Cyclamen Pest and Disease Control Methods and Key Technical Points

(1) Root-knot nematode disease. Nematodes invade the roots of seedlings, producing many galls of various sizes on the main and lateral roots. The nematodes feed on sap inside the galls, causing the fine roots to swell and rot, and the above-ground parts to wither and die.

Control methods:

① Disinfect the soil before planting; first stir-fry the soil in an iron wok for 40 minutes, then remove it when the soil becomes dry and pale, and use it after it has cooled.

② After the disease occurs, drench the soil around the cyclamen roots with a 1000-fold dilution of 80% dichlorvos.

(2) Bacterial soft rot. After the disease occurs, water-soaked softening appears on the leaves, petioles and flower stems near the roots, and spreads downward, causing the tubers to become soft and rotten. This disease is severe in the high-temperature, rainy season from July to August.

Control methods:

① Disinfect the soil with 1% formalin solution before planting.

② At the early stage of the disease, immediately cut off diseased leaves, etc., and spray the affected areas with 200 micrograms/g agricultural streptomycin solution.

Root-knot nematode disease

1. Use granular formulations such as fenamiphos, dichloroisopropyl ether, ethoprophos (Mocap), fenamiphos (Nemacur), and dazomet (Basamid) for soil treatment.

2. Soak infected bulbs in 50°C water for 10 min to kill the nematodes.

Gray mold

1. Use fungicides when planting, such as thiram and dexon, for soil disinfection, or replace with new soil, to prevent the soil from carrying pathogens and spreading disease.

2. Strengthen indoor ventilation and appropriately lower humidity; do not water too much, and do not water directly onto the leaves. Avoid causing wounds during maintenance and management to prevent pathogen invasion.

3. Promptly remove diseased plants and diseased leaves to reduce sources of the pathogen.

4. Before the disease occurs, spray protective fungicides, such as 600-800-fold lüdebao solution and 800-****-fold 75% chlorothalonil solution; when the disease occurs, spray therapeutic fungicides, such as 800-****-fold 70% thiophanate-methyl solution and 500-800-fold 50% carbendazim solution.

Viral disease

1. Inhibit seed-borne virus: treat with 75% alcohol for 1 min, then treat with 10% trisodium phosphate for 15 min, rinse the chemical solution off the seed surface with distilled water, then place in 35°C warm water and let cool naturally for 24 h, and sow in sterilized soil. Seed detoxification: place the seeds in 40% polyethylene glycol solution and treat at a constant temperature of 38.5°C for 48 h; the seed detoxification rate can reach 77.7%.

2. Use tissue-cultured plantlets with corms, leaf tips, and petioles as explants to reduce the virus-carrying rate.

3. The planting soil should be disinfected or use sterilized vermiculite, perlite, sand, etc.

Root rot

It is a seedling-stage disease. The roots become water-soaked, soft, and rotten, and the diseased seedlings wilt, turn yellow, and die.

Control measures:

1. Soak the seeds in 0.1% copper sulfate solution for half an hour for disinfection.

2. Before sowing, spray a 1800-****-fold potassium permanganate solution to disinfect the soil.

3. Strengthen ventilation and control humidity; ventilate appropriately to harden the seedlings and enhance resistance.

4. At the early stage of the disease, spray or drench the roots with 72.2% propamocarb aqueous solution, 50% lükujing, or 1000-fold 40% genfuning for control.

Bacterial soft rot

Water-soaked lesions appear on the leaves, which then become soft and rotten, exuding white bacterial ooze, and the plants wilt and die.

Control measures:

1. Remove diseased leaves and pull out diseased plants.

2. Control watering and pay attention to ventilation.

3. Spray with 1000-2000-fold 50% xiaojunling wettable powder for control.

Anthracnose

It damages leaves and pedicels. Brown round lesions appear in the early stage, black dots appear later, and red sticky masses ooze out when humid.

Control measures:

1. Promptly prune diseased leaves.

2. Strengthen ventilation and light penetration, and reduce humidity.

3. Use 800-****-fold 60% anthracnose thiram or 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder for control.

Bean seed fly

The larvae damage young stems and roots, and in severe cases the seedlings wither and die.

Control measures: use 3000-fold 2.5% deltamethrin emulsifiable concentrate for control; spraying the ground around the plants as well is more effective.

Mites

They damage corms, leaves, and flowers, causing flower buds to rot and leaves to lose green color, twist, and deform.

Control measures:

1. Remove weeds to reduce the pest population.

2. Spray 2000-fold 73% propargite emulsifiable concentrate; when pest density is high, spray 2-4 times consecutively, with each interval of 10 d.

Thrips

They damage young tender leaves and flowers, causing spots and streaks; tender buds, new leaves, and flowers wilt, and leaves twist and turn yellow and dry.

Control measures:

1. Hang blue sticky insect traps.

2. Spray 1000-fold 50% phoxim emulsifiable concentrate or 2000-2500-fold 10% imidacloprid wettable powder for control.

Aphids

They damage young leaves and flower buds, form galls, induce sooty mold, and transmit viruses.

Control measures:

1. Release natural enemies such as ladybugs and green lacewings for control.

2. Set up sticky insect traps to trap and kill them, or cover with plastic film to avoid aphids.

3. Alternately spray 2000-fold 50% pirimicarb wettable powder and 1500-fold 10% imidacloprid for control.

Woodlice

They gnaw on leaves, roots, and stems, causing notches and rotting in leaves and stems.

Control measures:

1. Remove weeds and broadcast quicklime powder.

2. Spray the ground and grass curtains with 500-fold 50% carbaryl wettable powder or 2000-fold 2.5% deltamethrin to attract and poison the insects.

Slugs

They scrape and feed on leaves until the plants wither and die.

Control measures:

1. Apply thoroughly decomposed organic fertilizer.

2. Cultivate on high ridges, cover with plastic film, and break the film to lift the seedlings, reducing damage.

3. Soak camellia seed cake powder in clean water at a 1:10 ratio for 24 h, filter, then dilute the filtrate 20-50 times with clean water and drench the seedbed or spray.

4. Scatter quicklime powder around the damaged plants.

5. In the evening, broadcast 2% metaldehyde bait on the field ridges to trap and kill them.

Scale insects

They damage leaves and flowers.

Control measures:

1. Promptly remove diseased plants carrying insects.

2. Spray 1000-fold 10% imidacloprid emulsifiable concentrate or 1500-fold 25% fenbutatin oxide for control.

Further reading:

Cyclamen cultivation methods, fertilization techniques, pest and disease control, flower language and legends

Control of cyclamen pests and diseases

① Gray mold. It occurs on cyclamen leaves, petioles, and flowers.

Control methods: during the disease period, use 1000-1500-fold 70% thiophanate-methyl solution or 1% equal-amount Bordeaux mixture, spraying once every half month.

② Anthracnose. It mostly occurs on the underside of cyclamen leaves. At first it is a small brown spot, and the lesion expands outward in concentric rings, nearly circular or irregular; later, black-gray granular substances appear on the lesions.

Control methods: after finding leaves infected with this disease, promptly prune and destroy the diseased leaves. You can also use 800-1000-fold 60% anthracnose thiram, or 500-600-fold 50% carbendazim wettable powder, spraying once a week for control; generally 2-3 times can be effective.

③ Bacterial soft rot. It mostly occurs on cyclamen petioles and corms. At first it appears water-soaked and soft, with white or dark gray-green lesions; after expansion, the diseased tissue becomes soft and rotten, swells, ruptures, and the epidermis falls off, with a foul odor.

Control methods: strengthen ventilation, pay attention to drainage and rain avoidance. You can also spray and smear diseased plants with streptomycin, oxytetracycline, or penicillin solution, or drench the soil around the roots of diseased plants with 700-fold dexon solution.

④ Root-knot nematode disease. Root-knot nematodes parasitize cyclamen roots. Stimulation by nematode secretions can cause root tissue to hypertrophy and proliferate, forming many galls, thereby destroying normal root function, leading to weakened growth and even death. You can use undiluted dichlorvos to fumigate and disinfect the soil, then sow or transplant after 2 weeks. You can also bury 15-50 grams of 3% carbofuran granules in the pot for control.

⑤ Cyst nematodes. After cyst nematodes invade seedling roots, they form many cysts of varying sizes; in severe cases, the fine roots turn brown and rot, and the leaves turn orange-yellow and die. The methods for controlling root-knot nematodes can be used for control.