Detailed Explanation of Common Pest and Disease Control Methods for Monk Fruit
Monk fruit is a perennial vine plant, also known as Lahanguo, false bitter gourd, and jinbuhuan. Its fruit is extremely nutritious, rich in vitamins and various sugars, and has the effects of relieving cough and reducing phlegm, clearing heat and moistening the lungs, with extremely high edible and medicinal value. It has a cultivation history of more than 300 years in China. During its growth process, the breeding and spread of some pests and diseases seriously affect the growth of monk fruit, causing reduced yields. Now let's take a look at the common pest and disease control methods for monk fruit.
1. Viral disease
Viral disease is the main disease of monk fruit. It mainly harms the leaves and fruits of the plant. After the leaves are infected, symptoms of chlorosis, deformity, and shrinkage appear, and sometimes blister-like leaf symptoms also occur. In the later stage, the leaves become thick, coarse, and hard, and gradually turn yellow, reducing the number of fruits set on the plant. Even after fruit set, the fruits cannot grow properly and often grow deformed, with weight far lower than normal fruits. This disease breaks out during high-temperature periods. The higher the temperature, the greater the damage caused by this disease.
Control methods: Select virus-free seedlings and soil for planting, strengthen fertilizer and water management, increase the application of organic fertilizer and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, and improve the disease resistance of the plants. Insecticides can be sprayed regularly to control aphids to prevent the spread of this disease. When the disease occurs, antivirus agent No. 1 and 83 disease resistance enhancer can be sprayed once a week for 2-3 consecutive sprays.
2. Anthracnose
Anthracnose mainly harms leaves, vines, and fruits. When infected, the lesions appear as spots. Over time, the spots expand and turn brown. If not treated in time, the plant will wither and die. In humid environments, the lesions will rot, especially after harvest, causing a large number of fruits to rot and affecting profits.
Control methods: Increase the application of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to improve disease resistance. In the early stage of the disease, spray agents such as thiophanate-methyl and Lüheng No. 2 once every 7-10 days for 2-3 consecutive times.
3. Root-knot nematode disease
Root-knot nematode disease is caused by root-knot nematodes harming the root system and tubers. It is named for the root knots of various sizes that appear on the root system and tubers after damage, and it is a major disease affecting monk fruit production. Because its onset location is underground, there are no obvious symptoms in the early stage. In the later stage, the aboveground parts gradually wither and die due to lack of nutrients and water.
Control methods: During planting, the soil should be disinfected to kill root-knot nematodes. When planting, pesticides such as Fuqiduo can be sprinkled into the holes to reduce the probability of disease occurrence.
4. Bud blight
Bud blight, as the name implies, harms the tender bud parts of the plant. When infected, the tender leaf parts of the plant turn yellow, the young buds turn brown and die, and the growth nodes of the plant are damaged, preventing normal flowering and fruiting. In severe cases, it leads to total crop failure.
Control methods: According to practical production experience, the occurrence of this disease may be caused by boron deficiency in the soil and soil acidification, so increasing the application of boron fertilizer can prevent this disease. If the soil is acidic, lime powder or plant ash can also be applied to adjust the pH.
5. Pests
The main pests of monk fruit include yellow squash beetles, red spiders, stink bugs, termites, and flies. They mainly harm the leaves, young tender parts, and fruits of the plant, affecting the yield and quality of monk fruit. During pest outbreaks, they may cause total crop failure or plant death.
Control methods: Insecticides can be sprayed regularly to control pests, and targeted agents can also be used to control various pests.
The above are common pest and disease control methods for monk fruit. We hope they can help you. If you want to learn more about monk fruit cultivation knowledge, please stay tuned to us.