in the mixture for few minutes. If
reddish deposit appears on the knife/sickle, it indicates the acidic
nature of the mixture which means it cannot be used. The mixture should be
neutral or alkaline in nature
Precautions:
§ Always both solution should be poured simultaneously
while mixing or copper sulphate solution
should be added to the lime solution, reverse the addition leads to
precipitation of
copper and resulted suspension is least toxic.
§ The solution should be prepared in earthen or wooden or plastic
vessels. Avoid using metal containers for the preparation, as it is corrosive
to metallic vessels.
§ Bordeaux mixture should be prepared fresh every time before spraying.
§ Bordeaux mixture is sometimes phytotoxic to apples, peaches, new
shoots/leaf.
Advantages
of Bordeaux mixture:
§ Very easy and can be prepared by farmers themselves. It is also used in
organic farming.
§ Applicable to tomato, potato, chilli, other vegetables, fruits (orange,
lime, lemon), beetel vine, ginger, flower and ornamental plant diseases such as
foot rot, stem rot, leaf spot, leaf blight, anthracnose, canker, damping off,
black spot, downy mildew, late and early blight etc.
§ The chemicals required for this is copper sulphate and lime which is
easily available in the market.
§ All the diseases controlled by copper based fungicides such as leaf
spot, blight diseases can be controlled by this.
§ It is less toxic to human as compare to other commercial fungicides.
Disadvantages
of Bordeaux Mixture:
§ It cannot be keep for long periods and must be used fresh.
§ It cannot be applied during the cold and cloudy weather, as it causes
phytotoxicity to plants.
§ It cannot be applied to apple, maize and some of the dwarf rice
varieties.
