Preventing and controlling diseases in Xinlimei radish is not hard; the key is early prevention and early treatment

Xinlimei is a common variety of radish eaten raw; its flesh is crisp and tender, sweet and juicy, but it is easily troubled by diseases during growth. The common diseases are mainly viral disease, downy mildew, black rot and soft rot, which mostly occur under high temperature and high humidity or when field management is improper, directly affecting the quality and yield of the radish.

Control should focus on agricultural measures. When planting, avoid continuous cropping with cruciferous crops such as Chinese cabbage and radish, and implement a crop rotation of more than two to three years, which can noticeably reduce the accumulation of soil-borne pathogens. Before sowing, carefully select seeds and give them appropriate treatment; during the growing period, use a reasonable dense planting spacing, keep the field well ventilated and exposed to light, and drain promptly after rain; all of these can lower the chance of disease.

Viral disease is mostly spread by aphids, so timely control of aphids is a key step. Once diseased plants are found in the field, they should be pulled up as early as possible and taken out of the field for disposal to prevent the disease from spreading. Soft rot and black rot mostly invade through wounds, so during cultivation and routine operations take care to avoid bruising the roots and stems, and water lightly with a small amount of water, avoiding long periods of waterlogging in the field.

In the early stage of disease, targeted spraying with the appropriate chemicals can be carried out, and attention should be paid to rotating the chemicals to avoid the pathogen developing resistance. After harvest, promptly clean up diseased residues in the field and deeply plow the soil to reduce the source of disease the following year. As long as daily management is done carefully and thoroughly, the diseases of Xinlimei are preventable and controllable.