Zonix - Organic - Alternative to Copper Fungicide for Late-Blight, Downey Mildew and Black Rot

I was reading the June/July issue of Organic Gardening and I came across an ad for a product called Zonix (it's on page 19, if you have a copy).  It is supposed to be a Biofungicide with OMRI status.  This intrigued me because I have always thought Copper Fungicide was the absolute last resort if you happen to get a plague of blight (well, that's what I've read on a few of the latest posts here).

I visited their website:

http://www.nopsupply.com/Default.asp

Being that I am not very technically savvy, I had a difficult time understanding exactly how this product works.  I e-mailed them and ultimately I spoke to an owner of the company over the phone.

He told me that Zonix was newly introduced this year.  It is a biofungicide made through the fermentation of bacteria.  The end product is a substance called "ramnolipids."  This product was first discovered by the University of Arizona.  They were experimenting with various formulas and they discovered that a vat of this substance did not contain any mold or mildew.

Zonix works by breaking down the surface of the mold spore.  This causes it to burst and it is done away with.  Zonix is ultra concentrated, so very little is needed to make up a batch.

Ok, I really am not trying to sell this stuff.  I write about this because we are always looking for organic alternatives and this piqued my interest.  The company owner told me that this product can also be used to spray the soil and eliminate any blight, etc. spores that could pose a threat to the next crop (particularly if you are planting the same thing in the same spot).

Has anyone had experience with this product?  Regardless, based on this information, does this sound good... or do you think it is too good to be true.

The copper is for prevention of blight. Once your plant is infected with it, it is almost always a lost cause. I have used it with some success. Always read and follow the label directions. Never spray during the day if the plant is in bloom.

Windmere, did you try that new product?  I've got to find something to kill the black sooty fungus on my papaya leaves. Normally H202 works with black sooty on other plants, but it's not phasing it on the papayas. Neem might be helping but I think I need something more aggressive. I was considering copper and read somewhere that it's organic, but there's so much conflicting info on the Internet.  

Thoughts?

dstack wrote:Windmere, did you try that new product?  I've got to find something to kill the black sooty fungus on my papaya leaves. Normally H202 works with black sooty on other plants, but it's not phasing it on the papayas. Neem might be helping but I think I need something more aggressive. I was considering copper and read somewhere that it's organic, but there's so much conflicting info on the Internet.  

Thoughts?

I did indeed try this product.  I was mistaken when I said it would take care of late blight.  Once a plant has blight (from what I understand), it is pretty well doomed.  I used this product all spring and summer.

Dstack, I'm afraid the jury is still out with this one.  I had an enormous problem with fungus this year.  Despite the horrible fungus, my plants produced well.  I tried so many products to get it under control... that I have no idea what helped or if it all helped.

I did a lot of research on this product.  I read the EPA application filed by the manufacturer (a wickedly long document that had lots of technical jargon).  It passed requirements and is organic and non-toxic.

Here's the thing:  There is a dearth of information on product performance.  I have not seen university studies, gardening organization studies, farming studies... nothing.  My thought is, if this stuff is so amazing... why so little data on it?

Final thoughts:  It's expensive, there does not seem to be much performance testing... and I used too many things on my garden fungus problem to offer you a conclusive recommendation.

Thanks for the info Windmere. I did notice the high price.  And regarding copper, I found other threads on this forum on whether it's organic or not.  I guess it depends on who you ask.  I haven't tried the milk mixture. I might try that with a bit of baking soda before I consider copper.

Thanks again.

Windmere wrote:

dstack wrote:Windmere, did you try that new product?  I've got to find something to kill the black sooty fungus on my papaya leaves. Normally H202 works with black sooty on other plants, but it's not phasing it on the papayas. Neem might be helping but I think I need something more aggressive. I was considering copper and read somewhere that it's organic, but there's so much conflicting info on the Internet.  

Thoughts?

I did indeed try this product.  I was mistaken when I said it would take care of late blight.  Once a plant has blight (from what I understand), it is pretty well doomed.  I used this product all spring and summer.

It can be a long and productive doom, though. My best tomatoes in my best bed got late blight and still produced very nicely. I was pretty vigilant about plucking away all dead and dying blighted areas, though, including removing bits that fell onto the soil. Which may have helped or may have just been tonic to the soul, I don't know. But as I plucked, new branches and leaves replaced the old and new fruit kept forming and growing. As aggravating as it was not being able to beat the blight, I don't think it affected my productivity very much.

Last year, in much worse soil in a different garden, late blight hurt my tomatoes much more.

have you tried seaweed? It wipe out my spider mites. have not tried it for anything else.

I am in Oregon right now desperately looking for some Zonix because they won't ship to Calif where I live. A neighbor of mine who is an avocado farmer told me Zonix will KILL fusarium wilt. However, I just spoke with a researcher at a University in OR who published a study on it in 2014. She says, "No."

She said it works with water molds like phytothen (spelling?) that are thin walled. Sine fusarium is thick walled, she doesn't believe it will work.

I'm disappointed, but at least we know she has experience with water molds and Zonix. 

I also just found an article from Mumbai that says it's used "to clean and recover oils from storage tanks." hmmm. Maybe that's why California will not approve it.

jtuck2 wrote:I am in Oregon right now desperately looking for some Zonix because they won't ship to Calif where I live. A neighbor of mine who is an avocado farmer told me Zonix will KILL fusarium wilt. However, I just spoke with a researcher at a University in OR who published a study on it in 2014. She says, "No."

She said it works with water molds like phytothen (spelling?) that are thin walled. Sine fusarium is thick walled, she doesn't believe it will work.

I'm disappointed, but at least we know she has experience with water molds and Zonix. 

I also just found an article from Mumbai that says it's used "to clean and recover oils from storage tanks." hmmm. Maybe that's why California will not approve it.

Hi jtuck2,

This product used to be available from Amazon.  I did some pretty extensive research regarding Zonix and I wrote a detailed review about it.  In the end, I could not definitively say if Zonix worked because I used many remedies (including Zonix) during the 2014 heavy rains here in Georgia.  I really wish the manufacturer would provide an assortment of concrete data from universities, extension offices, etc.

Since Zonix is no longer available from Amazon, my review cannot be seen.  I will reprint it here, but I'll warn you:  My review is VERY LONG.

I saw this product advertised in Organic Gardening magazine.  I was intrigued.  I paid nearly $40 (including shipping) to get this item, so my initial investment was high.  After ordering this item, I received it very quickly.  It came well before the shipping time estimate.  At this time, I am giving this product a 4 star rating based on shipping speed and product claims.  This rating will go up or down depending on future product performance.

I want to give you some information about my inital impressions.  I will update this review as time goes by to tell you how this product is performing.

Bear with me. I did some detailed research about the active ingredient in this product because I was concerned about its toxicity.  I found that this product acts as a fungicide by using Rhamnolipid Biosurfactants.  I found some information about this substance from AGAE Technologies.  They define these Ramnolipid Biosurfactactants as follows:

"Rhamnolipid biosurfactants are glycolipids containing L-rhamnose and -hydroxyl fatty acids, with amphiphilic properties (both hydrophilic and hydrophobic).  They are highly biodegradable, non-toxic, and renewable."

This product is OMRI certified.

I found the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs, Biopesticides Registration Action Document for Rhamnolipid Biosurfactant. In the Science Assessment section, it says that:

"Rhamnolipid biosurfactant is effective against all zoosporic plant pathogens, including downy mildews, Pythium, and Phytophthora.  The pathogenic zoospores are targeted pest species vulnerable to rhamnolipid biosurfactant because they lack a protective cell wall.  The active ingredient disrupts the cell membranes via a physico-chemical surfactant action, which destroys the permeability and results in loss of motility and rapid lysis or the zoospore." By virtue of lysis, the contents of the cells spill out and the cell is destroyed.

The Registration Action Document also states that, "On February 25, 1999, the Biochemical Classification Committee determined that rhamnolipid biosurfactant is classified as a biochemical fungicide due to its non-toxic mode of action toward the target pest species."

In the PropTera document entitled "Agricultural Uses,"  there is some information about this product's application, about how it functions and about it's general uses.  I have listed this information below:

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS:

Apply ZONIX(tm) Biofungicide at a concentration of 300 to 500 ppm. Make applications in the early stages of plant growth for initial control. Reapply at 5 day intervals or as needed throughout the growing season for preventative control. Early treatment prevents diseases from developing. ZONIX (tm) Biofungicide is a contact biofungicide that controls disease upon contact with zoospores. Thorough coverage is necessary for disease control. To assure control, make applications at the time that conditions are best for occurrence of zoospores and resultant disease.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

ZONIX(tm) Biofungicide is for the prevention and control of plant pathogenic fungi on horticultural and agricultural crops. Zoosporic fungal diseases are often spread by zoospores that are transported from one plant to another and from field to field.  ZONIX(tm) Biofungicide kills zoospores that cause fungal disease, on contact. Use ZONIX(tm) Biofungicide on the foliage, fruit and roots of the following agricultural commodities and horticultural crops:

Root, Bulb, Tuber and Cane Crops, such as:

beets, carrots, cassava,garlic, ginger, onions, potatoes, radish, sugar beets, sweet potatoes and yams.

Fruiting Vegetables, such as:
eggplant, pepper and tomato.

Legume Crops, such as:
alfalfa, field beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, and soybeans.

Leafy Vegetables, such as:
asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, celery, collards, lettuce and
spinach.

Cucurbit Vegetables, such as:
cantaloupe, cucumber, melon, squash, watermelon and zucchini.

Fruit and Nut Trees, such as:
almonds, apples, apricots, cherries, filberts, macadamia, nectarines, peaches, pecans, pistachios, plums and walnuts.

Citrus Fruits, such as:
grapefruit, lemon and orange.

Tropical Crops, such as:

avocado, banana, cocoa, coffee, guava, lychee nuts, mango, papaya, pineapple and plantain.

Berry Crops, such as:
blueberry, gooseberry, raspberry and strawberry.

Grain, Forage, Fiber and Oil Crops, such as:
barley, canola, corn, cotton, hops, millet, oats, rice, rye, sesame, sorghum, Sudan grass, and wheat

Vine Crops, such as:
grapes, kiwi and passion fruit.

Herbs, such as:
chive, mint, oregano, parsley, sage and thyme

Ornamental Plants grown in greenhouses and nurseries, such as: begonia, bougainvillea, chrysanthemum, cyclamen, dahlia, ferns, foliage plants, fuchsia, ivy, lily, miniature roses, orchid, peony, phlox, and poinsettia.

Ornamental Trees and Shrubs grown in greenhouses and nurseries, such as:
azalea, birch, blue spruce, boxwood, camellia, cedar, crabapple, cypress, dogwood elm, ficus, fir, flowering cherry, flowering peach, forsythia, gardenia, hackberry, holly, hydrangea, laurel, lilac, magnolia, maple, myrtles, pines, poplar, privet, pyracantha, rhododendron, spruce and sycamore.


Flowers for Cutting grown in greenhouses and nurseries, such as:
astor, astromerias, baby's breath, carnations, chrysanthemums, fuchsia, lilies, and roses.

Bedding Plants grown in greenhouses and nurseries, such as:
astor, calendula, carnation, cosmos, impatiens, lobelia, marigold, nasturtium, pansy, petunia, snapdragon, sweet alyssum, verbena and zinnia.

Turf Grass on sod farms, such as:
bentgrass, Bermuda grass, bluegrass, centipede grass, fescue, rye grass, and St. Augustine

The Agricultural Uses document goes on to say:


Use ZONIX(tm) Biofungicide to prevent and control any zoosporic plant pathogenic microorganisms including the following genera: Achlya, Albugo, Aphanomyces, Basidiophora, Olpidium, Pachymetra, Peronophthora, Peronosclerospora, Physoderma, Phytophthora,mPlasmodiophora, Plasmopara, Polymyxa, Pseudoperonospora, Pythium, Rhizophydium, Sclerophthora, Sclerospora, Spongospora, Synchytrium, and Trachysphaera.

Application Directions say:

Apply ZONIX(tm) Biofungicide at a concentration of 300 to 500 ppm. Make applications in the early stages of plant growth for initial control. Reapply at 5-day intervals or as needed throughout the growing season for preventative control. Early treatment prevents diseases from developing.  ZONIX(tm) Biofungicide is a contact biofungicide that controls disease upon contact with zoospores. Thorough coverage is necessary for disease control. To assure control, make applications at the time that conditions are best for occurrence of zoospores and resultant disease.

My purchase size of this product is 8 oz.  That sounds like a little amount for a lot of money.  I learned from the dilution table listed in the manufacture's "Agricultural Uses" document that for a 1 quart mix (with water), with a 500 ppm concentration, you will need to use 1 1/8 tsp.  This concentration is recommended for the initial use.  For a 300 ppm concentration, (recommended for subsequent uses) you will need 3/4 tsp.

I have 54 square feet of dedicated vegetable gardening, as well as a small amount of potatoes, and some berries and flowers here and there.  I will keep you posted on effectiveness and quantity used.  I am also using a natural neem oil pesticide that also contains peppermint soap.  I make the mixture of the neem oil substance myself and I make small batches for occasional infestations.  Furthermore, I am using BT thuricide caterpillar control.

I hope my review above, with direct quotes from the manufacturer (as well as from AGAE Technologies and from EPA documentation), clarifies what this product is, how it works, and how much is needed.

UPDATE 6/6/2014:  My area experienced some pretty heavy rains last night.  We are expecting more rain this late afternoon and possibly through the night.  I figured this is an excellent time to begin using this product.  Upon looking at the bottle, I found that the documentation concerning "Agricultural Uses" is attached to the front label.  I smelled the product and it reminds me of the smell of nail polish.  It suds a lot too.  I followed the mixing directions for a 500 ppm strength dose (a smaller batch of 16 oz made by mixing water with about 1/2 tsp Zonix).  After spraying my plaints, I noticed that plants with glossy leaves now have a matte finish.  As recommended by the product use instructions, I applied Zonix very liberally (with special attention to my potatoes).

UPDATE 6/13/2014:  More heavy rains in my area.  I applied more Zonix after a huge downpour that occurred just before dusk.  So far, I have not seen much of a problem with fungal infections.  I actually saw an improvement with a rose bush that had powdery mildew.  The mildew has cleared up.

OBSERVATIONS 7/25/14:  Well, that rose bush that had fungus is now fungus free.  I really believe that that bush was the culprit that infected my tomato plants.  I still vigilantly apply Zonix after rains.  Some of my tomato plants have completely succumbed to fungus.  My Blue Streak, and several of my yellow varieties are not showing any new growth.  The fruit is still ripening, but they are having a slow death.

On the other hand, my Yellow Pear, Sungold and Mountain Magic varieties (while still showing horrible fungus) are trying to bounce back with new growth that is fungus free.  My daughter has a yellow pear in her raised bed that never developed fungus.  It is located a distance from my infected tomatoes.  That plant was treated with Zonix from infancy.

So far my zucchini and cucumber plants have not developed fungus.  I treated them with Zonix from the moment they sprouted.  Last year I had horrible problems with my zucchini and cucumbers having fungus.  This year, I planted disease resistant varieties (Eureka and Black Beauty).  Perhaps the combination of disease resistant plants combined with Zonix is a winning formula for success.  I will keep you posted.

UPDATE 12/09/2014:

Well, I can tell you my full observations now that I have experienced the entire spring/summer/fall growing seasons.

In the end, the zucchinis died, but the cucumbers survived.  Tomato plants all did poorly in the end... except for the  Mountain Magic and Sungold tomatoes which continued to produce till the end of the season (however, they too continued to have fungus issues).


I wish I could give you a completely definitive evaluation, but the fact is... I ultimately used several methods to get fungus under control this year.  This year was far worse than last year.  What that means is, I cannot tell you if all or one of these products worked.  In fairness, my review will remain at four stars due to the fact that I did experience relief of problems to some degree.  However, I would really like to see more information from performance studies.  I have not really seen anything that shows conclusive results (universities, extension offices, gardening associations... nothing).  If the manufacturer happens to see this review and can provide some reference sources, that would be great.