What causes bitter melon to rot
When bitter melon sets fruit, rotten melons sometimes appear. Many farmers, when they encounter this, do not know what the problem is. Nor do they know what disease has occurred. In fact, there is more than one cause of bitter melon rot; it is not necessarily a disease infection, and there may also be other causes. So next, let us look at what situations can cause bitter melon rot, and how to prevent and treat it.
1. Phytophthora blight
After infection with Phytophthora blight, dark green lesions mainly appear, the lesion edges are not obvious, and they spread very quickly. The lesions gradually rot. Finally, white mold-like growth appears on the surface. High humidity is the trigger for the disease. Prevention mainly involves choosing a high, dry planting site and planting appropriately sparsely. For control, spray a 600-fold solution of 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder, or a 600-fold solution of 80% penconazole wettable powder for spray treatment.
2. Fruit flies
Fruit flies lay eggs inside bitter melon, and after hatching they feed inside and cause damage. The damaged areas turn yellow, exude gum, and are prone to dropping. Finally, rotten melons appear. In this case, the main measure is to bag the fruit in transparent plastic bags after the fruit has set for protection. Use some attractants to trap and kill adult flies, and use a 800-fold solution of 90% trichlorfon crystals to spray and kill adult flies. For the larvae inside rotten melons, directly scald them to death with boiling water.
3. Fruit abortion
Some bitter melons rot before they have grown large, and it seems they were not infected by disease either, so it may be fruit abortion. The causes are a closed, stuffy space, poor photosynthesis, and insufficient nutrients; or the plant's nutrients are distributed unevenly, so the fruit cannot get nutrients and rots. It may also be a lack of elements: phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. For prevention, calcium fertilizer can be used at flowering, and calcium fertilizer should also be continuously supplemented at the seedling stage. When planting, it is best not to plant too densely.
4. Anthracnose
The symptom is that rot starts from the middle part of the bitter melon. The middle of the lesion is dark yellow, and the outer edge is golden yellow. Finally, it gradually expands and may rot off from the diseased part. Prevention mainly involves disinfecting seeds by soaking them in 50% hydrogen peroxide for several hours. Or soak them in hot water. The disease is severe at low temperatures, so the sowing time can be delayed. Spray a 700-fold solution of 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder, or a 1500-fold solution of 50% benomyl wettable powder. Once a week, for two consecutive times.
The causes of bitter melon rot are not the same, but the cause of rot can all be identified from the appearance of the rotten melon, and then targeted treatment can be carried out to improve the situation of rotten melons.