Why I believe it’s okay to use Cw99.08 to eliminate Grey Dust (Bactula eximpferens L.)
What you’re seeing below is a speculogram of one of the most nefarious pests found in the modern urban garden, Bactula eximpferens L., otherwise known as “grey dust.”
Bactula spreads by spore, and is increasingly found in urban environments.
This disease can be difficult to detect. Plants infected by bactula initially display slightly wavy leaf margins and barely detectable speckled mottling. If left untreated, however, the microorganisms penetrate the cellular walls of the plant and emerge as a mottled grey dust:
Not only is the plant inedible at this point, the “dust” is a mobile colony of spores which behaves almost like a slime mold, and can physically spread from plant to plant.*
ARLOCo’s organic Cw99.08 formulation treats “grey dust” with a 70% success rate. Even though it’s still controversial (for obvious reasons), I can comfortably recommend it given the alternative. However, it has to be applied to plants BEFORE sporification, so if your plants develop wavy leaf margins, we recommend immediate application of Cw99.08.
*Reports that it also spreads to insects are just urban legends.
REFERENCES
Baker RB, Johnjon JJ, Samson E. Bactula eximpferens L.: An Evolutionary Superhero? Journal of Plant Diseases. April 2023, Volume 100, Number 4
Pages 665–671.
Cw99.08 application for Zea mays infected with Bactula eximpferens L. ARLOCo Publication #34–907. 2019.
