A Detailed Guide to Common Diseases of Passion Fruit and Their Control Methods
Passion fruit has been a fairly popular fruit in recent years. It has high nutritional value and a unique flavor, and is deeply loved by consumers. Relatively speaking, its price is also higher, and its cultivation profits are high, so many people need to grow it. However, many novice growers have just come into contact with it, do not know much about its habits, and have little growing experience, especially when it comes to pests and diseases. Below, Qinong.com brings you its common diseases and control methods.
1. Damping-off
Damping-off occurs at the seedling stage. When it strikes, the stem of the plant becomes water-soaked, and this spreads rapidly until the stem wilts and falls over onto the ground. If the ground is quite moist, a layer of white mold will also grow around the plant, after which the leaves and roots all rot and die.
Control methods: When sowing and raising seedlings, choose a plot with higher terrain, a low groundwater table, and good drainage. Before planting, disinfect and sterilize the seeds and soil. At the seedling stage, regularly spray diluted potassium dihydrogen phosphate to prevent the disease. In addition, at the seedling stage, pay attention to ventilation and light transmission, and watering should be done according to the soil and climate.
2. Mosaic disease
Mosaic disease is a worldwide viral disease. It does not appear only on passion fruit. When it strikes, the leaves begin to fade and develop disease spots. In severe cases, the leaves curl and become deformed, and when flowering it also causes the flowers to be deformed and sparse. The plant grows weakly and becomes dwarfed, and the fruit is extremely small.
Control methods: Cultivate virus-free plants with strong disease resistance, strengthen management, and increase the resistance of the plants. Mosaic disease is spread by many insects, so eliminate transmission vectors such as aphids and other insects, and promptly remove diseased leaves and diseased plants when found.
3. Phytophthora blight
Phytophthora blight is a fungal disease. It mainly harms the seedling stage and is somewhat similar to damping-off. In the early stage, water-soaked lesions appear on the stems and leaves, and the disease spreads rapidly, ultimately causing the leaves to fall off and the plant to die.
Control methods: Choose seedlings with strong disease resistance for planting. Before planting, spray the soil with copper oxychloride to sterilize it. After discovering the disease, promptly remove diseased leaves and diseased plants to prevent the disease from continuing to spread, then spray with copper oxychloride.
4. Pests
Passion fruit has many pests, including aphids, thrips, and red spider mites. These pests all chew tender stems and tender leaves or suck sap, ultimately causing the plant's stems and leaves to wither and die.
Control methods: Most of them lay eggs in winter to overwinter, and these hatch the following year. Therefore, collect and burn the weeds around the plants and the fallen branches and leaves, and immediately scrape off any eggs found on the plants. When pests are found, their natural enemies can be used for control, or they can be removed directly with pesticides.
The above are the common diseases of passion fruit and their control methods brought to you by Qinong.com. For passion fruit pests and diseases, prevention should be the main focus. Usually, careful management is needed so that by the time diseases are discovered, it is not too late.