What are the causes of empty chestnut burrs and how can they be prevented and controlled?

Chestnut is a fruit we quite enjoy, but during cultivation, empty burrs can occur, causing a serious drop in chestnut yields and affecting growers' economic returns. The so-called empty burr phenomenon refers to when, during the growth and development of chestnuts, the spiny burr stops growing, forming a round ball shape, while the chestnuts inside are shriveled, with only shells and no flesh. So what causes empty burrs? How should they be prevented and controlled? Let's take a look.

1. Poor nutrition

During the chestnut fruit enlargement stage, a variety of nutrients are needed. According to research, the levels of reducing sugars, starch, amino acids and other trace elements in empty-burr chestnuts are much lower than in normally developing chestnuts, so poor nutrition is also one of the causes of empty chestnut burrs.

Prevention and control methods: Soil is an important factor in chestnut growth. When planting, choose areas with relatively good soil fertility, and during cultivation strengthen fertilizer and water management, watering and fertilizing scientifically and reasonably to meet the nutrients needed for chestnut growth. When symptoms caused by poor nutrition appear in the plants, apply additional fertilizer promptly to supplement nutrients. Before the chestnut fruiting stage, appropriately apply some multi-element compound fertilizer, which can reduce the occurrence of empty burrs.

2. Poor pollination

Poor pollination of chestnut plants is also one of the main causes of empty burrs. Because chestnuts are cross-pollinated, and the male and female flowers do not open at the same time - generally the male flowers open earlier and the female flowers later. During pollination, pollen is usually spread by wind, which limits the dispersal distance, so the fertilization rate on the same plant is relatively low. In addition, if there is a long rainy season during pollination, it can also lead to poor pollination.

Prevention and control methods: When planting, consider its cross-pollination characteristics. When establishing the orchard, several varieties can be selected to be planted together, which gives excellent pollination results, improves fruit set, and reduces empty burrs. During the male flower opening period, appropriately prune and thin flowers to reduce nutrient consumption, so the plant produces more female flowers. During pollination, manual assistance can be used, so that the fertilization rate reaches over 95%.

3. Lack of boron

In actual production, it is understood that boron is the most critical element for chestnuts during fertilization and fruiting. A lack of it prevents chestnuts from fertilizing normally, causing early embryo abortion and preventing the formation of normal nuts.

Prevention and control methods: During the chestnut fruiting stage, additional boron fertilizer can be applied to prevent this phenomenon, or borax can be mixed with water to make a solution and sprayed on the leaves, once a week for 2-3 consecutive times, with excellent results.

4. Other factors

In addition to the main causes of empty chestnut burrs above, there are also some reasons that directly or indirectly lead to empty chestnut burrs, such as climate, variety and pests and diseases. When unsuitable climatic conditions are encountered during chestnut cultivation, such as excessive rainfall or temperatures that are too low or too high, empty burrs can occur. Some varieties inherently have weak fruiting ability and are very prone to empty burrs. As for pests and diseases, there is no need to elaborate - this is a task that cannot be ignored in chestnut cultivation, and in severe cases it not only causes empty burrs but also leads to the death of plants over a large area.

Prevention and control methods: Choose to plant in areas with suitable climate, select varieties of excellent quality, continuously graft and breed improved varieties during cultivation, promptly eliminate inferior varieties once discovered, and strengthen pest and disease prevention and control work, treating promptly once discovered.

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