A Detailed Guide to the Control Methods for Common Diseases and Pests of Polygonatum

Polygonatum, also known as chicken-head polygonatum and yellow chicken vegetable, is a relatively common Chinese herbal medicine with the effects of tonifying the spleen, moistening the lungs and promoting fluid production, and it is extremely widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, wild plants cannot meet market demand, so artificial cultivation of polygonatum has risen, bringing many medicinal herb growers relatively high economic returns, but during cultivation it is prone to damage from diseases and pests. Below, let's take a look at Qinnong Web's guide to the control methods for common diseases and pests of polygonatum.

1. Polygonatum black spot disease

Black spot disease is one of the main diseases of polygonatum during cultivation. It is a fungal disease that mainly damages the leaves. Its pathogen can overwinter in the soil and on diseased plant residues, and invades and infects when the temperature rises. In the early stage of the disease, irregular yellow-brown lesions begin to appear at the leaf tips, with purplish-red edges. As the disease develops, the lesions continue to spread and expand, and eventually the entire leaf withers. The disease is more severe in rainy seasons.

Control method: During overwintering, clean the field, collect the diseased residues and burn them, then deep-plow the soil and disinfect it to reduce the pathogen. Before the disease occurs or in its early stage, spray with a 1000-fold dilution of 50% Tuzet, once a week, for 2-3 consecutive times to achieve control.

2. Polygonatum leaf spot disease

Similar to black spot disease, it is also a fungal disease and also mainly damages the leaves. When the disease occurs, it starts from the base, and the leaves begin to show faded spots. As the faded area greatly increases, the lesions gradually expand, producing oval or irregular lesions. The center of the lesions is pale white, the edges are brown, and there is a yellow halo where they meet uninfected tissue. When the disease is severe, multiple lesions combine and cause the leaves to begin [to deteriorate], ultimately causing the leaves of the whole plant to wither and fall off.

Control method: Its control method is the same as that for black spot disease.

3. Anthracnose

Anthracnose is a common disease of many plants, and its distribution range is extremely wide. It mainly damages leaves and fruits. After polygonatum is infected, lesions begin to appear at the tips and edges of the leaves, initially reddish-brown in color. As the disease develops, the lesions expand and the color also changes to dark brown. The lesion areas often perforate and fall off, causing great harm. When the disease is severe, all the leaves of the entire plant rot and die.

Control method: It is likewise a fungal disease, and the preventive method is similar to the previous two. For control, a 1000-fold dilution of carbendazim can be sprayed.

4. Pests

The main pests of polygonatum include cutworms, white grubs and planthoppers. Among them, cutworms and white grubs mainly harm polygonatum seedlings, gnawing on the tender stems and young roots of polygonatum, affecting seedling growth or causing seedling death. In summer, which is a period of relatively fast environmental growth, planthoppers harm polygonatum flowers and fruits, affecting the seed-setting rate and reducing yield.

Control method: Pest control can use a combination of agricultural control and chemical control. Agricultural control mainly involves eliminating overwintering adult insects or eggs to reduce pests from the source, or using natural enemies for control during pest outbreaks, which causes less environmental pollution. Chemical control involves spraying specialized insecticides, which also causes certain harm to polygonatum itself, so attention should be paid to the dosage and concentration of the chemicals.

The above are the common disease and pest control methods for polygonatum brought to you by Qinnong Web. We hope they can help you. To learn more about medicinal herb cultivation knowledge, please stay tuned to Qinnong Web.