The most popular vegetable crop in Russia is, of course, potatoes. Based on this and treating this vegetable with deep respect, researchers at the Ural Federal University have developed a tool that can protect your favorite potato from the action of the fungus.

“For three years we worked on the synthesis of special compounds that will help protect potato tubers from decay,” the developers say. “We were helped by specialists from Tianjin University, which is located in China, to create an antifungal drug that is safe for potatoes and people.”

As a result, international cooperation gave a positive result: scientists have created a drug that increases the resistance of potatoes to damage by pathogenic organisms. It also stimulates the growth of culture and increases its productivity. In addition, potatoes continue to resist fungus even when picked from the bush and stored for a long time in specially equipped warehouses.

“Farmers and purchasers will certainly appreciate the fact that our product is absolutely non-toxic,” the developers emphasize. - We conducted tests on rodents and made sure that the product is safe from an environmental point of view. Based on this, now we can create other preparations for the protection of vegetables and root crops on the basis of our “medicine”. As for the field trials of our preparation, next year it will be tested on the lands of Russian farmers. ”

The main pathogenic organisms that the innovative tool of the Ural developers are struggling with are late blight and alternariosis, which cause intense rotting of plant crops. Sometimes the harm of alternariosis is so high that in some regions it can reduce potato productivity by half.