What causes melon vine collapse? A detailed guide to prevention and control methods
Melon, also called muskmelon, is an annual trailing herbaceous plant and a midsummer fruit that helps relieve heat, and is rich in protein, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. During cultivation, melons are prone to the phenomenon of vine collapse, so how should it be solved? Let's take a look together.
1. Symptoms of melon vine collapse
Melon vine collapse is a physiological disease that often appears in the late growth stage of melons and often leads to a decline in melon yield. When vine collapse occurs, the melon plants show weakness. When the weather is clear, light is abundant and the temperature is high, sudden rainstorms occur, followed by a sharp drop in temperature at night with an extremely large temperature difference that cannot be tolerated, making vine collapse very likely to occur. In mild cases it can slowly recover, while in severe cases most plants wither and die.
2. Causes
First, because soil waterlogging or excessively low humidity obstructs root respiration and causes root oxygen deficiency, the activity of anaerobic bacteria produces a large amount of harmful substances that poison the root system, so the roots cannot grow normally and lose the ability to balance leaf transpiration with root water supply; in this way the stems and leaves become weak, and vine collapse occurs. Second, in the high-temperature season, daytime temperatures are relatively high and transpiration is vigorous, or after a long period of cloudy weather turns clear, the amount of water lost through transpiration exceeds the amount of water supplied by the roots, causing the melon vines to wilt and lodge. This phenomenon is more prominent in the late growth stage. In the late growth stage, the regenerative capacity of the root system is weaker, and once damaged it recovers slowly or cannot recover, so the harm is only greater.
3. Prevention and control methods
When the weather turns clear after rain, water immediately, so as to lower the soil temperature and ground surface temperature. After watering, the drainage outlets should be opened in time so that the water that has been added drains out quickly again. If the production area is relatively large or the water source is insufficient, the method of watering every other bed or every other section can be used. After watering, cultivate the soil in time to keep the soil temperature normal, which can also play a role in prevention and control. On rainy days, drainage should also be done in time to ensure that there is no water accumulation in the field. After rain, cultivate the soil so that the soil is loose and the roots can respire normally. In addition, before field operations, wash hands and tools with soapy water to prevent transmission through sap friction. Spray chemicals as soon as pests and diseases first appear, once about every 10 days, and carry out continuous control 2 to 3 times depending on the condition.
The above introduction to the causes of melon vine collapse and the prevention and control methods is hoped to help you. To learn more related knowledge, please keep following us.