Spring is the right time for flower pest and disease control
Spring is an important stage for flower sowing and seedling raising. As the weather warms up and temperatures rise, pests and diseases are about to enter a high-incidence period. The quality of seedlings determines the quality of the future finished flowers, so spring pest and disease prevention is particularly important. Reporters recently interviewed some industry insiders and asked them to offer suggestions for pest and disease prevention in spring flower production.
Spring pest and disease prevention for flowers is particularly important
Beware of disease outbreaks under high temperature and high humidity
In March and April, flower production in the north is generally still inside greenhouse facilities, but at this time companies have already gradually reduced heating. The temperature inside the facilities begins to drop, but humidity remains very high, making it easy for fungal diseases such as gray mold and downy mildew to break out. Dong Yuguang, plant protection technical manager at Syngenta, told reporters that greenhouse production in the north of pot flowers such as Phalaenopsis, Cymbidium, and Anthurium requires high humidity conditions and is very prone to fungal diseases. Although companies can avoid infection by cutting off flower stalks, he believes the best approach is still to ventilate in a timely manner to reduce humidity when the weather is good, or to apply cyprodinil-containing drugs such as chlorothalonil for protective sterilization. If plants are found to have already been infected, chemical agents containing fludioxonil, such as Huiyou, should be used for control.
In addition to the above diseases that may occur in flower production in the south, due to high temperature and high humidity, flower seedlings are prone to leggy growth, and the stems are often affected by some soil-borne diseases, such as damping-off and Rhizoctonia rot. To prevent these diseases, you can directly water with a solution containing fungicide the first time you water, or when sowing, mix the substrate or soil with fungicide.
At present, temperatures are very high in subtropical coastal areas such as Guangdong and Hainan, and flower Phytophthora blight is prone to break out. It often occurs during the cultivation of some Dendrobium orchids. Flower Phytophthora blight is extremely destructive. In addition to using agents such as mancozeb to disinfect soil and substrate for control, chemical agents containing propamocarb can also be sprayed in the early stage of the disease for control.
In addition, in terms of physical control, greenhouse humidity should be controlled as much as possible to avoid water droplets remaining on plant leaves for a long time. When using sprinkler irrigation or nozzles to water, it is best to do so in the morning so that the water droplets on the plants dry before evening arrives. Use a cultivation substrate with good drainage, and avoid overwatering, otherwise it will lead to root rot. Try not to mix substrate with soil, because most soil contains pathogens that cause plant root rot.
Prevention first, strong seedlings as the foundation
Although various chemicals can be applied to control pests and diseases after they occur, distributors still advise flower production companies to focus on prevention, work hard on management, and choose seedlings with strong disease resistance. Yang Liu, general manager of Zhengzhou Biaodian Chemical Co., Ltd., believes that in addition to using some broad-spectrum insecticides for prevention, companies can also apply some growth regulators that are beneficial for rooting as well as some base fertilizers that improve soil and activate microorganisms. Cao Yadong, manager of the horticulture department at Beijing Leili Group, said that potted flowers are often given inorganic fertilizers, which can easily lead to a decline in soil pH, an increase in pests and diseases, and weak plants. At this time, applying some biological fertilizers that improve the soil environment is a good approach. As a flower production company, Bao Qingsong, a technician at Beijing Flowers & Trees Corporation, said that chemical control is a last resort, and pests such as thrips are very difficult to control. Companies should strengthen fertilizer and water management, not provide an environment for pests and diseases to occur, and focus on prevention rather than relying entirely on chemicals.