How to prevent and control common taro pests and diseases? Detailed practical methods
Taro has strong disease resistance, and diseases rarely occur. However, improper management can still lead to pest and disease problems, which harm taro growth and seriously affect taro yield and quality. So how should these pests and diseases be prevented and controlled? Let's find out together.
1. Taro blight
Taro blight is a fungal disease and one of the main diseases harming taro production. It mainly damages taro leaves and corms, with peak occurrence during the high-temperature period each year. It is extremely prone to occurring under conditions of high temperature and high humidity, excessive dense planting, or excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer. When the disease occurs, brown lesions appear on the leaves, the corms rot, and eventually the plants die.
Prevention and control methods: This disease should be mainly prevented. Before the disease occurs, spray mancozeb, yishuangling, metalaxyl and other agents alternately for better results.
2. Soft rot
Soft rot is characterized by rapid spread, multiple transmission routes, and difficulty in treatment. It is extremely prone to breaking out when plants are growing vigorously and encounter high temperature and high humidity conditions. It mainly damages the root and stem area. When the disease occurs, water-soaked lesions appear. As the disease progresses, the lesions expand, the root and stem tissues of the plant continuously soften, and under humid conditions they are extremely prone to rotting.
Prevention and control methods: When planting, choose varieties with strong disease resistance, such as red-bud taro, and carry out reasonable crop rotation to reduce pathogens. Strengthen field management during planting, increase the application of organic fertilizer to improve disease resistance, and when diseased plants are found, drain the field and sun-dry it in time to prevent the pathogen from spreading throughout the field. Spray % copper oxychloride suspension concentrate once every 10 days, for 2-3 consecutive times.
3. Leaf spot disease
Leaf spot disease is a bacterial disease. Its symptoms are not obvious when it occurs. It mainly affects taro leaves. When the disease occurs, some small brown spots appear on the leaves. When the disease becomes severe, the spots connect into patches to form small blotches, and in humid environments they have a sticky texture.
Prevention and control methods: When a small number of diseased plants are found, pull them out in time and take them out of the field, and disinfect the diseased holes properly. If a large number of plants are found to be infected, in the early stage of the disease, spray 77% copper hydroxide wettable powder at 800 times dilution, or 12% copper green emulsifiable concentrate at 500 times dilution.
4. Pests
Taro pests include aphids, cotton leafworm, red spider mites, and others. Both adults and larvae of aphids can cause damage. They gather on taro leaves and continuously suck the leaf sap, causing leaves to curl and become deformed. The cotton leafworm damages plants at the larval stage, continuously gnawing on leaves; in severe cases, it eats the mesophyll tissue clean, leaving only leaf veins. Red spider mites are similar to aphids, also sucking leaf sap and causing poor leaf growth.
Prevention and control methods: For pests, insecticides such as dimethoate and imidacloprid can be sprayed. Pay attention to alternating their use during spraying to prevent pests from developing resistance.
The above are prevention and control methods for common taro pests and diseases. We hope they can help you. To learn more about taro cultivation, please stay tuned to us.