Pest and diseases control of vegetables

Pests and control

Aphids

They suck leaves juice. The curling of leaves and finally the slow death of the plants occur and the affected portions dry up. To control aphids apply dimethoate 40 or oxymematone methyl 25

Mites

They make wished specks on the leaves also cause webbing, dicofol 40 or sulpher 80-85 up can control mites effectively.

White fly 

When plant is a damaged growth rate is decreased, and branches are increased, leaves become light colour. To control white fly dimethoate 40 can be used.

Fruit fly                                                                      

Fruit fly damage the fruits. And more serious during very early stage of fruit development. To control apply fenithion 50% ec

Beetles

Beetles eat the leaves and make holes in them. The red pumpkin beetle is an important pest of all cucurbities. To control apply Carbaryl 85% WSP or Trichlorofon 50% EC.

Bugs

Greenish to reddish bugs often occurs in large numbers. They suck the juice from the stems and leaves of the plants and dry them out. Lacewing bugs do considerable damage to brinjal leaves. To control bugs apply Dimothoate 40% EC or Oxydimetone Methyl 25% EC.

Borers

Shoot and fruit borers are important insects, which cause enormous damage to the crops. Shoot borers bore in to the shoot at the growing apex and move downwards eating the central protein of the stem. The stems collapse and the plant is ultimately killed. Using Carbofuran 5% granules or carberyl 85% WP could control them.

Caterpillars

Various types of caterpillars eat the leaves of vegetables. Some caterpillars cut the stems of plants at the soil level. They usually hide in the crack of soil during the day. To control apply Quinalphos 25% EC or Chlorofluazuron 5% EC.

Diseases and control

 Fungal Diseases

Damping off

This is affected to crops at the seedling stage. When infested by this disease plants grow up words quickly the base of the stem becomes thin and week and ultimately rots and seedlings fall over and are completely killed. Beds sterilization and fungisides such as captan or Metalaxyl can be used to control.

Anthracnose

It primarily affects fruits but appears on the leaves and stem also. Dark brown lesions make their appearance first. Seeds are also affected by this disease and carry the disease to the next crop.

Crop rotation field sanitation and use of disease free seeds are important to control.

Thiobendazol 60% WP or

Chorothalonil 75 WP can be used to control.

Leaf spot

A wide range of fungi causes leaf spots of various sizes and shapes. Chemical such as copper and captofol can be used to control the disease.

Downy mildew

Yellow oily spots on the upper side with brown, purple spots on the lower surface of leaves. They later become covered with a grayish black shiny layer.

Powdery mildew

This fungus forms a white powdery coating on the leaves and stems which leads to the drying of the leaves and later the death of the plant. Chemicals such as captafol and chlorothalonil can be used to control.

Bacterial Diseases

Bacterial soft rot

This causes serious damage in the field as well as in storage and during transportation to market. Crop rotation and care in avoiding injuries to the vegetables during harvest and transportation are suggested as control measures.

Bacterial Wilt

This disease appears as small translucent water soaked spots on leaves about 1mm in size. The bacteria first invade to stomata. The intervenal tissues turn yellow and die to form lesions of dead tissue of various shapes and sizes. The whole plant eventually wilts and dies. For control long crop rotations with resistant varieties are essential.

Virus Diseases

Mosaic virus

Mosaic virus diseases affect many vegetable crops. Tobacco mosaic virus of tomato and potato yellow vein mosaic of okra, bean mosaic of beans and peas and cucumber mosaic virus of cucurbites are various important classes of this virus which affects many different groups of crops. Aphids are usually has a mottled appearance caused by dark and light green areas as well as by yellow patches.

Little leaf

The disease is not actually a viral disease but a mycoplasma. The most usual symptoms are a swelling and yellowing of the leaves leading to the stunted growth of plants. It causes serious losses to the yield resulting. In extreme cases in practically no crop yield. Disease control is by vector control using Dimethoate 40% EC or Endosulphan 35% EC.