How to prevent and control lily anthracnose? These methods you need to master

Symptoms: Leaves develop round, pale yellow spots, with dark brown margins. On petals the spots are round and flax-colored. They occur mainly on the outer surface of the upper half of the scales, and also on the inner surface. Initially irregular, light brown spots appear, later becoming light blackish brown and slightly sunken, and finally the diseased area becomes almost black, with the tissue shriveling and dry-rotting. The spots can extend several layers deep into the scales, but the outermost scales are affected most severely. Flower buds on diseased bulbs abort, turning brown to black, or large numbers of small water-soaked round spots appear on the flowers, merging with each other into irregular brown patches, and the tissue breaks down and becomes thin. Some affected flower stalks also turn black, and the disease is more severe on Oriental lilies.

Pathogen: Colletotrichum lilii Plakidas, a fungus of the Deuteromycotina, Melanconiales, genus Colletotrichum, lily anthracnose fungus. In addition, C. liliacearum Ferraris also attacks lilies. The pathogen is carried in diseased plant residues in the soil.

Disease conditions: Bulbs that are damp, frost-damaged, or injured during digging are prone to the disease.

Control methods:

1. Peel off the diseased scales; select disease-free bulbs; avoid continuous cropping in affected areas.

2. Do not use too much nitrogen fertilizer, and planting should not be too dense.