Again we find ourselves with a product authorized in organic farming. That is why we present it and show it to those readers who have not tried it yet. We are going to tell you a little about this natural compound, its functions and current uses. Today, at Gardenprue , we present you copper oxychloride .

We find copper oxychloride , a solid and crystalline substance with a greenish color (a dark green, to be fair), which can be extracted naturally from deposits. Although copper oxychloride is also obtained after the corrosion of certain metals, this is not the present case since it would not have much application in agriculture.

Its chemical formula, in order not to lose chemical habits, is  Cu ₂ (OH) ₃ Cl.

WHAT IS COPPER OXYCHLORIDE USED FOR IN AGRICULTURE?

Mainly, one of the main uses that we can find for copper oxychloride is its fungicidal activity. Although the protagonist in this type applied to organic farming could be sulfur, which we have already discussed in our article on the properties of sulfur ,  copper oxychloride also has a fungicidal activity.

It also has another use, a little more unknown to people who are not in the world of livestock, and it is also used to supplement the feeding of animals.

DISEASES THAT CAN BE TREATED WITH COPPER OXYCHLORIDE  

The list is quite extensive, so it is a fact to highlight especially for farmers who defend ecology and avoid using strong active ingredients such as insecticides or fungicides, or directly synthetic chemicals for fertilizing their crops.

Among the list of fungi that are harmed by copper oxychloride are:

• Alternaria
• Antracnosis
• Bacteriosis
• Mildew
• Denting or screening
• Monilia
• Mottled
• Watery
• Fomopsis

On the other hand, the concentration of this compound must be consulted (it can go to 16, 20, 30, 35, 37.5, etc., up to 70%) since depending on the purity of copper oxychloride in the mixture, it will be appropriate or not for certain crops.

As we would like to emphasize from now on, if your crops are in Spain, through the magrama’s phytosanitary website, you can find out the uses that can be made of an active material or product, depending on the crop or application.

You can check it here.

Continuing with the copper oxychloride , let us remember that above all this natural product has a preventive action . Its field of action is quite large (we have already seen the large amount of fungi that it prevents for many crops) and it is quite persistent in the plant.

The action stage of copper begins with the germination of fungal spores, hence its action is limited to preventing the appearance of fungal diseases. The mode of action is simple, various fungi in their initial stages are unable to grow or reproduce when the Cu content is above a certain level (2 or 3 ppm, for example).

COPPER OXYCHLORIDE + FUNGICIDE

Surely if you have approached a phytosanitary warehouse or specialized stores in the sector, you will have found that there are products that contain copper oxychloride plus an active material that acts as a fungicide (maneb, mancozeb, etc.). What is achieved with this is to increase its power of action and improve the response to fungi such as  alternaria, anthracnose, rot, mildew , etc.

ITS MODE OF APPLICATION

The mode of application is simple. It comes in powder so you have to sprinkle the entire vegetable mass in order to prevent any type of spore or mycelium from developing on it. It has the disadvantage that applying a powder like this is much more cumbersome and cumbersome to use than using a liquid, for example. However, we must not forget that it is currently accepted in organic farming , and that is a very positive point to value.

To apply it, each teacher has his own booklet. There are farmers who use a duster (a kind of chimney blower), others a sock or a pot with a small hole through which the copper oxychloride comes out. Everyone will find a more comfortable way to apply according to their needs, crops and more.

If you have doubts about what concentration to look for or an appropriate active material for your crops, you can ask in the comments or in the forum .

Copper oxychloride is a product widely offered by many commercial houses. Here you can see some of them. 

DOSAGE AND MODE OF APPLICATION OF COPPER OXYCHLORIDE

In the market we are going to find a lot of products based on copper oxychloride. Although the raw material is the same, we will find different concentrations and, therefore, a different dosage.

Any of the concentrations, at its dose, is an ideal medium for the control and prevention of diseases caused by endopathogenic fungi and different types of bacteria.

Copper oxychloride 70%

Dosage: 150-250 cc / hl in foliar application. 1.5 L-2 L for each 1,000 L vat. Effective against alternaria, anthracnose, monilia, bacteriosis, denting, screening, olive leaf spot , etc.

Copper oxychloride 50%

It usually comes in solid and, therefore, its dosage is in grams or kilograms. As it is less concentrated than 70% oxychloride, the dosage increases.

• Dosage: 300-400 g / hl. 3-4 kg per 1,000 L vat. In fruit trees treat only until flowering, limiting the number of applications to 3 per season.

Beware of certain varieties sensitive to high concentrations of copper.

Copper oxychloride 38%

It usually comes in a liquid suspension and is also suitable for all the diseases described above.

The dose does not increase compared to previous versions.

• Dosage: 200-300 cc / hl. 2-3 liters per 1,000 liters of water.

Recommended for horticultural species such as broccoli, garlic, onion, aubergine, all kinds of cucurbits, etc.

It is also effective against repilo, although the dosage increases to 300-400 cc / hl. For this reason, it is often advisable to use more concentrated doses of copper oxychloride (such as 70%).