Detailed Explanation of the Key Technical Points for Pest and Disease Control in Malabar Spinach

Malabar spinach (Basella alba) is eaten as seedlings and tender shoots; it is tender in texture, crisp and refreshing in taste, and relatively high in nutritional value. It is well favored by people in the market and has good prospects for cultivation, but during cultivation the harm caused by pests and diseases has become a major obstacle to growing Malabar spinach. So how should pests and diseases in Malabar spinach be controlled? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction below.

1. Brown spot disease

Fish-eye disease of seedlings can cause harm from the seedling stage all the way to harvest. It mainly damages the leaf parts of the plant. When the disease occurs, purple-red water-soaked spots appear on the leaves and gradually expand. In severe cases, the lesions will merge into large spots, causing premature aging of the leaves and possibly even leading to the death of the plant, with an extremely large impact on yield.

Control method: rotate with crops that are not of the Chenopodiaceae or Basellaceae families, and soak the seeds in formalin for half an hour or less to eliminate pathogens carried by the seeds. When the disease occurs, spray zineb once every 7-10 days for 2-4 consecutive applications; the control effect is excellent.

2. Gray mold

Gray mold generally occurs in the middle stage of growth and mainly damages the leaves and petioles. When the disease occurs, lesions appear on the leaves, and in the later stage the lesions develop a gray mold layer, which is also the origin of its name. In severe cases it causes the leaves to rot and can also spread along the petioles to the stems.

Control method: strengthen fertilizer and water management, and pay attention to drainage during the rainy season to avoid water accumulation creating a suitable environment for the pathogen and inducing this disease. When the disease occurs, benomyl or vinclozolin can be sprayed once every 10 days for 2-3 consecutive applications, with a relatively good effect.

3. Insect pests

The insect pests are mainly underground pests, which mainly harm the seedlings of the plant. The main culprit is white grubs chewing on the root system of the seedlings; in severe cases they bite the root system of the seedlings off, causing the roots to lose their absorbing capacity and the plant to gradually dry up and die.

Control method: plow the soil in early winter to reduce overwintering sources of the pests. In addition, when sowing, phoxim can be spread into the soil to make toxic soil for poisoning and killing them, but attention must be paid to the concentration to avoid killing the seedlings.

The above is an introduction to pest and disease control techniques for Malabar spinach. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.