What Causes Plum Blossom and Fruit Drop? A Complete Guide to Prevention and Control Measures
Plums are one of the fruits highly favored by consumers on the market. As its market demand grows larger and larger, its planting area is also continuously expanding. However, the phenomenon of blossom and fruit drop that often occurs during cultivation seriously affects yield and growers' economic returns, so what causes plum blossom and fruit drop? Let's find out together.
1. Low temperature and frost
The plum tree blooms and sets fruit in early spring, which is a period of low temperatures, with changeable and extremely unstable weather. If low-temperature frost occurs at this time, it is extremely unfavorable for pollination and fertilization of the plum tree, and in severe cases it will cause blossom and fruit drop.
Prevention and control measures: Choose varieties with strong cold resistance, apply winter fertilizer before overwintering, and promptly apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer after harvest to improve the plant's cold resistance. Before frost, promptly irrigate with freezing water, whitewash or wrap the trunk, and use smoke fumigation in the orchard to improve cold and frost resistance. After early spring, delay removing cold protection materials so that the flowering period avoids the frost period and blossom and fruit drop are reduced.
2. Improper fertilizer and water management
In spring, continuous rainy weather and short sunshine hours over a long period weaken the plant's transpiration, affect nutrient synthesis, and easily cause blossom and fruit drop. In addition, when the soil is drought-stricken and lacking water for a long time, blossom and fruit drop can also occur. Long-term failure to fertilize or applying too little fertilizer can also cause blossom and fruit drop due to insufficient nutrition.
Prevention and control measures: Fertilizer and water management for pear trees during the flowering period must be strengthened. Irrigate promptly during drought and drain promptly after rain. Plum trees have a large number of flowers and need a large amount of nutrients to supply growth, so they must be topdressed 4-5 times each year to ensure their nutrient needs. Apply base fertilizer heavily in summer and autumn to supply nutrients to the plant over the long term; topdress once before flowering to increase the fruit-setting rate; fertilize once during the fruit expansion period to accelerate fruit expansion and improve yield and quality; fertilize once after harvest to help the plant recover its tree vigor as soon as possible and lay the foundation for high yield the following year.
3. Root damage
When planting, many farmers carry out timely intertillage and fertilization during flowering and fruiting to help the fruit tree grow well, improve soil aeration, promote root growth, and enhance absorption capacity. However, improper operation during intertillage damages the plant's root system, weakening its absorption of water and nutrients. Due to the lack of water and nutrients, the plant then experiences blossom and fruit drop, and in severe cases may even wither and die.
Prevention and control measures: When intertilling, be sure to pay attention to the depth and do not till too deeply. The intertillage depth should be determined according to the tree age to avoid damage to the root system.
4. Pests and diseases
The main diseases of plums include bacterial shot hole disease, gummosis, red spot disease, and leaf drop disease. Pests include red spider mites, aphids, scale insects, plum sawflies, fruit borers, and leafminers. They damage flowers, leaves, and fruits, and also affect tree vigor, causing blossom and fruit drop.
Prevention and control measures: Great importance must be attached to the prevention and control of pests and diseases. Strengthen fertilizer and water management to improve the plant's disease resistance. After harvest in autumn and winter, in combination with orchard cleanup, prune off diseased and pest-infested branches to reduce sources of pests and diseases, and spray pesticides promptly for control when disease occurs.
The above is an introduction to the causes of plum blossom and fruit drop and prevention and control measures. We hope it can help you. For more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.