Bordeaux Paint & Apple Care Quiz Quiz

Explore key practices in controlling plant diseases, focusing on Bordeaux mixture and effective apple orchard management. Enhance your understanding of horticultural disease strategies for healthy harvests.

1. Bordeaux Mixture Components

   Which combination of ingredients is used to prepare classic Bordeaux mixture for controlling fungal diseases in apple orchards?

   1. Copper sulfate and lime
   2. Ferrous sulfate and phosphorus
   3. Sulfur and oil
   4. Urea and zinc

   Explanation: Bordeaux mixture is a blend of copper sulfate and lime, widely used to control fungal diseases in horticulture. Sulfur and oil are used in other types of fungicidal sprays, but not for Bordeaux mixture. Urea and zinc serve as fertilizers, not fungicides. Ferrous sulfate and phosphorus are unrelated to Bordeaux mixture's composition.

2. Preventing Apple Scab

   What is a recommended timing for the first Bordeaux mixture spray to prevent apple scab in orchards?

   1. At leaf fall in autumn
   2. After fruit set
   3. At green tip stage just before bud break
   4. During full bloom

   Explanation: Spraying at the green tip stage targets primary apple scab infections early in the season. Spraying after fruit set or during full bloom may be less effective for prevention. Applying at leaf fall targets different pathogens and is not optimal for scab prevention.

3. Safe Application Practices

   Why should Bordeaux mixture not be applied during very hot and dry weather in apple orchards?

   1. It encourages fruit ripening too early
   2. It promotes insect infestations
   3. It can cause leaf burn and phytotoxicity
   4. It loses all fungicidal properties

   Explanation: Applying Bordeaux mixture in hot and dry conditions may damage leaves due to phytotoxicity. It does not directly promote insect infestation or cause early fruit ripening. Although efficacy may decrease in extreme conditions, it does not lose all fungicidal properties.

4. Resistance Management

   How does rotating Bordeaux mixture with fungicides of other chemical groups help manage apple diseases?

   1. It eliminates the need for sanitation
   2. It delays fruit harvest
   3. It helps prevent disease resistance
   4. It increases the application cost only

   Explanation: Rotating different fungicide groups helps limit resistance buildup in pathogens. Increased cost is a downside, not a benefit. Fungicide rotation does not delay harvest or replace orchard sanitation, which remains important for disease control.

5. Limitations of Bordeaux Mixture

   What is a major limitation of using Bordeaux mixture in apple disease management over time?

   1. It completely controls all viral diseases
   2. It increases photosynthesis rates
   3. It can accumulate toxic copper in soil
   4. It provides long-lasting systemic protection

   Explanation: Repeated Bordeaux mixture use can lead to copper buildup in soil, potentially harming soil health. It does not increase photosynthesis rates or provide systemic protection; its action is mainly contact-based. Bordeaux mixture does not control viral diseases.