Never spray herbicides carelessly when weeding litchi and longan orchards
Melons & Fruits0 views
Dodder has no roots and no leaves, but its stem has serrated haustoria (or sucking roots), which penetrate deep into the bark to absorb nutrients, affecting the growth of fruit seedlings and, in severe cases, causing young seedlings to wither and die. It is more common in mature mountain litchi orchards. Dodder can flower and set seed; the flowers are small and white, and the fruit drops on its own after ripening...
With the development of litchi and longan production, orchard weeding has changed from the original loosening of soil and removal of weeds to spraying herbicides to kill weeds as the main method. The author has found in most orchards that spraying herbicides to control weeds does indeed save a lot of labor. Pests on litchi and longan fruit trees have increased, and the damage caused by pests such as red spider mites and aphids on litchi and longan trees has weakened the trees, yellowed the leaves, and worsened diseases and pests, resulting in crop failure the following year in mild cases and dead branches and fallen leaves in severe cases. Through investigation and observation, the author found that the main reason lies in the blind use of herbicides. The author has seen in most orchards of the forest farm and in nearby litchi and longan orchards that, in order to save manpower and material resources, fruit farmers weed more than twice a year or even more often. As a result, the orchard is completely bare or full of dead grass and miscellaneous leaves. During the rainy season, soil erosion is severe, and diseases and pests emerge one after another in the orchard. In the dry season, the soil is nearly hardened, dry, and losing water. Especially in recent years, mites have become a disaster on litchi and longan fruit trees. Young litchi and longan fruit trees that have not yet closed their canopy are very prone to weeds, and in winter the dry weeds can easily cause fires. In order to save input, most orchards spray herbicides to control weeds. Spraying herbicides is mainly done in summer and autumn to prevent weeds from growing too vigorously and to reduce hidden dangers. But herbicides must be used scientifically, not blindly. Otherwise, weeds will grow rampantly, causing pests and diseases to spiral out of control, soil hardening, and soil erosion. The main issue is that the biological balance is destroyed, causing beneficial natural enemies to lose their habitat and living space. Weeding in litchi and longan orchards should be selective; do not blindly spray herbicides to control weeds. When spraying herbicides to control weeds, note the following: 1. It is advisable to spray herbicide once a year, and the time should be chosen in late summer. At this time, the weeds that grew vigorously in the first half of the year are killed, and by winter they have decayed. From early autumn in the second half of the year, there is little rain and weeds grow slowly, thereby effectively controlling weed growth, effectively preventing fire, and maintaining a certain soil moisture and living environment for natural enemies. 2. Spray herbicides selectively to control weeds; do not spray the entire orchard. Protect seedlings or introduce some ground cover plants with thick fleshy parts that are not likely to cause fires. In addition, plants such as false peanut, white grass flower, and stylo can also be used as green manure to improve the soil. 3. Young fruit trees belong to investment-oriented orchards, and leguminous plants can be appropriately selected for interplanting. This does not affect the growth of the fruit trees and can also support long-term development with short-term returns or be directly planted as green manure, improving land use efficiency. This is beneficial to fruit tree growth, effectively reduces pests and diseases, improves the soil, maintains soil and water from erosion, and also effectively saves manpower and material resources and reduces input. Of course, litchi and longan fruit trees still need strengthened management, with attention to fertilization, intertillage, and disease and pest control.