Pepper Disease Control Methods and Key Points for Identifying Common Diseases

Pepper disease control refers to the integrated management measures taken against common diseases during pepper cultivation. Peppers have a relatively long growing period, and their stems and leaves are relatively tender, making them prone to disease under high temperature and high humidity or continuous rainy weather. Common diseases include Phytophthora blight, anthracnose, viral disease, damping-off, gray mold and bacterial scab. Control should adhere to the principle of prevention first and integrated management, combining agricultural measures with chemical control.

Identifying symptoms is the first step in control. Phytophthora blight mostly starts from the base of the stem or at branching points, producing water-soaked dark green lesions; the disease develops quickly, and plants tend to wilt and fall over when humidity is high. Anthracnose mainly affects the fruit, with round, sunken brown lesions appearing on the fruit surface, often bearing small black spots. Viral disease manifests as mosaic, crinkled and deformed leaves, stunted plants, and few and small fruits.

For agricultural control, it is advisable to choose varieties with relatively good disease resistance, disinfect seeds and treat seedbeds before sowing, practice crop rotation with non-solanaceous crops, adopt high-ridge or plastic-mulch cultivation, and plant at a reasonable density to facilitate ventilation and light penetration. Avoid flood irrigation when watering, pay attention to drainage and reducing humidity after rain, and apply fertilizer with a balanced combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to prevent excessive vegetative growth caused by over-application of nitrogen fertilizer. Diseased leaves and fruits found in the field should be promptly removed and taken out of the field for disposal to reduce sources of pathogen spread.

Chemical control should be carried out early and on a small scale, using the right agents at the initial stage of disease. For fungal diseases such as Phytophthora blight and anthracnose, appropriate fungicides can be used for spraying or root drenching; for viral disease, importance should be placed on controlling virus-transmitting vectors such as aphids and whiteflies, combined with spraying antiviral agents. The same agent should not be used continuously over a long period; rotation of chemicals should be noted, the pre-harvest interval should be observed, and application should be stopped as required before harvest to ensure the fruit is safe to eat.