Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for - Aseanipm ...

Section 5 • Integrated Disease Management
Exercise No. 5.17
PREPARATION AND USE OF EGG YOLk + COOkING
OIL (EYCO) FOR MANAGEMENT OF POWDERY
AND DOWNY MILDEWS IN ORGANICALLY-GROWN
VEGETABLES
BaCKGroUND aND raTIoNalE
Powdery and downy mildews are serious fungal diseases
infecting vegetative portions of many organically-grown
vegetables. White powdery and cottony growths are usually
observed on infected plant parts. These diseases, more
prevalent during high moisture conditions, are characterized
as follow 207 :
Powdery mildew, caused by Erysiphe polygoni D.C., appears
as small, discrete, white moldy spots on upper surface of
leaflets, which rapidly enlarge to an indefinite size until they coalesce. A light powdery white
dirty-gray fungus growth later covers part of entire upper leaf surface, petioles, and young stems.
Infected leaves gradually turn yellow, then brown, and die. This disease infects mostly solanaceous
and cucurbit vegetables.
Downy mildew, caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis Rostow, appears as yellow spots on surface
of leaves with a purplish downy-growth on lower surface. These yellow spots may soon turn
reddish-brown and eventually kill leaves. If infected plants do not die, fruits may not mature and
flavor is poor. This disease infects mainly legume and parsley vegetables.
Recently, control of mildews were found effective by spraying crops with various biological
pesticides, which includes use of egg yolk + cooking oil (EYCO). This simple technology is widely
adopted by Korean farmers for controlling various insect pests and improving plant health. The
EYCO is simply made at home by manual or motor mixing of cooking oil and egg yolk. Cooking
oil showed direct and indirect effects in control of plant pathogens and insect pests, while egg yolk
served as natural emulsifier and biological fertilizer. In lettuce, seedling stands increased by over
70% and showed 89.6-96.3% control value when EYCO was applied against powdery mildew. This
result is comparable to effect of applying a fungicide, Azoxystrobin.
207 Callo, Jr., D.P., J.R. Medina, L.B. Teofilo, H.A. Tauli, and W.R. Cuaterno. 2002. Manual of Participatory Technology Development Activities for IPM in
Vegetables. SEAMEO Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. pp380-386.
307
when is this exercise most
appropriate?
ɶ In FFS, TOT, and
VST sessions, at early
vegetative stage and
as component of topic
on ‘Integrated Disease
Management’; and
ɶ When farmers want to
learn how to prepare
and use egg yolk +
cooking oil (EYCO) for
management of powdery
and downy mildews
in organically-grown
vegetables.