Causes of Little Leaf Disease in Jujube Trees and Treatment Methods with Pesticides

AbstractYou can spray the plant once every 7 days with pesticides such as dichlorvos, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin, and continue spraying for 1 month. You can also promptly prune off the diseased branches of the jujube tree, which not only effectively reduces the consumption of soil nutrients, but also prevents the pathogen from infecting other branches and leaves. When a jujube tree suffers from little leaf disease, it is generally triggered by pests and diseases such as planthoppers, thrips, and jujube gall midges, or it may be due to a lack of nutrients.

I. Treatment Methods for Little Leaf Disease in Jujube Trees

1. Spray pesticides

Little leaf disease in jujube trees is also called jujube witches' broom, and it mainly inhibits the jujube tree's absorption of nutrients from the soil. It is generally triggered by pests and diseases such as planthoppers, thrips, and jujube gall midges. When the disease occurs, you need to spray the plant once every 7 days with pesticides such as dichlorvos, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin, and continue spraying for 1 month.

2. Prune branches

You also need to promptly prune off the diseased branches of the jujube tree, which not only effectively reduces the consumption of soil nutrients, but also prevents the pathogen from infecting other branches and leaves, causing the situation to become more serious. This helps the jujube tree gradually recover its vitality, can also increase the yield of jujube fruit, and is beneficial for the healthy growth of the jujube tree.

3. Provide sufficient light

The jujube tree is a fruit tree that loves sunlight. Generally, after spraying the jujube tree with pesticides, you should also place it in a full-sun, well-ventilated environment for cultivation. Under sunlight, the jujube tree can recover its vitality faster, and its branches and leaves can also grow more luxuriantly.

4. Apply additional fertilizer

If a jujube tree suffers from little leaf disease, you can also promptly apply a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer. Generally, a potassium compound fertilizer is mainly applied, and well-rotted organic fertilizer can also be used instead of compound fertilizer. This helps increase the jujube tree's disease resistance, promotes good growth in the soil, and prevents excessive vegetative growth.

II. What Causes Little Leaf Disease in Jujube Trees

1. When a jujube tree suffers from little leaf disease, it is generally triggered by pests and diseases such as planthoppers, thrips, and jujube gall midges, or it may be due to a lack of nutrients. Little leaf disease is one of the serious diseases of jujube trees in China. If it occurs, the tree will bear very little fruit the next year, and a diseased tree is also called a “male jujube tree.” After 3-4 years of disease, the entire plant will die, posing a relatively large threat to production. It occurs in jujube-growing areas in both northern and southern China.

2. Among these, the disease is more severe in Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, and other cities. In recent years, little leaf disease has successively broken out and become a disaster in the jujube-growing areas of Meishan, Sichuan, and Guanyang, Guangxi, and is becoming increasingly serious. It can spread through grafting and root division, and the incubation period of the disease is from 25 days to more than 1 year.

3. Generally, Jinsi jujube is more susceptible to the disease, and jujube orchards with dry, barren soil and extensive management have more severe outbreaks. If diseased trees, diseased branches, and diseased suckers are found, they should be removed promptly to avoid the spread of the pathogen. In severely affected areas, strictly digging out all diseased trees year after year can control the occurrence of the disease.