The Latest Control Measures for Jujube Witches' Broom Disease

Jujube witches' broom disease, also called broom disease or fire dragon disease, is a fairly devastating disease that occurs on jujube trees. Symptoms first appear on the branches and leaves, then spread to the whole plant. So what exactly are the symptoms of jujube witches' broom disease? How should it be controlled? Let's take a look.

1. Symptoms of Jujube Witches' Broom Disease

1. When the roots are affected, large numbers of adventitious buds sprout, often growing clusters of short diseased roots, and multiple clusters of diseased roots can appear on the same root. In the later stage, the cortex of the diseased roots rots, and in severe cases the whole plant dies.

2. When the branches and trunk are affected, both the main buds and secondary buds sprout to form vegetative shoots, and the branches and leaves grow in dense clusters, the leaves turn yellow, the leaf margins curl upward, and the leaves become hard and brittle with a dull, lusterless surface. The buds on new branches can sprout repeatedly, forming thin, weak clustered branches with short internodes and small, yellow leaves.

3. When the leaves are affected, the diseased leaves that grow after flowering are narrow and long, with dark veins, light green in color, and tend to scorch easily. Sometimes a very small dark-veined leaf-like piece, resembling a mouse ear in shape, grows on the midrib on the underside of the leaf.

4. When the floral organs are affected, atavism occurs, and the pedicels, sepals, petals, stamens and pistils degenerate into thin, weak vegetative organs such as branches and leaves.

2. Disease Occurrence Pattern

The pathogen of jujube witches' broom disease moves from bottom to top when the tree buds, and from top to bottom after the branches stop growing, often causing the whole plant to become diseased. The occurrence and epidemic of the disease are related to variety and management. Because there are certain differences in disease resistance among different varieties, some varieties have a high incidence rate. In addition, jujube orchards with dry, barren soil, poor fertilizer and water conditions, extensive management, and severe pests and diseases together with weakened tree vigor also tend to have outbreaks of jujube witches' broom disease.

3. Control Measures

Diseased branches should be cleaned up in time, and diseased plants with no economic value should be eradicated. When planting, choose varieties with strong disease resistance as grafting rootstock, and at the same time strengthen orchard management and apply more alkaline fertilizer and farmyard manure. In the early stage of the disease, a hand drill can be used to drill a hole in the root collar of the diseased tree. In spring during the jujube tree budding period or in October, inject 500 milliliters of 0.1% tetracycline solution into each diseased tree. Alternatively, drill one hole on each side of the trunk base or the middle-lower part at a spot without scar nodes, deep enough to reach the pith, with a vertical distance of 10-20 cm between the two holes, and inject oxytetracycline solution containing 10,000 units with a high-pressure syringe.

The above is an introduction to the control measures for jujube witches' broom disease. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.