Pumpkin cannot be called a painful plant - it has a fairly strong immunity to infections and pests. Diseases of this culture are provoked by improper agricultural technology and unfavorable growing conditions. We will find out what the pumpkin is sick with, what insects threaten it, and how to deal with all this.
What is the problem with pumpkin?
Pumpkin can get sick with fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. Knowing the symptoms of diseases, simple control and prevention measures will help reduce the risk of injury to a minimum.
Bacteriosis
Belongs to the category of the most dangerous diseases. Can cause colossal crop losses. The causative agents are phytopathogenic bacteria. The infection is transmitted in different ways - water, wind, birds, insects.
The spread of the disease is facilitated by:
- temperature changes;
- increased soil and air humidity.
Bacteriosis symptoms:
- Dark green spots appear on the leaves.
- On pumpkins - brown ulcers. Fruits are deformed, take on ugly shapes.
- The leaves become mesh-like. They are dotted with ragged holes.
Bacteriosis persists on seeds and plant debris, so they must be removed from the site and destroyed.
How to treat:
- spray with 1% Bordeaux liquid;
- spray with 0.4% copper oxychloride.
To prevent the disease, pre-sowing disinfection of seeds with zinc sulfate 0.02% is carried out.
Powdery mildew
A fungal disease that usually appears when agricultural technology is violated. Disseminated by spores. Infection can occur through plant debris.
Factors provocateurs:
- dampness and coolness;
- a lot of nitrogen in the soil.
Powdery Mildew Signs:
- on the leaves - round white spots;
- the spots merge into one large - white bloom covers the entire sheet;
- over time, a whitish bloom passes to all parts of the pumpkin;
- the affected parts of the plant, darkening, dry out;
- the disease disrupts photosynthesis - this causes a slowdown in the formation of ovaries, a deterioration in the taste and quality of the fruit.
How to treat:
- Sick plants are treated with colloidal sulfur - using 70% paste or 80% granules. The solution is prepared by mixing 10 liters of water and 20 g of sulfur.
- Spray with mullein solution. Fresh mullein is poured with water (1: 3) and insisted for 3 days. After straining, dilute with water - 3 liters of water per 1 liter of infusion.
- If the above methods did not help, the plantings are sprayed with "Topaz".
To minimize the risk of injury, it is recommended to choose modern pumpkin varieties.
If the leaves are heavily infected, fruiting bodies are formed on them, in which the spores of the fungus mature.
Downy mildew
In appearance, peronosporosis (this is the second name of the disease) is very similar to powdery mildew. Diseases can be distinguished by the color of the plaque. In powdery mildew it is white, in peronosporosis it is gray with a purple tint.
Provoking factors:
- high humidity;
- temperature in the range from +16 to +22 ° C;
- rains and fogs.
When the temperature rises to +30 ° C, the symptoms of downy mildew disappear.
Peronosporosis symptoms:
- gray bloom is concentrated on the inside of the foliage;
- the outer side of the leaves is covered with yellow spots, over time they begin to darken;
- leaves lose liquid, dry out, become brittle.
How to treat:
- Spray with a solution of copper oxychloride (35 g per 10 l of water).
- All parts of plants are subject to processing - diseased and healthy.
To reduce the risk of peronosporosis, the established intervals between plants are observed - thickening contributes to the disease.
Root rot
Affects plant roots. Infections usually respond to weakened seedlings. If measures are not taken in time, the plants die.
What provokes root rot:
- sharp temperature drops;
- watering with cold water.
Root Rot Symptoms:
- The pumpkin roots turn brownish gray and soften.
- The leaves at the bottom of the plant turn yellow.
- The pumpkin stops growing and developing.
Treatment methods:
- Disinfection of seeds in a 0.5% solution of copper salts.
- The top layer of soil is removed. Instead, fresh, non-contaminated soil, peat, sand or sawdust are poured.
- The aboveground part of the plants is treated with wood ash, fluff lime, crushed coal or chalk.
- Spray with 1% solution of "Fundazol".
Watering with warm water (from +20 ° C) and soil treatment with the fungicide Previkur helps to reduce the risk of root rot infection.
Green spot
This disease appears in the second half of summer, shortly before harvest. The disease is transmitted by wind and water. At first, the symptoms are almost invisible, but the disease fully manifests itself during storage.
Provoking factors:
- clay soils;
- sudden changes in temperature.
Green Spot Symptoms:
- spots appear on pumpkins - light green or brown;
- cracking of the crust;
- during storage, the affected fruits deteriorate from the inside and quickly rot.
Fruits affected by green spot are not stored for storage - they must be processed immediately after harvesting.
How to treat green spot:
- spraying with Bordeaux liquid;
- treatment with the drug "Alirin-B".
The following measures help prevent green spotting:
- the use of a seedling growing method;
- selection of large and weighty seeds;
- disinfection of seeds with aloe juice or potassium permanganate solution;
- hardening of seeds.
Yellow mosaic
The disease manifests itself very early - as soon as shoots appear. Or a little later - on young bushes. The disease is transmitted through the soil, as well as by insects - aphids, whiteflies and others.
Pumpkin against yellow mosaic does not have a high enough immunity. There is a risk of secondary infection, which in almost 100% of cases leads to the death of plants.
Provoking factors:
- weed vegetation;
- aphid infestation.
Symptoms:
- on young plants, the leaves turn white and curl;
- on adults - the leaves are covered with yellowish patterns;
- the plant looks sick and stops growing;
- fruits are deformed and do not develop, their coloring becomes mosaic.
How to treat:
- sprayed with karbofos solution;
- if the greenhouse pumpkin is sick, the top layer of the soil is removed, and a 0.5% solution of trisodium phosphate is used to process the greenhouse.
The following measures will help prevent yellow mosaic:
- disinfection of seed in potassium permanganate;
- treatment with an antifungal drug "Pharmayod-3";
- treatment of plants with an emulsion based on mineral oils.
After spraying the infected plantings, the clothes are boiled several times - the yellow mosaic virus can persist on the fabric for 2 years.
Anthracnose (copperhead)
This fungal disease affects the leaves and pumpkin. Spores of the fungus are carried through the air and, together with the rain, are carried by insects.
Pumpkins affected by anthracnose are unfit for food - their pulp acquires a bitter taste.
Causes of occurrence:
- high humidity;
- the presence of weeds on the site;
- heat.
Anthracnose symptoms:
- large brown-yellow spots appear on the leaves;
- over time, the spots dry and crumble;
- then the infection passes to the stems and fruits - they are covered with brown ulcers;
- the plant dries up, the pumpkins become shriveled and rot.
Treatment:
- spraying with 1% Bordeaux liquid;
- treatment with "HOM" preparation.
At the first symptoms of anthracnose, the plant should be treated with one of the above drugs. If the plant is completely infected, it is pulled out and destroyed.
Anthracnose prevention, in addition to general measures, involves the treatment of plants with sulfur powder.
When harvesting, they try not to damage the pumpkin rind - spores of the fungus can penetrate through the cracks into the fruit.
To prevent anthracnose, seed treatment with ash is used:
- dilute 40 g of ash in 2 liters of warm water;
- keep in a dark place for a day;
- soak the seeds in the solution for 6 hours;
- dry and use for planting.
Fusarium wilting
The causative agent is a soil fungus that can live in the ground for a long time. It also persists on seeds. Infection occurs through the soil - the fungus first penetrates the roots, and then spreads along the vascular system of the stem.
You can infect a plant during weeding and hilling - by damaging the roots. The fungus quickly penetrates wounds and cracks.
Causes of occurrence:
- low temperatures at the stage of emergence;
- high temperatures at the stage of an adult plant;
- clay and loamy soils in drought conditions;
- increased soil acidity.
Fusarium wilt symptoms:
- weakening of the root system;
- thinning of the stems;
- the affected areas are covered with a white-pink bloom;
- the leaves turn yellow if the summer is dry and dry out.
It is almost impossible to detect Fusarium at an early stage, since the lesion starts from the roots. When the signs become visible, the whole plant is already affected, it remains only to destroy it. Therefore, all measures to combat fusarium wilting are preventive, aimed at preventing the disease.
Prevention of fusarium:
- top dressing with organic matter and mineral fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium;
- processing of seedlings with "Kornevin";
- soil treatment with fungicides, for example "Fundazol", "Fitosporin-M", "Baktofit" and the like;
- spraying seedlings with a solution of milk and iodine.
White rot
Sclerotiniasis (second name) affects the pumpkin at the fruiting stage - its fruits and all aerial parts. The causative agent is a fungus, the spores of which winter in the ground, and then are carried by the wind. The disease affects a variety of cultures and is very common in Russia.
Reasons for the appearance:
- waterlogging of the soil;
- high air humidity - about 90%;
- low temperatures - from +12 to +15 ° C;
- watering with cold water;
- tight fit.
Symptoms of white rot:
- a whitish flocculent bloom appears on the affected fruits;
- further sclerotia appear on the fruits - dark spots;
- the affected areas become soft.
As a result of the disease, all affected fruits die at the root or later, after harvesting. Pumpkins plucked from a diseased plant may look healthy, but they will rot during storage.
How to treat:
- sprinkle the affected parts with crushed chalk or coal;
- smear the diseased areas of the fruit with a paste of chalk, potassium permanganate and water;
- cut out the affected area, capturing part of the healthy fetus.
To prevent white rot, plantings are sprayed with:
- a solution of urea (10 g), zinc sulfate (1 g) and copper sulfate (2 g);
- at the stage of three leaves, they are treated with Bordeaux liquid.
Pumpkin pests and control methods
The pumpkin does not have many pests, and the main methods of struggle are folk. “Chemistry” gardeners try to use in the most extreme cases.
Melon aphid
This pest can be seen on the inside of the leaves - it is here that they settle in their colonies. Aphid larvae can appear in flowers and ovaries.
The aphid has an oval body of yellow or green color, its length is 1.25-2 mm. The insect drinks the juices of the plant, so aphids need to be destroyed as soon as possible.
If the wingless insects are not lime, the next year the garden is attacked by females with wings, which, flying from plant to plant, will quickly destroy the crop.
The defeat of aphids contributes to:
- weed vegetation;
- violation of agricultural technology and lack of prevention.
Signs of defeat:
- sheets curl and fall off over time;
- flowers fall;
- the plant stops growing, the probability of plant death is high.
Aphids are a carrier of dangerous diseases.
How to spray:
- Decoctions of celandine and wormwood. In a bucket of water, pour 2-3 kg of chopped grass with water. Insist day.
- Infusion of onion peels. In 10 liters of warm water, 200 g of husks are insisted.
- Soapy solution. 150 g of laundry soap is diluted in a bucket.
- Chemicals - Karbofos, etc.
Chemistry treatment should be stopped 20 days before harvest.
Aphid attacks can be prevented by attracting ladybirds.
Spider mite
The spider mite is a small but worst enemy of the pumpkin. If you do not help the plant, it will certainly die.
Factors provoking the appearance of spider mites:
- dry and hot weather;
- lack of autumn digging - larvae and mites winter in the soil.
The body length of the tick is 0.3-0.4 mm. It lives on the inside of the leaves. Having settled on a plant, insects gradually draw out all the juices from it.
Signs of defeat:
- on the inside of the leaves - yellow dots;
- single spots gradually merge into one large one;
- the insect first cobwebs the leaves;
- hard areas appear on the fruit.
How to fight:
- spray the planting with warm water;
- process plants with infusion of onion peels or garlic - 200 g per 10 liters of water;
- spray with "Keltan", "Karbofos", etc.
Clicker beetle (wireworm)
Beetles do no harm to pumpkins. Its larvae - wireworms - are harmful. They are dangerous in the second year of life, when they turn yellow, covered with a dense chitinous membrane.
Harm from wireworms:
- eat young shoots;
- affect the roots and root collar.
How to fight:
- set up traps;
- if the infestation is high - insecticide treatment.
Wireworm baits are made from pieces of potatoes, turnips, beets. The chopped root vegetables are placed in small depressions, and after a few days they are taken out together with the larvae.
Slugs
Appear in late spring. They are very prolific, gluttonous and capable of causing significant damage to the crop. Wet and cool weather contributes to their spread. Slugs crawl out at night, and hide in the morning.
Slug damage:
- eat ovaries;
- eat young leaves of plants;
- eat away the fruits.
How to deal with slugs:
- thin out plantings, weed out and loosen the soil;
- make traps from cabbage leaves, boards, damp rags;
- dust the soil with ash or tobacco dust;
- carry out the processing of plantings with infusions of chamomile, garlic, wormwood;
- make protective strips of lime or copper sulfate;
- if there are a lot of pests, the soil around the plants is sprayed with "Creocid-100" or sprinkled with "Thunderstorm".
Sprout fly
The fly itself does not harm the pumpkin, its larvae are dangerous. The fly reaches a length of 5-7 mm. She has a gray body, and a dark stripe crosses the abdomen. The larvae are white, grow up to 7 mm in length, slightly narrowed in front.
Pupae, overwintering in the ground, fly out in May and lay the clutch in the ground. After hatching, the larvae eat the germinating seeds and pumpkin seedlings.
Damage from sprout fly larvae:
- making their way inside the stem - living and eating in it, they destroy plants;
- do not allow the development of pumpkin seedlings - they can destroy 2/3 of the plants.
Control methods:
- dressing seeds before sowing with "Fentiuram";
- plant seedlings as early as possible;
- dig up the soil in the fall, adding fresh manure and mineral fertilizers.
Prevention measures
In addition to special preventive measures used to prevent infection with specific diseases and pests, there is a set of general measures. Their implementation allows you to resist all diseases and pests at the same time.
General measures for the prevention of diseases and pests of pumpkin:
- destruction of diseased plants;
- regular weeding and weed control (burning);
- planting varieties resistant to diseases;
- adherence to the planting scheme - dense plantings should not be allowed;
- deep pre-planting soil digging with the introduction of manure;
- disinfection of soil "Fitosporin" or "Gamair";
- compliance with the principles of crop rotation;
- soil mulching;
- regular watering of the pumpkin;
- regular inspection of landings.
Fighting diseases and pests of pumpkin, it is important to identify the problem in time, and even better - to prevent its occurrence. By taking timely preventive measures, you can reduce the risk of pumpkin damage to a minimum.
Author of the publication
12
Russia. City Novosibirsk
Publications: 276 Comments: 1