A Detailed Guide to the Latest Control Methods for Pea Basal Rot
Peas are a common vegetable in our daily lives and are grown over an extremely wide range. However, during the seedling stage, peas are prone to basal rot, which causes slow seedling growth, lodging, and gradual death, resulting in significant damage. So how should pea basal rot be controlled? Follow along with the editor to learn more.
1. Symptoms
Pea basal rot, also known as pea seedling damping-off, mainly occurs during the seedling stage of peas and can harm both the seeds and seedlings. When seeds are affected, it causes seed rot before emergence. After seedlings are infected, constriction and rot appear at the stem base or root crown, with the diseased area ranging from brown to reddish-brown. Lesions on the cotyledons are nearly round and reddish-brown. Elliptical or elongated lesions form at the stem base or root crown, or the lesions gradually become sunken. When they expand to encircle the stem, the diseased area shrinks or cracks, causing seedlings to grow slowly, lodge, or gradually wither and die. When humidity is high, a light brown, cobweb-like mold also develops.
2. Occurrence Pattern
The pathogen of pea basal rot overwinters in the soil as mycelium or sclerotia and can survive saprophytically in the soil for 2-3 years. The mycelium can directly invade the host and can also spread through watering and farming operations. The basal rot pathogen can reproduce between 13-42 degrees, with the optimum temperature at 24 degrees. In addition, overly dense sowing, delayed thinning, excessively high temperatures, or off-season cultivation can all easily trigger this disease.
3. Preventive Measures
Peas should not be grown continuously. A rotation of more than three years with non-leguminous crops should be implemented, as this can reduce the pathogen population in the plot and lower the likelihood of disease. When planting, varieties with stronger cold tolerance should be selected. At the same time, seedlings should be raised on idle land with good drainage and sunny exposure, using disease-free soil as the seedbed soil. If an old seedbed is used for seedling raising, the bed soil should be thoroughly turned and sun-dried. Before transplanting, cuttings and weeds should be removed, and the soil should be deeply plowed and sun-bleached or flooded for 3-4 days, which can eliminate insect pupae hidden in the soil and reduce the base population of pests and diseases. When preparing the land, 600-750 kg of quicklime can be spread per mu to adjust soil pH and prevent soil-borne diseases. During cultivation, diseased plants should be pulled out promptly, or the diseased parts should be removed and taken out of the field for disposal.
4. Chemical Control
In the early stage of disease onset, tolclofos-methyl EC, thiophanate-methyl, validamycin, or hymexazol can be applied as a drench for control. When Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium occur together, Previcur or thiram can be used, applying once every 7-10 days depending on the condition, for 2-3 consecutive applications.
The above is an introduction to the control methods for pea basal rot. We hope it helps you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.