What are the common pest and disease control methods for citrus?

The mandarin orange is a common fruit in southern China. It is rich in vitamin C and is a relatively popular fruit. However, during cultivation, mandarin oranges suffer from the intrusion of many pests and diseases, seriously affecting yield and quality and causing the fruit's appearance and taste to be poor. Below, Qinong Net brings you the common pest and disease control methods for mandarin oranges. Let's learn about them together.

1. Citrus canker

Citrus canker is more serious in rainy areas. When it occurs, small brown spots appear on the leaves and fruit, and as the disease develops, the fruit and leaves become densely covered with spots. In mild cases, a large number of disease scars appear on the surface of the fruit, which not only affects appearance and price but also makes the fruit less storable and prone to rot. In severe cases, it causes the fruit to drop, resulting in serious losses.

Control methods: When planting, choose seedlings that are strong-growing, disease-free, and undamaged, strengthen fertilizer and water management to increase the plants' disease resistance, and spray pesticides regularly for control. When disease occurs, promptly remove diseased leaves and diseased fruit to prevent the disease from spreading, and spray a 300-fold high-fat film solution for control.

2. Anthracnose

Anthracnose is one of the most common and most damaging diseases of many fruits. It mainly harms the fruit and also harms the leaves. In the later stages of the disease, it causes branches and leaves to wither and drop and the fruit to rot, and in severe cases it causes the plant to die. When the leaves are affected, dark green lesions appear, and as the disease develops, the lesions turn brown, the leaves begin to curl and wilt, and finally drop off. When the fruit is affected, dark green oil-soaked spots and lesions appear on the skin, and the disease rapidly expands to the entire fruit. During the rainy season or when air humidity is high, a white mold layer appears on the lesions, causing the fruit to rot.

Control methods: In winter, prune off the diseased leaves and diseased branches of the plants, clear away remnants in the orchard, and burn them in a centralized manner or bury them deeply to reduce pathogens. Apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to increase the plants' disease resistance. Strengthen management, drain water promptly during the rainy season, remove diseased parts when disease occurs, and spray pesticides for control.

3. Green mold

Green mold, also called blue mold, mainly harms the fruit. When it occurs, the pathogen invades from the fruit stem and wounds, causing water-soaked lesions on the fruit and making the skin easily split. As the disease develops, a white mold layer appears at the lesions, and this mold layer gradually turns blue or green over time, causing the fruit to rot.

Control methods: Harvest the fruit only when it is ripe, and be careful during harvest not to cause wounds. The best harvest time is in clear weather, not in cloudy and rainy weather. After harvest, leave the fruit in a cool, ventilated place for about a week before storing it in the warehouse. The storage place must be dry and clean, not damp. When disease occurs, spraying a 400-600 fold thiabendazole suspension concentrate can control it.

4. Pests

Mandarin oranges have many pests, mainly red spiders, scale insects, and whiteflies. They mainly harm the fruit and leaves, often gathering on the undersides of leaves to suck sap, causing the leaves to wither and drop, resulting in poor plant growth and affecting yield and quality.

Control methods: During overwintering, clear away remnants in the orchard, burn them in a centralized manner or bury them deeply, then scrape off the insect eggs on the plants to reduce pest sources. When damage occurs, natural enemies can be used for control, and chemical pesticides can also be sprayed for control.

The above are the common pest and disease control methods for citrus brought to you by Qinong Net. There are more than 400 kinds of pests and diseases of mandarin oranges. Here we list several of the more common ones, hoping to help you. For more agricultural knowledge, please follow Qinong Net.