Bordeux Mixture; Preparation, Precaution, Advantages & Disadvantages

 

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.