Detailed Guide to Identifying and Controlling Common Diseases of Water Spinach

Water spinach is a vegetable widely grown in the south. The stems and leaves of water spinach can be separated into two dishes. The stems are crisp to the bite, and the leaves are sweet and delicious, so many people really enjoy eating it. However, during cultivation, water spinach has many diseases, and people do not know what they are called or how to deal with them. Today, the editor brings you the common diseases of water spinach and their control methods.

1. Water spinach anthracnose

Anthracnose is one of the most common diseases of many crops, and water spinach is no exception. Anthracnose mainly harms the leaves of water spinach, and to a certain extent also affects the stems. On the leaves, very obvious brown irregular patches begin to form at the leaf tip or edges, and they will keep spreading until the whole leaf becomes withered and yellow and unfit to eat. In areas with severe outbreaks, disease-resistant varieties should be chosen, nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied excessively, and foliar fertilizer should be sprayed appropriately to promote growth. In the early stage of the disease, agents such as mancozeb can be sprayed, once a week for about a month.

2. Water spinach root rot

Root rot mostly harms the roots of water spinach, causing the roots to rot and affecting yield. In the early stage of the disease, the whole plant looks poor, the roots turn brown and gradually become sunken, and finally the whole plant withers. When choosing varieties, cold-resistant and moisture-resistant products should be selected, continuous cropping should be avoided as much as possible, and the soil should be plowed before sowing to maintain soil permeability. When the disease is found, agents such as thiophanate-methyl wettable powder can be used to spray the plants evenly, and spraying should stop about five days before harvest.

3. Water spinach brown spot

Brown spot mainly causes great harm to the leaves. When the disease begins, many yellowish-brown small spots appear on the leaves and keep expanding until all the small spots on the leaf connect, causing the whole leaf to die. It is recommended to promptly dispose of diseased plant residues, gather them and burn them to reduce the source of pathogens; before sowing, disinfect the seeds or choose disease-free seeds, and pay attention to drainage and ventilation in the field. When the disease is found, agents such as mancozeb dry suspension powder can be sprayed evenly to inhibit the pathogen, once a week for one month, and spraying should stop five days before harvest.

4. Water spinach white rust

White rust mainly harms the stems and leaves of water spinach. It produces many white or pale yellow spots on the underside of the leaves, which later turn brown and form relatively large patches. The patch areas on the leaves bulge, and in severe cases can cause the leaves to fall off. When choosing seeds, disease-resistant seeds should be selected, continuous cropping is not suitable, and after harvest the garden should be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected to reduce pathogens. Fertilizers such as phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be used to loosen the soil. Before sowing, the seeds can be soaked in warm water for about half an hour. If the disease is found, agents such as metalaxyl wettable powder can be used for even irrigation. Spray about four times a month.

The above four are several common diseases of water spinach. Special attention should be paid to root rot and bangbing, as these two diseases can cause a large reduction in water spinach yield if not noticed in time. In fact, as long as management is normal and attention is paid to frequent fertilization and the removal of weeds and diseased plant residues, the incidence rate can still be greatly reduced. To learn more about agricultural knowledge, please continue to follow Qinnong Network!