What to Do About Bitter Melon Seedling Death? Cause Analysis and Control Methods
As the planting area of bitter melon increases, its pests and diseases also worsen, and seedling death is an extremely common phenomenon during bitter melon cultivation. In many regions, when farmers start planting bitter melon, the first thing they must do is take preventive measures. So what causes bitter melon seedling death? Let's find out together.
1. Viral disease
Bitter melon is prone to viral disease infection after being fed on by piercing-sucking pests that carry viruses, such as thrips and aphids. There are many types of viral diseases, and many crops can be infected by the same virus, which can also spread through friction between branches and leaves during farm operations. After infection with viral disease, bitter melon plants may wither and die.
Control method: Therefore, pay attention to these insects, mainly using acetamiprid-type pesticides plus antiviral agents such as lentinan and brassinolide, generally applying once a week, which gives good control results.
2. Nematode disease
Nematode disease harms many crops, mainly damaging the root system of bitter melon. It has a stylet that can pierce the root system of bitter melon, then let its saliva enter the roots, causing root nodules and abnormal growth. The root nodules are first white and finally black, causing the root system to completely lose its absorption capacity; without water and nutrients, the plant will die.
Control method: Use Yinghui nematicide or Paecilomyces lilacinus, or use abamectin and methyl bromide for soil disinfection.
3. Soil-borne diseases
Soil-borne diseases can also cause bitter melon seedling death. Common ones include root rot, fusarium wilt, phytophthora blight, and fusarium wilt, with the most severe damage during the fruiting period, and seedlings are extremely prone to dying; fusarium wilt causes stem rot and damage to the vascular bundles, leading to seedling death; phytophthora blight causes root rot, separation of the cortex and xylem, and water-soaked lesions, ultimately leading to seedling death; root rot causes the affected roots to rot, leaving the vascular bundles, while the upper part withers and dies.
Control method: The control methods for various diseases differ and should be targeted. For example, spray carbendazim fungicide to control root rot; drench with 50% benomyl wettable powder 1500 times solution to control fusarium wilt; use 72% Kelu wettable powder 500-800 times solution to control phytophthora blight.
4. Improper management
Soil compaction or overly heavy clay soil can seriously affect the growth and development of the root system, and in severe cases can cause death by suffocation due to lack of oxygen, which also leads to seedling death. Sometimes fertilizing during sowing causes seedlings to suffer malnutrition, turn yellow, and die, or too high a fertilizer concentration and being too close to the roots can also cause seedling death.
Control method: Carry out timely intertillage and loosening of the soil to break up soil compaction. When fertilizing, maintain spacing; seedlings are more sensitive to fertilizer concentration, so reduce the fertilizer concentration.
The above is an introduction to the causes of bitter melon seedling death and control methods. We hope it helps you. For more related knowledge, please follow us.