What are the common diseases of loofah? Latest summary

Loofah can be said to be an essential cooling vegetable for summer, and large-scale planting bases will basically grow loofah. But precisely because the planting area is too large, it will also suffer from diseases during the growing process. Below is an introduction to what diseases affect loofah.

1. Loofah downy mildew

Loofah downy mildew mainly damages the leaves. Yellow spots will appear on the leaf surface, and after they expand they will form patches. When it is humid, dark black patches will appear, they will infect each other, the leaves will wither, and the yield will drop severely. The cause is that the downy mildew fungus overwinters on diseased residues; large temperature fluctuations and poor drainage make infection very easy. Fungicides such as carbendazim wettable powder can be used to control downy mildew.

2. Loofah blight

Loofah blight mainly damages the fruit, and sometimes the vines are also damaged. When the disease occurs, it starts from the flower base and extends all the way to the fruit. The gourd will quickly become soft and rotten, and there will also be a white substance. This is caused by the spread of molds such as flagellate fungi on the seeds. Fungicides such as cymoxanil mancozeb can be sprayed for sterilization, about once a week, depending on the situation.

3. Loofah anthracnose

Loofah anthracnose is caused by fungi. The patches are round, but they vary in size, and the color also differs under different temperature and humidity conditions. This can be prevented in advance. Fungicides such as thiophanate-methyl wettable powder or anthracnose-ling can be sprayed, about once every 8 days, and about 4 consecutive sprays are enough.

4. Gummy stem blight

Gummy stem blight mainly damages the vines, and the leaves and fruit will also be damaged. The lesions on the vines are irregularly round, and white liquid will flow from the affected area, eventually causing the vines to die. The patches on the leaves look like the letter “u”, are mostly brown, and will rupture. The fruit is the same as the vines, irregularly round, and the flesh rots.

5. Loofah powdery mildew

Loofah powdery mildew mainly damages the leaf stalks and leaves and fruit. Irregular white patches will form on the leaf surface, and later the whole leaf will wither. This disease is difficult to notice in the early stage, but once discovered it is difficult to treat, so it can only be prevented in advance. Around July, spray Bordeaux mixture for prevention, about once a week, and 2-3 sprays are enough.

6. Loofah viral disease

The main transmission routes of loofah viral disease are through aphids and sap, among others. It will cause patches to form on young leaves. They then turn yellow and wither. The incidence rate is relatively high during the high-temperature period in summer. With this disease, attention should be paid to temperature control and prevention of aphids. After infection, fungicides such as virus A wettable powder should be selected for spraying control.

The above are several common diseases of loofah. As an essential summer vegetable, planting protection is the most important thing for loofah. All vegetables have diseases. These diseases are somewhat contagious for loofah. If they are found and cannot be remedied, the diseased gourds should be disposed of immediately to avoid infecting other gourds and affecting the yield.