A New Formulation System for Slow Releasing of Phosphorous Acid in Soil for Controlling Phytophthora Diseases

Phosphorous acid is known to effectively control various Oomycetes diseases. The phosphoric acid moves upward and downward through the xylem and phloem in plants. The sustainable forms of the slow releasing chemical in rhizosphere would be ideal to be up-taken by plants. Therefore, we developed a new system for phosphorous acid formulation using a carrier coated with polysaccharides. When the product was applied in rhizosphere, the adequate amount of phosphorous acid was consistently released up to 4 weeks in rhizosphere soils. While soil drenching with phosphorous acid at 1,000 ${\mu}g/ml$ and metalaxyl at 150 ${\mu}g/ml$ were not effective to control pepper Phytophthora blight for 4 weeks, direct application of our formulation product around basal stem of pepper plants resulted in excellent disease control effect against Phytophthora blight over 4 weeks. The application of 4 g of our product per plant was optimum to control the disease, and 8 g product/plant did not cause phytotoxicity. Based on the results, we conclude that the applications of the formulation product once or twice during cropping season can control Phytophthora diseases on various crops.