Fungicide

Definition - What does Fungicide mean?

A fungicide is a chemical that is used to fight fungal diseases in plants and can stop disease by preventing the formation of or killing the fungus. Fungicides are used to control a disease, prevent new diseases, increase crop productivity and to improve the storage quality of harvested fruits and produce. There are different types of fungicides and different modes of application that are used as effective disease control.

WineFrog explains Fungicide

Some main types of fungicides are those that are contact or systemic, contact fungicides work on the surface of plants and systemic fungicides are absorbed into the plant tissue. The most effective fungicides are those that are used as a preventative fungal measure. Preventative fungicides protect new plant growth and help to restore previous applications that may have been removed by rain or UV light exposure. Fungicides can also be curative but are not as effective as they protect new uninfected growth the best and can lead to more resistance problems.

Fungicides can be applied as gas, granules, dusts and liquids to the plant roots, soils, leaves and foliage, inside the trunks of trees, in controlled greenhouse air and on harvested produce. Typically, they are mixed with water before spraying or application, and repeated applications are recommended to ensure new crops are always covered.