The Latest Technical Methods and Tutorial for Hami Melon Pest and Disease Control
Hami melon is a variation of melon, with round or oval fruit, produced in Xinjiang, not only delicious but also rich in nutrients, with high medicinal value and great prospects for cultivation, widely grown throughout China, and during production it often suffers from bacterial leaf spot, gummy stem blight, fungal leaf blight and other diseases. Let us take a look at the pest and disease control techniques for Hami melon!
Bacterial leaf spot
[Disease symptoms] In the early stage, water-soaked lesions appear near the veins on the underside of the leaves. The lesions expand rapidly and merge into a single patch, with a yellow halo at the edges.
[Control method] In the early stage of the disease, spray the leaves with 77% Duoning at 500 times dilution or 3% zhongshengmycin at 800 times dilution 2-3 times, once every 4-5 days.
Gummy stem blight
[Disease symptoms] It harms the vines and leaves. The diseased parts of the vines often split open, with dense small black spots on the surface, and in severe cases the diseased parts exude amber gum. When the average temperature is 18-25°C, soil moisture is high, and there is continuous cropping, poor drainage, and weak watermelon growth, the disease is more severe.
[Agricultural measures] 1. Strictly control soil moisture to avoid excessively high water content. 2. Reduce wounds on melon and vegetables to lower the chance of pathogen infection. 3. Avoid flooding the field when the disease occurs.
[Chemical control] In the early stage of the disease, spray the leaves with 25% Kairun emulsifiable concentrate at 1800 times dilution, or 32.5% Amimiao emulsifiable suspension at 1500 times dilution, or 24% Yingde at 2000 times dilution. The number of applications depends on the disease situation, generally 2-3 times, once every 3-4 days.
Hami melon powdery mildew
[Disease symptoms] The pathogen mainly harms leaves, and stems and petioles can also be affected. In the early stage, small round spots appear on the leaves. After the lesions expand, they join together into patches. In severe cases, both sides of the leaves, stems and petioles are covered with white powder, and the diseased leaves turn yellow, become brittle and curl. The pathogen overwinters in the soil as cleistothecia with plant debris. It spreads by airflow and rain. When the melon field has high humidity, dense plant growth and poor ventilation, the disease is severe.
[Control method] 1. Strengthen field management, apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, prevent excessive vegetative growth and premature aging from fertilizer deficiency, prune scientifically, improve ventilation and light penetration, and reduce humidity. 2. In the early stage of the disease, per mu, use 2-3 kg of 200-mesh sulfur powder, sprayed in the morning and evening when there is dew on the melon vines, or sulfur suspension at 200-300 times dilution, or 15% triadimefon wettable powder 67 g, or 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 600 times dilution, or 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 1000 times dilution, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive times.
Fungal leaf blight
[Disease symptoms] The disease occurs in July-August, mainly harming leaves, and petioles, stems and fruit can also be affected. In the early stage, water-soaked brown small spots can be seen on the underside of the leaves. The lesions gradually expand, and yellow-brown lesions can be seen on the upper surface of the leaves, slightly sunken, with water-soaked edges, becoming a chlorotic ring after drying, semi-transparent, with a gray-white center, and the concentric rings are more obvious under high temperature and high humidity. In the later stage, the lesions merge into patches, the leaves scorch like burned, and large areas turn brown. In severe cases, it affects fruit quality and yield, and can even cause total crop failure. The pathogen overwinters on diseased residues and seeds. It spreads by wind, rain and insects. During fruit setting, high temperature and high humidity make the disease likely to occur, especially during continuous cloudy and rainy days with high humidity, when the disease develops rapidly. Poor drainage, closed stems and leaves, poor ventilation and light penetration, and excessive nitrogen fertilizer application make the disease severe.
[Control method] 1. Strictly implement crop rotation of more than 5 years. 2. Strengthen field management, apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, promote robust plant growth, enhance disease resistance, plant at a reasonable density, prune in time, prevent excessive closure of stems and leaves, reduce the occurrence of disease, and promptly remove diseased leaves and bury them deeply or burn them. 3. In the early stage of the disease, spray with 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 600 times dilution, or 70% mancozeb or 50% Tuzet at 500 times dilution, or 70% thiophanate-methyl at 700 times dilution, once every 7-10 days, for 3-4 consecutive times.
Fungal leaf blight
[Disease symptoms] The disease occurs in July-August, mainly harming leaves, and petioles, stems and fruit can also be affected. In the early stage, water-soaked brown small spots can be seen on the underside of the leaves. The lesions gradually expand, and yellow-brown lesions can be seen on the upper surface of the leaves, slightly sunken, with water-soaked edges, becoming a chlorotic ring after drying, semi-transparent, with a gray-white center, and the concentric rings are more obvious under high temperature and high humidity. In the later stage, the lesions merge into patches, the leaves scorch like burned, and large areas turn brown. In severe cases, it affects fruit quality and yield, and can even cause total crop failure. The pathogen overwinters on diseased residues and seeds. It spreads by wind, rain and insects. During fruit setting, high temperature and high humidity make the disease likely to occur, especially during continuous cloudy and rainy days with high humidity, when the disease develops rapidly. Poor drainage, closed stems and leaves, poor ventilation and light penetration, and excessive nitrogen fertilizer application make the disease severe.
[Control method] 1. Strictly implement crop rotation of more than 5 years. 2. Strengthen field management, apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, promote robust plant growth, enhance disease resistance, plant at a reasonable density, prune in time, prevent excessive closure of stems and leaves, reduce the occurrence of disease, and promptly remove diseased leaves and bury them deeply or burn them. 3. In the early stage of the disease, spray with 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 600 times dilution, or 70% mancozeb or 50% Tuzet at 500 times dilution, or 70% thiophanate-methyl at 700 times dilution, once every 7-10 days, for 3-4 consecutive times.
Hami melon pink rot
[Disease symptoms] Pink rot is a relatively common disease of Hami melon, occurring from time to time in various places, and seriously affecting the yield and quality of Hami melon. On nearly mature or mature Hami melon fruit, nearly round to irregular lesions are produced, with indistinct edges, light brown, and on the lesions there first appears white, then pink mold-like material, namely the pathogen's conidiophores and conidia. The flesh under the lesions becomes bitter and inedible. It is one of the important diseases during storage and transportation.
[Control method] 1. Harvest at the proper time, not too late, and reduce various wounds. 2. Control temperature and humidity well during storage and transportation. Hami melon at 3-9°C, honeydew melon at 5-8°C, relative humidity should not exceed 85%, and pay attention to ventilation to dissipate moisture.
Root-knot nematode disease
[Disease symptoms] Root-knot nematode disease is an important disease of Hami melon, occurring and distributed in some areas. It can occur in protected cultivation and open fields, and is more severe in autumn. Infection at the seedling stage has a great impact on production. After the disease occurs, the diseased plant rate often reaches more than 60%, significantly affecting Hami melon production. It mainly harms the root system, producing many milky-white root knots of varying sizes on the main root and lateral roots. When the root knots are cut open, white semi-transparent pear-shaped nematodes can be seen. In the later stage of the disease, the diseased roots darken in color and finally rot. The aboveground part of the plant or seedling, as the disease develops, fades in leaf color and gradually wilts from bottom to top until all dies.
[Agricultural control] Raise seedlings in disease-free soil. In areas where the disease often occurs, use insect-free soil or field soil for seedling raising, apply organic fertilizer free of diseased residues or fully decomposed, and substrate seedling raising can also be used, while also paying attention to preventing human transmission. After harvest in severely diseased plots, thoroughly remove diseased root residues, deep plow the soil 30-50 cm, and carry out solar high-temperature disinfection and insect elimination in late spring and early summer. That is, after the previous crop is pulled up, apply quicklime and chopped rice straw at 4.5-7.5 tons/ha respectively, plow and mix evenly, then dig trenches and raise ridges or make beds, fill with water, cover with plastic film and press it down firmly, then close the greenhouse for 10-15 days, which can kill all nematodes, pathogens, weeds, etc. in the soil. After treatment, pay attention to applying biological bacterial fertilizer.
[Chemical control] Before sowing or transplanting, carry out soil treatment according to the nature of the pesticide. You can choose 1.8% abamectin emulsifiable concentrate at 10-15 L/ha, mix with water and apply evenly to the seedbed, or apply to the transplanting trench or transplanting hole before sowing or transplanting. You can also use 98%-100% metam-sodium microgranules at 75-120 kg/ha, evenly broadcast or apply in furrows within the top 20 cm of soil, and immediately after application cover with soil, sprinkle water to seal or cover with film for 7-12 days, then loosen the soil and aerate for 3-10 days, and then sow or transplant. You can also use 3% Mirel granules at 22.5-30 kg/ha, evenly applied in the transplanting trenches or holes.