What are the causes of deformed loofah gourds and the control methods?

The most troublesome problem when growing loofah is deformed gourds. Deformed gourds are an important physiological problem in loofah production. There are many causes of deformation in loofah, such as insufficient fertilizer and water, excessively high temperature, and damage from pests and diseases. So how should deformed loofah be controlled? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction.

1. Insufficient supply of fertilizer and water

When loofah plants are drought-stressed for a long time, or when the root absorption capacity is weak, the nutrient supply needed for normal loofah growth cannot be guaranteed. This leads to poor plant nutrition and weakened plants, causing poor fruit development and even deformation.

Control methods: Ensure the supply of fertilizer and water, apply fertilizer at the right time to provide soil fertility, and improve the absorption capacity of the loofah root system. Water promptly during drought to keep the soil moist, so that soil drought does not affect root absorption capacity. At the right time, irrigate the roots to trap and kill root pests and diseases, promote well-developed root growth, and provide the plants with sufficient nutrients.

2. Insufficient light

Loofah is a crop that likes sufficient light. If light is insufficient during fruit development or if there is a continuous low-light environment, curved gourd deformation symptoms may occur.

Control methods: During fruit development, prune appropriately, removing dead leaves, yellow leaves, and dense leaves to increase ventilation and light penetration in the field, provide sufficient light for fruit development, and reduce the curved gourd phenomenon.

3. Large day-night temperature difference

During the growth and development of loofah, a certain day-night temperature difference can promote fruit enlargement, but if the day-night temperature difference is too large, it will cause fruit deformation. When growing in greenhouses, if ventilation is not done in time, the greenhouse temperature becoming too high can also cause deformed fruit.

Control methods: When planting, pay attention to the nighttime temperature, as nutrients will be excessively consumed, and deformed fruit will appear during fruit development due to poor development. When the temperature inside the greenhouse reaches 31-33 degrees, ventilate in time to prevent the greenhouse temperature from becoming too high. When the outdoor temperature is too low, open the ventilation openings slowly when ventilating to avoid sudden rises and falls in the greenhouse temperature.

4. Improper pollination

During the pollination period of loofah, if the external environment is unsuitable, such as excessively high temperature or poor field ventilation, it will cause poor pollination. In addition, if correct measures are not taken when hand-pollinating flowers, it will also cause insufficient pollination of female flowers and lead to fruit deformation.

Control methods: Control plant growth, inhibit the growth of the main shoot, promote flower bud differentiation so that the plant produces more flowers, improve pollen quality, and increase the fruit-setting rate. Spraying fruit-strengthening agents for the fruit stalk multiple times before flowering can promote the growth and development of floral organs, improve pollination quality, and reduce the incidence of deformed fruit.

The above is an introduction to the causes of deformed loofah gourds and control methods. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.