What causes rust on eggplants
Eggplant is a common vegetable of the nightshade fruit type. Although ordinary, it has high edible value and also some medicinal value. Every spring, people in the south grow eggplants at home, and by summer they can harvest them. However, because the growth and development period falls in the hot, humid summer season, eggplants suffer from quite a few diseases. The common one is a rust-like substance growing on the eggplant calyx and the eggplant itself, affecting fruit quality. So what is going on, and how should it be treated? We need to explore this together.
1. Causes
There is more than one cause, and the symptoms differ slightly. Generally, when the wind is too strong, the eggplant rubs against the branches and produces what looks like a rust-like substance, which is a physical cause. After thrips damage the eggplant, the fruit becomes deformed, until the fruit skin is covered with a rust-like substance, though the leaves often also become shriveled and curled, and the tender shoots become hardened and stunted. There is also fruit rust disease that occurs after damage by red spider mites, mainly appearing after the flowers fade; after the damage, not only is the skin rusty, but sometimes the flesh also splits open.
2. General control
The field planting density needs to be reduced; do not plant too densely. It is best that after the plants have grown, no two eggplant plants touch each other. Then the fruit borne on each plant can be covered with a simple transparent bag, which avoids friction and still lets you see the ripening condition. In addition, harvest the fruit promptly once it ripens; do not leave too many fruits hanging, as this easily worsens friction. Finally, you can choose a wind-sheltered planting site.
3. Controlling thrips
Thrips fear light and come out at night, so spray the pesticide just as it gets dark. Also, thrips like to hide in the soil underground, so when spraying, carefully spray the ground. The pesticide can then kill the thrips through the cracks. Thrips like to gather and cause damage on the tender parts of the shoots. Be careful to spray the pesticide there. Use a 2000-fold solution of 1.8% abamectin or a 1000-fold solution of abamectin · chlorpyrifos EC for spraying. For damage occurring in greenhouse cultivation, fumigants can be used.
3. Controlling red spider mites
Red spider mites spin webs and cause persistent damage. After sucking the sap, they excrete and contaminate, the fruit skin loses water, the stomata become blocked, and the upper tissue gradually becomes rough and suberized. If the fruit is growing rapidly at this time, it will split. Spray miticides such as propargite when the weather is cool. Manage fertilization and watering to improve tree vigor and resist red spider mite damage. Choose sandy loam soil for planting, and choose long eggplant varieties, which are relatively disease-resistant.
Rust on eggplants is mainly caused by insect damage, and can also be caused by human damage, though the damage conditions differ slightly and can be identified. If this happens, you can refer to the corresponding methods to treat it. Preventing it in advance and doing some preventive work is very important.