What are the latest reasons for cucumbers growing white fuzz

After cucumbers are planted and set fruit, various diseases often occur. This is why cucumber growers always find cucumbers with white fuzz in the field. What is the reason? Is it an infection from some disease, or a physiological disorder? Let us find out the reasons together, and the correct and effective control methods.

1. Cause

The white fuzz on cucumbers is actually caused by cucumber sclerotinia rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum). It can occur from the seedling stage throughout the entire growth period, with severe occurrence at the base. This is a disease caused by fungi, mainly a soil-borne disease; the sclerotia overwinter and oversummer in the soil. Seeds can carry the pathogen and spread it, and sometimes ascospores are produced, which spread with airflow. When flowers are affected, they can also transmit it when they fall and touch the stems and leaves. Cruciferous and solanaceous vegetables are heavily affected crops.

2. Symptoms

When the fruit is affected, water-soaked lesions appear at the blossom end, with soft rot, and cottony mycelium grows on the lesions. When the stem is affected, water-soaked lesions also appear, spread, turn light brown, begin to rot, and white cottony mycelium grows. Inside the stem there are sclerotia, and finally the plant wilts and dies. When seedlings are infected, water-soaked lesions encircle the base, causing damping-off; when warm and humid, white sclerotia form on the diseased part, later turning black.

3. Prevention

Practice rice-upland crop rotation; during the idle period, or in summer, soak the paddy field, and after harvest, plow deeply, or soak with water. To prevent seed-borne pathogens, use 10% salt water to rinse the seeds several times to sterilize them, or sun-dry the seeds, or spray with a 400-fold solution of 50% carbendazim. Or use hot water seed treatment. For soil disinfection, use a 500-fold solution of 50% procymidone, or a chlorothalonil solution.

4. Control

When disease occurs, use chemicals; the common ones are a 500-fold solution of 50% Kaisai water-dispersible granules and a 500-fold solution of 40% Shijiale. Then you can add a 2000-fold solution of organosilicon, after which spray and apply to the diseased parts, using it about once a week or a bit more than a week, for three consecutive applications; the effect is relatively good, but it can be adjusted according to the situation, and if the effect is good, the number of applications can be reduced.

The white fuzz on cucumbers is generally caused by sclerotinia rot, which is relatively easy to transmit and re-infect. If controlled in time, it can be avoided. It is a frequently occurring disease.