Pest and disease control of cabbage in the open field
Diseases and pests of cabbage in the open field can significantly reduce the yield or destroy it. Timely accepted methods of combating them prevent the death of plantings and save the cabbage crop.
Pest and disease control of cabbage in the open field
Fungal infections
Infections with a fungal nature significantly reduce the fertility of the soil and often lead to a complete loss of vegetable harvest. Each individual fungal disease affects both an individual cruciferous species and the entire cabbage family as a whole.
Keela
Cabbage keel is caused by a fungal pathogen and affects exclusively young plantings planted in open soil. It can be transferred along with seedlings that were infected at the stage of their cultivation in containers exposed for ventilation and hardening.
At risk of infection with cabbage keel are white and colored varieties.
In the process of damage to plants, their root system is gradually covered with growths that impede the normal flow of mineral nutrition and fluid. As a result of starvation and lack of water, the cabbage plant gradually lags behind in its development, withers.
Peronosporosis
Peronosporosis or powdery mildew is caused by a pathogen of fungal origin. It affects all species of the cruciferous family. Among the primary signs:
- manifestation of fungal infection even at the stage of growing seedlings,
- the appearance on foliage of gray and yellow spots and white bloom on the underside of the sheets,
- gradual wilting and dying off of affected cabbage leaves,
- slowdown in the growth and development of vegetable crops.
The main factor that contributes to the development and spread of powdery mildew is an increased moisture index.
Fusarium
The fungal causative agent of fusarium infects all cruciferous species, penetrating into the vascular plant system, creating obstacles to the passage of food and water, and leading to wilting of the vegetable crop.
Signs of defeat:
- the appearance of yellow spots on the leaves between the veins, increasing in areas up to a full leaf,
- gradual drying of leaves,
- the presence of brown spots from fungal mycelium on the cuts at the bases of the leaf attachment,
- small size of a head of cabbage and its irregular shape.
Viral infections
Viral infections in cabbage are not as common as fungal diseases, but they are distinguished by their rapid spread, not amenable to treatment, and most often lead to the death of the crop.
Mosaic
Disease can ruin crops
The mosaic virus is more likely to settle on cauliflower, but it also poses a threat to other cruciferous species.Its presence is detected only after a month has passed since the seedlings were planted in open ground, when dark green edges along the veins begin to appear on the foliage, gradually developing into necrotic spots.
Black ring spot
Black ring spot covers cabbage leaves with light green spots, clearly visible on the lower tier. Over time, they begin to darken, grow in the affected area, merging into a single spot. As a result, the affected leaves fall off prematurely.
Pests
Insects-parasites bring great harm to cabbage plantings. They begin to settle on young shoots already at the beginning of spring, lay eggs, from which colonies of larvae appear in a short time. In addition, they bring with them viral diseases and fungal infections.
Aphid
Cabbage aphid is one of the most common parasitic insects, feeding on the juice of young shoots. It settles in the lower vegetative part of the plant and gradually depletes it. Signs of the presence of aphids:
- slowing down the growth and development of cabbage,
- loss of their natural color by cabbage leaves and the appearance of a pink tint on them,
- twisting of foliage and its subsequent dying off.
Cabbage fly
The cabbage fly most often affects white cabbage and cauliflower. It intensifies its activity in the second half of May, leaving eggs in the ground, from which, after a week, larvae appear, feeding on cabbage roots. Signs of the presence of a cabbage fly:
- rotting of the root system,
- wilting of plants,
- the acquisition by the lower tier of gray cabbage leaves with a lead tint.
Fleas
Cruciferous fleas retain their activity in the soil and begin to creep out to the surface when the heat comes, immediately starting to feed on young seedlings. After the top layer of foliage is destroyed, they leave ulcers.
In most cases, cabbage does not cope with the pest, and the plantings die.
Methods of control and prevention
Against fungal diseases
Diseases should not be run
In the fight against fungal diseases, in some cases, measures are exclusively prophylactic, while in others mechanical methods of planting protection and chemicals can be used.
From cabbage keel
It is better to prevent the disease with cabbage keel. The affected cruciferous plants are removed along with the soil clod, lime is poured into the holes. Before planting cabbage seedlings in open soil, it is also recommended to treat the soil with a lime mixture at the rate of 1 kg of limestone per 4 square meters of planting area.
Powdery mildew
Treatment with phytophtorin and ridomil allows you to effectively combat powdery mildew. Among the aggressive methods of combating peronosporosis is a solution of Bordeaux liquid with a concentration of 1%. It is required for seedlings 0.2 liters per ten-liter bucket of water, and for matured cabbage - 0.5 liters per bucket. The working fluid is sprayed with plantings affected by powdery mildew.
Prevention: disinfection of the land, adherence to irrigation technology when leaving and meeting the requirements of crop rotation.
From fusarium
Treatment of infected plantings with systemic fungicides such as Benomil, Tekto, Topsin-M effectively helps against fusarium.
The mechanical method of fighting fusarium includes the removal of infected plantings. Due to the fact that the fungal pathogen is able to maintain its vital activity in the soil for several years in a row, according to the rules of crop rotation, it is forbidden to plant cabbage in one place several times.
Against viral infections
Mosaic and black ring spots that are viral are not cured. Prevention helps to effectively deal with them, which consists in carrying out a number of measures:
- disinfection of seed material before planting,
- timely removal of seedlings and heads of cabbage affected by a viral infection,
- removal of weeds and the fight against parasites that carry viral infections.
Against pests
Most often, chemicals and traditional methods of dealing with them are used against parasitic insects.
Against aphids
Among gardeners, Karbofos and Iskra, which have insecticidal properties, have proven their reliability in the fight against aphids.
As folk remedies, gardeners most often use tobacco, the pungent smell of which is not tolerated by pests. Garlic, onions, carrots and tomatoes planted between cabbage ridges have the same properties.
Against the cabbage fly
In the fight against cabbage fly, a Thiophos solution with a concentration of active substances of 30% is used. It is diluted with water. The consumption rate of the working fluid with thiophos is 0.25l per 1 plant.
A well-proven concentrated 65% Chlorophos, which is diluted to 0.25%. Consumption rate for 1 plant - 0.2l.
Among the folk remedies is the same tobacco mixed with limestone in equal proportions. The naphthalene which has a specific smell, which is mixed with river sand 1: 7, also helps.
Against flea beetles
Cruciferous fleas are afraid of moisture, so regular spraying is the best way to combat it. You can do it with soapy solutions. Dusting the plantings with ash powder and Karbofos and Aktara preparations helps to cope with flea beetles.