Two Methods for Controlling Cucumber Gray Mold

Cucumber, a plant of the genus Cucumis in the Cucurbitaceae family. Also called hu cucumber, qing cucumber. The fruit is oily green or emerald green in color, with soft small spines on the surface. Cucumber likes warmth and cannot tolerate cold. The suitable temperature for growth is 10-32°C. Generally, growth is best at 25-32°C during the day and 15-18°C at night; the most suitable soil temperature is 20-25°C, and the minimum is about 15°C. The most suitable day-night temperature difference is 10-15°C. At high temperatures of 35°C, cucumber photosynthesis is poor, and at 45°C high-temperature damage occurs; at low temperatures of -2-0°C it freezes to death, and if subjected to low-temperature hardening, it can withstand a low temperature of 3°C.

Cucumber has high yield and a large water requirement. The suitable soil moisture is 60-90%; during the seedling stage, water should not be excessive, with soil moisture at 60-70%; during the fruiting stage, sufficient water must be supplied, with soil moisture at 80-90%. The suitable relative air humidity for cucumber is 60-90%. If the relative air humidity is too high, disease is very likely to occur, causing reduced yield.

Cucumber likes moisture but cannot tolerate waterlogging, and likes fertilizer but cannot tolerate excessive fertilizer, so it is best to choose fertile soil rich in organic matter. It generally prefers soil with a pH between 5.5-7.2, but a pH of 6.5 is best.

"Two Methods" for Controlling Cucumber Gray Mold

Once cucumber gray mold occurs, if it then encounters cloudy and rainy weather and the humidity in the greenhouse is too high, the disease will spread rapidly and seriously affect cucumber yield. Therefore, correctly and promptly diagnosing this disease and carrying out effective control is an important guarantee for farmers to achieve high yields and increased income. Below we introduce two methods for controlling cucumber gray mold.

The main symptoms of cucumber gray mold: This disease mostly starts invading from withered female flowers. At first, water-soaked lesions appear at the flower base, and a gray-brown mold layer gradually grows, causing the floral organs to soften, shrink, and rot, and gradually spreading to young cucumbers. The diseased part of the fruit first turns yellow, and later produces white mold that gradually turns light gray, causing the diseased cucumber to stop growing, soften, rot, and shrink, and finally rot and fall off. When leaves are infected, the lesions are initially water-soaked, then become irregular light brown lesions with obvious edges.

The "two methods" for controlling cucumber gray mold:

1. Smoke method: Use 20% procymidone smoke agent, 200-250 grams per mu each time, or use 50% vinclozolin smoke agent, 250 grams per mu each time. Fumigate for 3-4 hours. Generally, fumigate in the evening and open doors and windows the next morning for ventilation;

2. Dust method: In the evening, spray 10% sumiselex dust, or 5% chlorothalonil dust, or 10% shaimeiling dust, 1 kilogram per mu each time, spraying once every 7-10 days, continuously or alternately spraying 2-3 times. The above fungicides have a better preventive effect than a curative effect. If used after disease onset, the dosage should be appropriately increased.