A Detailed Guide to the Most Common Diseases of Luffa and Their Control Methods
Luffa is one of the most commonly grown vegetables. Every year when summer arrives, large amounts of luffa appear in our view, and the luffa bought at this time is also the cheapest. However, in 2018 the price of luffa stayed high, and when growers were asked the reason, it turned out to be disease. Today we introduce the most common diseases of luffa and their control methods as follows:
1. Luffa downy mildew
(1) Symptoms and causes of luffa downy mildew: Luffa downy mildew mainly harms the leaves. Yellow spots appear on the leaf surface, and after they expand they form patches. The cause is that the downy mildew fungus overwinters on diseased plant debris; large temperature fluctuations and poor drainage both make infection easy.
(2) Control methods for luffa downy mildew: Choose disease-resistant varieties, strengthen field management, apply more organic fertilizer to improve disease resistance, pay attention to training and pruning the vines, and ensure ventilation, light penetration and air movement between plants; agents such as carbendazim wettable powder can be used to control downy mildew.
2. Luffa anthracnose
(1) Symptoms and causes of luffa anthracnose: Luffa anthracnose is caused by fungi. The patches are round, but vary in size, and the color also differs under different temperature and humidity conditions.
(2) Control methods for luffa anthracnose: Spray with thiophanate-methyl wettable powder or anthracnose-specific agents, about once every 8 days, for about 3 consecutive sprays.
3. Luffa phytophthora blight
(1) Symptoms and causes of luffa phytophthora blight: Luffa phytophthora blight mainly harms the fruit, and sometimes the vines are also affected. When it occurs, it starts from the flower base and extends all the way to the fruit; the gourd quickly becomes soft and rotten, with a white substance.
(2) Control methods for luffa phytophthora blight: Spray agents such as cymoxanil mancozeb to sterilize, about once a week, depending on the situation.
4. Luffa powdery mildew
(1) Symptoms and causes of luffa powdery mildew: Luffa powdery mildew mainly harms the leaf stalks, leaves and fruit. Irregular white patches form on the leaf surface, and in the later stage the entire leaf withers.
(2) Control methods for luffa powdery mildew: Spray Bordeaux mixture for prevention, about once a week, and 3 sprays are enough.
5. Luffa gummy stem blight
(1) Symptoms and causes of luffa gummy stem blight: Luffa gummy stem blight mainly harms the vines, and the leaves and fruit are also affected. The lesions on the vines are irregularly round, white liquid flows from the affected parts, and eventually the vines wither and die.
(2) Control methods for luffa gummy stem blight: In the early stage of the disease, spray 700-times dilution of diethofencarb wettable powder, or 1500-times dilution of prochloraz wettable powder, or 700-times dilution of iprodione wettable powder, or 2500-times dilution of myclobutanil emulsifiable concentrate, or 500-times dilution of chlorothalonil wettable powder, or 500-times dilution of carbendazim wettable powder, once every 5 days, for 3 consecutive sprays.
6. Luffa viral disease
(1) Symptoms and causes of luffa viral disease: The main transmission routes of luffa viral disease are through aphids and sap, among others, and it causes patches to form on young leaves. They then turn yellow and wither. The incidence rate is higher during the high-temperature period in summer.
(2) Control methods for luffa viral disease: After infection, agents such as Virus A wettable powder should be selected for spraying control.
Summary: The above 6 points are an introduction to the common diseases of luffa and their control methods. We hope this can help grower friends who need it. This article is compiled from the Internet.