Diseases of melons and watermelons and their treatment. Diseases of watermelons and their treatment, description of symptoms with photos How to treat melon for diseases

Fungal diseases are the most harmful. To effectively combat them, you need to make a correct diagnosis.

Descriptions of symptoms found in various literary sources will not always help.
Let's start with common ones that are dangerous for all crops, not just melons.

Polyphage diseases: prevention measures and treatment

They infect cultures of various families. These include:

• Root rot
• Anthracnose
• White and gray rot

It’s easy to fight them off; it’s important to correctly identify the signs of the disease.

Root rot: treatment methods

This is usually a disease of seedlings and young plants, but adults are also often affected. With any type of rot (fusarium, wilt, pythium), it seems that the plants do not have enough water - they wither and dry out.

These are the first symptoms. Soon the lower and upper leaves turn yellow, and the plant slowly dies.
The roots turn black and rot.

The causes of root rot are varied:

• Cool soil (or vice versa - too dry and hot), too sudden temperature changes, watering with cold water, large doses of nitrogen and organic fertilizers.
• The source of infection is plant debris, undisinfected seeds and soil.

This leads to the general rules for combating disease - water with warm water, add completely rotted organic matter, do not apply nitrogen fertilizers when planting - only superphosphate, which increases resistance to any diseases.

Only during the period of intensive growth can it be fed with complex fertilizers.

How to deal with root rot?

The most radical method is to add one of two drugs into the hole when planting seedlings, which both treat and prevent the appearance of all types of root rot: biological - “Trichodermin” or chemical - “Previkur”.

The first can be applied even during the harvesting period.

Root rot does not affect yield in any way - plants that have suffered root rot, after applying these fungicides, produce high yields without problems.

Anthracnose attacks: what to do?

Another name for the disease is copperhead. It occurs because spots of a yellowish tint appear on the leaves, which then become copper-colored, with a wide dark-brown border.

The shade appears in wet weather, but in dry weather the affected tissue dries out and crumbles - holes appear on the leaves.

This is an unmistakable diagnosis of the disease - practically no more holes appear on the leaves, as well as copper-colored spots.

How to recognize anthracnose

The disease spreads to all above-ground plant organs and fruits. On the stems and petioles of leaves there are elongated yellow-brown depressed spots, which later turn into ulcers.

Over time, the leaf petioles and stems in the affected areas break. The affected areas themselves become almost black.

Small brown spots form on the fruits. Over time, they transform into ulcers. At high humidity, pink pads form on the surface of the ulcers. Later they also darken, the fruits change shape and stop growing.

It would seem that it’s not scary: after all, the spots are on the bark of a fruit, for example, a melon, and we eat the pulp. We can cut off the rotten spot, but when we taste the melon, we will feel bitterness. This is the insidiousness of anthracnose.

Due to the presence of mucus, the spread of fungal conidia occurs with the help of water. Germination occurs on drops of water on the surface of plants (sometimes they are carried by insects that feed on this mucus), they attach to the plant, tear the tissues and form sporulation.

At the first sign, be sure to hose water and refresh the plants.

Measures to combat anthracnose

Reduced humidity. Infestation occurs quickly when temperature and humidity are very high.

• It is enough to dry the air to stop the disease. In field conditions this is impossible, so you will have to resort to fungicides. First of all, this is the drug “Quadris”. Preparations of the copper group are quite effective - “Cuproxat” - 5 l/ha, copper oxychloride - 3 l/ha, Bordeaux mixture.
• Spraying leaves with phosphate solutions (potassium monophosphate). Just keep in mind that phosphorus fertilizers dissolve very poorly in water, even hot water.

How to deal with white rot of watermelon and melon

The disease affects stems and fruits. Vague watery spots form. The fruits of melon and watermelon become soft and covered with a white coating.

The causative agent of the disease is extremely dangerous. It is able to infect more than 360 species of different crops. This is a disease of wet, cold weather, thickened plantings, and overgrowth by weeds. Fortunately, in the south it rarely occurs during extreme heat.

The first step in combating it is to keep plots free of weeds; mulching between rows is especially effective.

When it appears - the familiar fungicide "Quadris", from biological products - "Fitosporin-M".

Gray mold: diagnosis and treatment

On any part of the plant. First, wet or rotting spots appear on the fruit. The affected tissue becomes slimy, becomes soft, watery and covered with a gray velvety coating, which becomes very dusty when touched. Hence the name.

Factors contributing to the spread of the disease: heavy rainfall, dense plantings, peak humidity and air temperature.

Even fungicides are not entirely effective against gray rot. We can recommend “Switch”, “Chorus”, “Quadris”. Among biological products - Alirin-B.

After the end of the rains and the onset of heat, which is typical for the southern regions, the spread of the disease stops.

Alternaria melon and watermelon: how to treat

Round or irregularly shaped depressed spots from brown to black appear, clearly limited by a watery border.

A black velvety coating forms on the surface of the spots in humid weather.

Infection of fruits occurs both during cultivation and during harvesting or transportation.
The causative agent of the disease is fungi from the genus Alternaria, affecting many plant species.

The disease develops rapidly in rainy weather. Mechanical damage to the fruit, pressing, impacts, sunburn - all this contributes to the development of the disease.

Specific diseases affecting watermelon and melon

It is best to take photos and take samples of crops affected by the disease. They should be shown to a plant protection specialist.

How to deal with powdery mildew in watermelon

The disease manifests itself as a white or pinkish-gray coating on both sides of the leaf. Later, among the white coating. Black dots also appear, infected leaves curl upside down and become brittle.

Plaque can also affect leaf petioles.

The optimal conditions for the development of the disease are temperatures between 18-20 C and high air humidity.

The main pathogen is plant residues.

Pseudoperonosporosis of melons and gourds: prevention and treatment

The disease is also called downy mildew. This is the most dangerous of all possible diseases of watermelon and melon. Within a few days, the entire plantation may die.

Brownish-yellow spots form on the leaves. Foci of a grayish-purple coating appear in the affected areas. The spots can grow to cover the entire surface of the leaf.

The leaves dry out, turn brown, become brittle and fall off. The disease is dangerous. It can lead to melon harvest failure.

Ways to combat downy mildew

It is almost impossible to stop the disease with biological drugs. If you have correctly determined the diagnosis, you need to immediately resort to chemical fungicides, of which there are quite a few.

You can use a universal fungicide against almost all diseases - preparations of the copper group (Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride, copper sulfate).

Remember that copper, although a trace element, is a heavy metal. When the dose is increased or used frequently it becomes highly toxic.

Do not overestimate the dose or apply it more than 2 times (2 sprays). 2- and 3-component fungicides are even more effective.

They are in the assortment of each company:

• "Infinito", "Consento", "Aliette" from Bayer;
• "Quadris" and "Ridomil Gold" from Syngenta;
• "Acrobat" produced by Basf;
• "Kurzat" and "Thanos" by Du Pont.

How to treat ascochyta blight in melon and watermelon

Visible signs: yellow-brown spots on the leaves of the plant. Blackheads may appear later. Leaves lose color, elasticity, wither and fall.

The disease appears as nodes on the stems. The disease forms dry gray spots on the shoots. Later they become covered with black dots

Gum discharge is often observed on stems.

The affected fruits look like they are boiled. As a result, they dry out and die.

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Viral diseases of watermelon and melon: recognizing and fighting

They are found only in cases of widespread aphids and low-quality seeds. There is no point in describing the symptoms of viral diseases, since there are simply no drugs against them.

When aphids appear, it is important to quickly destroy them. The biological product "Verticillin" will help.

Seeds should only be purchased from high-quality foreign selections that have undergone X-ray analysis for the presence of viruses.

Let's sum it up

As you can see, it is quite possible to grow a crop of melons. But this requires knowledge of phytopathology, protection from diseases and experience, which comes with time. Diseases of watermelons and melons are easier to prevent than to fight them.

Maintain crop rotation, carefully close up plant remains, add superphosphate into the hole when planting, which increases plant immunity.

If you don't live in the south, the quality of the melons won't be any worse. Apply protected soil elements by covering the plants during the cold nights of May-June. In case of illness, it is important to make a correct diagnosis

Photos from shutterstock.com were used in preparing the material.

Melon, like most other melons, is prone to various diseases. The causes of disease in melon can be fungi, viruses and bacteria. To save the harvest, you need to be able to recognize the disease in time by the symptoms that appear and diagnose it correctly.

Melon diseases

Diseases of this type of melon crops can be both viral and bacterial. We will talk about them in more detail later in the article.

The main causes of the disease: powdery mildew fungi.

A dangerous disease, most often an annual one, but there are also perennial fungi that remain in the soil after wintering. If left untreated, the mycelium spreads everywhere, destroying plants.

Symptoms of powdery mildew:

• at the beginning of the disease, whitish small spots appear on the leaves and stems with the appearance of droplets of liquid;
• the plaque begins to spread from bottom to top, while affecting increasingly large surfaces;
• at an advanced stage, the spots become brown, the leaves begin to curl and dry out.

It spreads very quickly, so immediate treatment is required.

Prevention of the disease:

1. Carry out crop rotation, that is, alternating planting crops according to seasons in order to reduce the likelihood of diseases in the soil and weeds. It is best to plant melon in soil where tomatoes, radishes or dill previously grew.
2. Under no circumstances should you plant melons in the soil after the melon has grown, as there is a high risk of infection of new plantings.
3. Weed the beds in a timely manner, remove weeds and pests.

1. Treat the plants with a sulfur solution - take 100 g of colloidal sulfur per 10 liters of water and spray the melon leaves with the resulting solution once a week.
2. It is worth considering that the last treatment of leaves before harvesting takes place 25 days, but not later.

The disease, which appears in the early stages of plant development, is able to penetrate the vascular system, which leads to darkening of the leaves and then to their falling off.

Symptoms of downy mildew:

• yellow-green spots on melon leaves are round or angular, sticky and greasy to the touch;
• if the humidity is high, then on the back of the leaf the spots become covered with a violet-gray layer of plaque.

If the disease is not dealt with, the spots spread over the entire area of ​​the leaf, leading to its death.

Prevention of the disease:

1. Carry out crop rotation according to all the rules. Please note that the fungus can live in the soil for up to 6 years.
2. Till the soil deeply.
3. Use the most fungus-resistant melon varieties: Tag, Takada, K-5368, etc.

1. To destroy the fungus, use the drug Oxychom with a dosage of 20 g of the product per 10 liters of water or Topaz in the amount of one ampoule per 10 liters of water.
2. Apply the prepared solution to the foliage using a fine spray method, both on the outside of the leaf and on the back.
3. At the initial stage of the disease, when the presence of spots is local, treat only the affected areas.
4. A week before harvest, stop treating plants.

Causes of the disease: Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht fungi.

Bacterial fungi of this type are capable of long-term survival in the soil, penetrating and clogging plant tissues. The danger of the disease lies in the poor ability to diagnose in the early stages.

The infected plant weakens because nutrients are poorly supplied to it, and photosynthesis is also disrupted. A favorable environment for the disease is poor lighting and an air temperature of about 28 °C.

Symptoms of fusarium wilt:

• leaves and stems turn pale, gray spots appear, leaves fade, the plant dies within a week;
• the fruits lose their unique aroma, become less juicy, and the sugar content disappears.

Prevention of the disease:

1. Destroy diseased plants.
2. Disinfect the soil with fungicides.
3. Water moderately.
4. Weed the soil deeply before wintering.
5. Treat the seeds with 40% formaldehyde for about 5 minutes, and only then proceed to sowing.
6. When the melon produces buds, treat the plant with a solution of potassium chloride.
7. Sow melon seeds in raised beds.

• Trichodermin for soil disinfection against fungal infections;
• Fundazol;
• Topsin M;
• Nitrate nitrogen is applied to the soil to slow the spread of fungus.

Symptoms of copperhead:

• brown or pink spots of a round shape, increasing over time and covering the entire leaf;
• in addition to spots, holes form on the melon leaves, as a result of which the leaves curl and dry out;
• the stems of the plant become fragile, the shape of the fruit undergoes changes, and over time, rotting processes begin in the fruit.

Prevention of the disease:

1. Thoroughly loosen the soil after moderate watering to reduce the risk of copperhead. Usually the soil is loosened the day after watering
2. Perform crop rotation according to the rules.

1. Pollinate your plants with sulfur.
2. Spray the plants with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Causes of the disease: soil fungi.

Symptoms of root rot:

• thickening and cracking of roots, the surface of which acquires a fibrous structure;
• the leaves change color to yellow and wither.

Prevention of the disease:

1. Use seeds from healthy plants.
2. Water the plants sparingly.
3. Disinfect the soil.
4. Weed and loosen the soil.
5. Before planting, treat the seeds with a half percent solution of potassium permanganate or zinc.
6. Sprinkle the soil with ash.
7. Burn the remains of uprooted bushes in place to prevent infected plants from accidentally spreading onto healthy ones.

Treatment: spray the plants, use 0.1% foundationazole.

Symptoms of ascochytaosis:

• the presence of pale spots with multiple dots on the neck;
• the stems of the plant become brown;
• spots appear on the edges of the leaves of the seedlings;
• The root part of the melon is affected, which leads to rapid death.

The disease spreads to both leaves and fruits. The disease can be triggered by low soil temperature and excess moisture.

Prevention of the disease:

1. Use disease-resistant melon varieties: Jaga, Mizuho nynymeron, Valeria, Ogen and others.
2. Till the soil.
3. Clear the soil of dead plant parts.
4. Disinfect the soil.
5. Use potassium-based fertilizers.

1. To cultivate the soil, use Bordeaux mixture.
2. Remove diseased parts of the plant.
3. Use the following drugs: cytovit, fungicides, crystallin.

Low temperature and excess humidity can trigger the disease.

Symptoms of gray rot: light brown spots on the stem, which subsequently spread to the stalk and the fruit itself, covering it with dry gray fluff.

Prevention of the disease:

1. Do not forget about crop rotation, alternating the planting of appropriate plants on the same soil.
2. Use nitrogen fertilizers.

Treatment: treat with Bordeaux mixture 1%.

Symptoms of white spotting:

• first of all, light round spots with black dots appear on the leaves, then they darken, the leaves tear in these places;
• Gradually, spots appear on the fruits, causing rot.

Prevention of the disease:

1. Consider all the nuances of proper crop rotation.
2. Till the soil deeply.
3. Treat the seeds with granosan.

1. Destroy the remains of diseased plants.
2. Treat with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Causes of the disease: viruses Cummis virus 2, Solanum virus 1, Nicotina virus 1. Spread by aphids, insects, and may be in the soil.

Symptoms of cucumber mosaic:

• the appearance of pale green stripes parallel to the veins on the melon leaf, due to this, the leaf becomes deformed over time;
• The buds of the plant deteriorate, as a result of which the yield decreases or the plant dies altogether.

Prevention:

1. Use seeds of exclusively healthy plants, disinfecting by heating to 51 ° C for 72 hours, then increase the temperature to 80 ° C and heat for another 24 hours.
2. Disinfect the soil with steam at 100 °C, the duration of the procedure is 120 minutes.
3. Destroy weeds at their roots, as this is where the virus usually lives.
4. Destroy aphids as they spread the virus.
5. When you notice the first signs of the disease, sacrifice the infected plants by destroying them.
6. Plant melon varieties with increased resistance to the virus, for example, the Ich-Kzyl 1895 variety.

Treatment: spray the plant with a 3% pharmacoid solution.

Causes of the disease: bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas syringae, class actinomycetes. In addition, temperatures above 25 °C and humidity have a beneficial effect on the development of the disease. Bacteria are carried by wind, insects and moisture.

The plant's seeds or soil may be infected.

Symptoms of corner spot:

• light gray oily spots form on stems, leaves and fruits;
• Over time, the fruits soften and the process of rotting begins.

Prevention of the disease:

1. Till the soil in the fall.
2. Disinfect the seeds in a manganese solution or hot water.
3. Promptly remove the remains of infected plants from the beds, thereby preventing the spread of the disease.
4. Give preference to varieties resistant to bacteria (Ozhen F1).

Treatment: spray the plants with preparations containing copper.

Melon pests

Pests of melons can be very different. In this article you will learn ways to deal with them.

The armyworm is an omnivorous butterfly whose diet includes more than 120 plant species, including melon. The most damaging plants are the cutworm caterpillars that live in the upper part of the post. They eat away the inside of the stems, which inevitably leads to drying out of the plants and their further death. The gray caterpillar is about 4 cm long.

Methods of pest control:

1. Perform regular loosening of the soil, destroying caterpillars and other pests if they get in, get rid of pupae and larvae.
2. Lure out cutworm caterpillars using a plastic bottle with jam, hanging them at a distance of 1 m from the ground.
3. Use the following drugs to combat the cutworm strictly according to the instructions: Volaton, Decis.

The wireworm is the larva of the click beetle. Its body is light yellow. The larvae of this beetle live in the soil for 3 to 5 years and have three pairs of hard legs in the thoracic region.

With warming, they move to the upper layers of the soil, from where they easily attack plants, from seeds to seedlings. The root system of the plant is most damaged, which in turn reduces the plant’s ability to feed and causes the melon to wither literally before our eyes. Due to this, the beds thin out over time.

Methods of pest control:

1. The drug of low toxicity "Provotox" does not require frequent use, since after its use the effects continue for a long time. It is completely harmless to people and animals. Place the drug granule in the hole along with the seeds, which have been pre-treated, for example, with the “Prestige” drug.
2. Additionally, fight wireworms by removing weeds, liming the soil, and sprinkling the soil with ash.

Small arthropods, less than 1 cm long, from the class of arachnids. They wrap melon leaves in a thin web and feed on their juice, leaving small spots on the stems and leaves.

After a spider mite bite, the leaves begin to turn yellow and soon fall off. They reproduce at a high speed and may need two to five days to do this.

Methods of pest control:

1. Initially, to treat the leaves of the plant, use a soapy solution made from laundry soap or dishwashing detergent.
2. Treat melon seeds with bleach, and only then sow.
3. Use the preparation "Bi-58" to spray the plant at the stage of leaf appearance.
4. To destroy small populations of ticks, buy the preparations “Fitoverm” and “Aktofit”. These are high quality preparations, they need to be used several times a season.
5. Place a jar of turpentine near infected plants to avoid unnecessary spraying.
6. As a preventive measure, use harmless spraying with garlic water. To prepare it, take 400 g of crushed garlic, pour 2 liters of water over it, let it brew for 24 hours. The highly concentrated solution is diluted with water: 6 g of concentrate per 1 liter of water.

It has an oval-shaped body, the length of which is less than 2 cm. There are species of aphids of yellow and green colors, with and without wings. The greatest damage to melon is caused by representatives of wingless aphids.

The danger of aphids lies in the parallel course with other diseases. Active carriers of melon aphids are ants, carried by the wind or from purchased plants. Aphids reproduce on the lower part of the leaf.

When attacking plants, aphids eat literally all parts of the plant - stems, leaves, buds, flowers, which has serious consequences for the melon.

Methods of pest control:

1. Do a general cleaning of your garden or field before wintering.
2. Use 0.1% superphosphate fertilizer or 0.5% potassium chloride solution.
3. Plant varieties that are resistant to the pest.
4. Weed weeds promptly.

An insect with two wings of the variegated fly family, the length of the yellow body is up to 6.5 cm. The melon fly is one of the main enemies of the melon, capable of destroying half of the entire crop.

The insect makes a hole in the skin of the fruit and lays eggs directly into the flesh of the fruit. Then the resulting larvae harm the fruit of the plant, which begins to rot and emit a foul odor. The melon becomes unfit for consumption.

The first evidence that melon fruits are affected by this insect is the appearance of tubercles on the skin of the fruit.

Methods of control: treat the land with melons with a solution of “Rapier” or “Zenith”.

Broomrape

Broomrape specializes in certain plant species. So melon broomrape infects, in addition to melon, tomatoes, white cabbage, blue cabbage and many other vegetables. This fact should be taken into account when crop rotation.

Methods of pest control:

1. Perform proper crop rotation.
2. Till the soil deeply.
3. Clear the area of ​​weeds in a timely manner, preventing them from growing.
4. Keep the area neat and clean.
5. Introduce the phytomiza fly into the area during the broomrape bloom. The fly will lay eggs in the weed flowers, which will lead to the inevitable death of the plant seeds.

To get a good harvest, follow these recommendations:

• To keep the harvest intact and protect plants from mass infection, it is necessary to constantly monitor the land, perform high-quality weeding, monitor the moderation of watering, and use fertilizers of a certain group.
• As a preventive measure that is harmless to human health, use an infusion of onion peels, for the preparation of which follow the following proportions - 100 g of peels are infused in 10 liters of water. Plants such as dandelion, celandine, calendula, and wormwood are suitable for preparing preventive and harmless decoctions.
• Before sowing, treat the seeds with special means; this will allow them to be disinfected and the plants will grow and develop faster.
• In the summer, do not forget about the cutworm; to catch it, install traps on the land with melons. Apply insecticides when true leaves and shoots emerge, at least twice a year.
• As you know, strong immunity is the key to health. This expression applies not only to humans, but also to plants. This means that when planting melons, you should choose disease-resistant varieties. This advice is especially relevant if there have been cases of melon infection on your site in recent years, since even with deep plowing there is a possibility of fungi and bacteria remaining in the soil.
• Be sure to fertilize the plants; this will not only ensure rapid growth, but will also allow the melon to resist bacteria and viruses. Superphosphates, ammonium nitrate, and potassium chloride are used as fertilizers. Feeding is carried out during the period when the first leaves appear, then it is repeated two weeks later.
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Yekaterinburg city

Publications: 56

Bacterial and fungal diseases of melon lead to a significant reduction in its yield. No less a threat to melons is posed by melon pests such as flies, caterpillars, and various beetles, which, feeding on plant juices, lead to damage and sometimes death of the melon planting. To protect plants and the crop as a whole, there are various agrotechnical measures, including timely treatment of melons with special preparations.

Low temperatures, high humidity, lack of heat and sun - all these factors contribute to the development of putrefactive processes on leaves and fruits. Most often, melons are susceptible to diseases caused by a fungal infection that affects plants in the absence of proper care.

Powdery mildew. At the initial stage it appears as whitish spots on the greenery of plants (leaves, stems). If measures are not taken in time, the spots become brown and spread over the entire surface, and the leaves themselves dry out. This process leads to a stop in fruit growth and a decrease in their quality. In many cases, the disease affects not only the greens, but also the fruits themselves.

Fusarium. This is a fungal disease that causes the leaves to wilt. As a rule, it occurs during the formation of the first leaves, active growth and ripening of fruits. In the absence of immediate measures, withered leaves, and then the stems, lose their color and become covered with spots. You can no longer count on a generous harvest, since the process develops so rapidly that literally after 7–10 days the infected plant dies. If the fungus has infected the melon at the stage of fruit ripening, then the melons will not be sweet and aromatic enough. It has been noticed that the disease more often affects melon varieties of medium and late ripening.

Copperhead (anthracnose). Signs are brown spots on the leaves, gradually increasing in size. Over time, holes form in the affected areas, the leaves dry out and curl at the edges, the stems become brittle, and the fruits become deformed, begin to taste bitter and gradually rot.

Root rot. Young, weakened plants are more susceptible to the disease. At the initial stage, it manifests itself as drilling and thinning of the stem, gradually leading to the death of cotyledons, leaves and roots.

In addition to various types of diseases, planting melons is often also attacked by insect pests, which we will talk about later.

Melon fly. In some regions, this pest is the main enemy of melons, as it affects up to 50% of the entire crop. It is quite difficult to get rid of flies, since they easily tolerate cold and safely overwinter in the ground as larvae. These insects begin their flight around the beginning of June and can even penetrate the ovaries. Basically, the pest attacks already ripe fruits. In this case, the insect pierces the soft tissues of the fruit and lays several larvae inside the melon.

The first signs of damage to fruits by the melon fly are small tubercles on the peel where the pest has penetrated. Then, when the insect eggs turn into larvae, you can see holes (soft passages) on the surface of the melon that these same larvae have worn out. Fruits after being damaged by a pest begin to rot quickly, and the risk of infection with fungal diseases also increases. Of course, eating a melon infested with insects is not recommended, even if the flesh of the fruit is not yet seriously damaged and the larvae are easily removed.

Melon aphid. It consists of multiple clusters of small insects below the leaves. Situated in groups and laying larvae there, they suck the juice from the leaves, which leads to their yellowing, curling and wilting. In this case, the entire plant suffers, and the flowers and ovaries fall off.

Wireworms. These are the larvae of beetles, which are popularly called click beetles. Their body really looks like a piece of wire; it is very strong and springy. The larvae live in the soil, feeding on the seeds of melons, so the main damage is caused to melon rhizomes. They gnaw through the roots and underground part of the stem, which leads to developmental delays and then to the death of the young plant.

Spider mite. These pests settle on the lower part of the leaf. Thin webs entwining the leaves indicate a mite infestation. During the day, adult beetles lead a hidden life, hiding in webs and laying larvae there. Colonies feed on plant sap, so small spots can be found on the leaves - traces of pest bites. Infected leaves turn yellow, become deformed and fall off, after which the insects move to the stems, flowers and ovaries. By devouring them, they gradually destroy the plants.

Gnawing owls. These are caterpillars that live both in the soil and on its surface. During the daytime, they prefer to hide from the sun in the ground, where they gnaw through the roots of plants, and at night, they climb to the surface and damage the stems there. Massive damage leads to the death of melons, especially if the root is damaged.

Video “Protecting melons from melon flies”

From the video you will learn how to protect your garden and melon crops from one of the most dangerous quarantine pests of melon, watermelon, pumpkin and cucumber, which causes enormous damage to the crop.

Processing means

Many diseases can be avoided if you adhere to the rules of agricultural technology regarding this crop:

• do not plant in heavy and too moist soil, as this contributes to the development of fungal diseases, putrefactive processes and wilting of the melon planting;
• observe crop rotation - it is not advisable to plant melons after nightshade crops (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant), in addition, the place under the bed with melons must be changed annually;
• plants that have been exposed to diseases or pests must be burned, and then the soil must be dug deep;
• and the main measure in the fight against pests and diseases is the treatment of seeds in disinfecting solutions (manganese, copper sulfate, Formalin, Fundazol and other similar products).

These simple agricultural practices will reduce the risk of your melons becoming infected with diseases such as fusarium, root rot and many other fungal diseases. If, for some reason, the plants become sick, then the only way to solve the problem will be fungicides, since folk remedies are effective only at the initial stage of the disease.

To combat powdery mildew, colloidal sulfur is used - it is a white powder to protect vegetable and fruit crops from the above diseases. The drug is used in the form of a solution (0.3%) or as a means of pollinating plants. The effect is observed after 1 day. If the lesions are extensive, treatment is carried out 1 time/1 week until all signs of the disease disappear.

Among the folk remedies for this problem, infusions of hay dust or liquid manure are effective. The product is prepared at the rate of 1 part organic matter to 3 parts water. Manure or rot is poured with water and left for three days. After this, filter, dilute with water in a ratio of 1:3, add copper sulfate (5 g/1 bucket of liquid), and spray the plants. A more gentle remedy is milk or whey diluted with water 1:10.

To prevent powdery mildew, it is recommended to spray melons with Bordeaux mixture once every 7–8 days. For fusarium, a solution of potassium chloride is used, which is used to water the beds during the period of bud formation. To prevent anthracnose, melons are sprayed with a solution or sprinkled with dry sulfur powder 1 time/10–12 days.

Melons need to be treated repeatedly for pests. For example, the melon fly is active during the growing season of plants and during the ripening period of fruits, so 2-3 treatments are necessary per season. The drug "Kemifos" (insecticide) is effective. It is used for spraying at the rate of 10 ml/10 l of water. For prevention, melons are sprayed with Rapier solution.

For aphids, solutions of Karbofos (10%), Aktelik (30%), or soap solution (100 g of soap/10 l of water) are used. The preparations “Fitoverm” or “BI-58” will help get rid of spider mites. These are universal insecticides used to treat fruit and vegetable crops. Gnawing cutworms are destroyed with Volaton and Decis. These are chemicals that are diluted in accordance with the instructions.

It must be remembered that eating melon treated with insecticides is allowed no earlier than a month after the last treatment.

Whatever method you choose, to achieve the desired effect you must adhere to the following rules:

• It is better to spray plants in cloudy and windless weather (late evening), since strong sun can lead to burns of treated leaves, and the wind can partially blow away the drug, which will lead to a decrease in its effectiveness.
• The processing time must be calculated so that there is no rain for at least 6–8 hours after the procedure.
• Try to spray only the plants, avoiding getting the drugs into the soil, or, conversely, if necessary, water the soil without getting it on the leaves.
• It is not recommended to treat the fruits themselves, since insecticides and fungicides tend to accumulate, and these are strong chemicals.

It is also important to adhere to the rules for working with such drugs. When processing melons, be sure to use rubber gloves, a mask and protective clothing, since these agents quickly penetrate the respiratory tract and are absorbed into the blood, which can lead to poisoning. For work, use a high-quality pneumatic sprayer.

Remember that the working solution can be stored for no more than a day.

Video “How to increase the yield of melons”

In this video you will learn how to care for melons to increase the yield.

Melons grown at the dacha in open ground, affected by bacterial, viral and fungal diseases, can simply die. At best, diseases will greatly reduce the yield of this melon crop. Sources of infection are seeds, weeds, plant debris, and soil. To prevent crop loss from disease, we treat melons in a timely manner with appropriate preparations, comply with the requirements of agricultural technology and the rules of crop rotation.

No less harm to melon plantings in the country (here, as they are called) is caused by various pests that feed on the juices of these plants. They also affect fruit quality and yield. Some pests are also carriers of diseases, so their timely destruction is required.

Powdery mildew

Small whitish spots that appear with this disease of melons on the leaves and stems of the plant can eventually cover the entire leaf blade. Foliage that turns brown becomes brittle, curls and dries out.

How to fight, treatment

To the timely destruction of any crop residues and weeds near melons, we add correct crop rotation. When identifying signs of disease, it helps to treat plantings at the dacha (with an interval of 10 days) with 80% sulfur powder (400 g/100 sq. m.). The interval between treatments is 10 days. The final treatment is carried out 20 days before harvesting.

Fusarium wilt

This fungal disease, which most affects middle and late varieties of melons, leads to a decrease in yield and a severe deterioration in the quality of the fruit. Fruits from affected specimens have low sugar content. They are not fragrant and juicy enough. Affected fruits are poorly stored. The disease on fruits appears after the appearance of 2-3 true leaves on the seedlings, as well as during the period of fruit ripening. The leaves and stems of affected adult plants quickly wither. In this case, the leaf blades become light and covered with gray spots. The infected plant dies in 7-10 days.

How to fight, prevention

Compliance with the rules of crop rotation, with timely removal of plant residues, weeds and destruction of infected plants. Moderate watering of plantings, deep digging of the soil in autumn. Before sowing, seeds are disinfected in a solution of 40% formaldehyde (5 min). We grow melon on high ridges. During budding, we spray the dacha plantings with a solution of potassium chloride.

Anthracnose (scarden)

With this disease (another crop familiar to us also suffers from it), the roundish brownish or pinkish spots that appear on the leaves of the melon gradually increase in size. Holes appear on the affected foliage, the leaves curl and dry out. On a diseased plant, the lashes become thin and brittle. Infected fruits become deformed and quickly rot.

How to fight and treat

We promptly remove crop residues from the beds and adhere to the rules of crop rotation. We carry out moderate watering, after which we loosen the soil. Spraying melon plantings with 1% Bordeaux mixture or pollination with sulfur powder. Such treatments (with an interval of 10-12 days) will require 3-4.

Downy mildew (downy mildew)

With this fungal disease, leaves are most often damaged at an early stage of development, with the appearance of yellow-green spots on them that grow greatly in size. With high humidity, a gray-violet coating forms on the underside of the leaf blade (fungus sporulation).

Disinfection, how to fight

Disinfection before sowing melon seeds by heating them in a thermos with water, the temperature of which is 45 degrees. Warming up is carried out for 2 hours. A 20-minute treatment of seeds in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate is indicated. We save country plantings affected by the disease with a solution of urea (1 g/1 l of water), 1% Bordeaux mixture (1 l/10 sq. m.). We treat plants at 10-day intervals with preparations such as Topaz or Oksikhom.

Root rot

Weakened melon plants are most susceptible to this disease. On young specimens, browning of the stem and roots occurs. Over time they become thinner. It all ends with the withering of the cotyledons, leaves and the death of the plant. On mature melons, yellowing and wilting of leaves are observed. The lower part of the stems and roots becomes brown in color.

Prevention and disinfection

We comply with crop rotation requirements, remove weeds in a timely manner, regularly loosen the soil, and provide moderate watering. Before sowing seeds, disinfect them in 40% formaldehyde (5 minutes).

Description of the signs of melon pests, prevention and control

melon aphid

These very fast breeding sucking pests (which also annoy others) accumulate in groups at the bottom of the leaf and cause significant damage to the plant. Affected melon leaves turn yellow, curl and dry out. The flowers, not having time to open, fall off.

Fight her

We promptly clear the beds of plant debris and weeds. We spray dacha plantings with 10% karbofos, soap solution (100 g / 10 l of water), 30% Aktelik solution.

Spider mite

These small pests settle at the bottom of the leaf blade. Their presence is indicated by thin cobwebs on the foliage. These insects suck the juice from all parts of the plant. Melons affected by pests gradually turn yellow and die.

How to fight

We destroy all weeds, plant debris and carry out deep digging of the soil in the fall. We comply with crop rotation requirements.

Wireworms

Planting melons in the country may be attacked by real (larvae of click beetles) and false (larvae of darkling beetles) wireworms. They chew through the underground part of the stem, which often leads to the death of young plants.

Prevention

We promptly remove weeds and plant debris in which this pest likes to accumulate.

Gnawing cutworms

The caterpillars of these insects live in or on the soil. These pests damage the stem of the melon, sometimes leading to the death of the entire plant.

Preliminary prevention

We remove plant debris and weeds. In the fall, we dig the soil deeply. We follow the rules of crop rotation.

Having used all these simple but effective means of protection, we will enjoy not only fresh fruits (here, by the way, there are many recipes), but we will also cook such homemade preparations for the winter as, which goes so well on winter evenings.

Watermelons in our country are grown both in greenhouse conditions and in open ground. High humidity, lack of fresh air, sudden temperature changes - all this accompanies the development of fungal diseases.

Fusarium of watermelon (lat. Fusarium)

It affects the shoots of an adult bush. It is difficult to detect immediately: small red spots gradually appear on the root system with a pinkish coating. As the disease progresses, the plant rots.

Prevention:

• At the moment of digging the soil, dolomite flour is added. At the rate of four hundred grams per square meter.
• The seeds are soaked in a solution of Glyocladin, Fitosporin.
• The seedlings are treated with Previkur.
• The first ten days of summer, the plant is treated with boric acid: one gram per liter of water.

At the first signs of disease, the plant and substrate are treated with a mixture: equal parts colloidal sulfur and wood ash. During active development, fungicides are used.

Anthracnose

Vague yellow-brown spots with pinkish warts appear on the leaves and stem and fruits of watermelon. Black ulcers gradually form, the foliage dries out, and the berries rot. The disease is transmitted through plant seeds and is also spread by spores through insects.

Prevention:

• During the formation of ovaries, the plant is treated with Kuproxat. The procedure is carried out twice with an interval of two weeks.
• Before the next planting, the collected seeds are treated with insecticides; Tiara or Aktara are suitable.

At the first symptoms, it is necessary to spray with Cuprosano, Zineb, and Bordeaux mixture. If the disease is detected late, the entire watermelon plant is removed and burned. The soil is disinfected with a two percent solution of ferrous sulfate.

Watermelon root rot (lat. Radix putrescat)

Symptoms: brown-black weeping spots, yellowed leaves, cracked and decayed roots. Mold may form and an unpleasant odor will appear from the soil.

It is treated when primary symptoms are detected with copper sulfate or wood ash. In an advanced stage, the plant is removed and burned so as not to spread the disease.

If detected, moderate watering should be maintained or stopped. Sprinkle the root collar with ash or tobacco dust, ensure timely removal of weeds, and spray the plants with 1% Fundazol. Next year, the seeds should be treated with weak potassium permanganate mixed with boron and iron in the proportions: 2:1:1.

Sclerotinia or white rot of watermelon (lat. Sclerotinia)

The lower leaves become watery and translucent, with a whitish coating. Subsequently, it turns black, the stems rot, and the top droops.

It can be prevented by monthly feeding: spraying with zinc sulfate, urea. You can water it with diluted kefir and yogurt.

Gray rot (lat. Botrytis cinerea)

The fungus is found in the soil and is spread by weeds. Develops actively in damp and cold conditions. Symptoms: weeping brown spots with a fluffy coating.

Prevention: treating seeds with a sulfur-based fungicide, treating seedlings with Bordeaux mixture. Herbs are planted near the watermelon bed: calendula, marigolds, mustard greens. Spray with iodine solution, infusion of garlic, mustard powder.

Olive spot or clodosporium (lat. Cladosporium)

Olive-colored spots with a cloudy liquid appear on fruits, leaves, and shoots. Develops in hot, high humidity weather.

For prevention, seedlings are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture during transplantation. When the disease develops, stop watering, provide good ventilation and a comfortable air temperature: 20-22 degrees Celsius. With the further development of the disease, the drugs Kartotsid and Oksikhom are used.

Powdery mildew (lat. Erysiphaceae)

Symptoms: whitish coating on foliage, shoot tips, fruit ovaries. Over time, it turns brown, a sore appears and oozes. Areas in the affected area turn yellow.

To protect against powdery mildew, seeds are soaked for a day in Epin or Immunocytophyte. Weekly feeding with crushed chalk or spraying with soda ash helps. Folk remedies help only in the initial stage of the disease. Spraying with dandelion infusions or nettle leaves is used: a bucket of greens is poured with boiling water and left for 24 hours.

Downy mildew (lat. Peronospora)

Round yellow oily spots appear on the watermelon. The leaves dry out, the berries do not grow, they lose their taste and color.

The affected areas are cut out with a disinfected, sharp instrument. The wounds are sprinkled with chalk paste and activated charcoal. The plant is sprayed with the following preparations: copper oxychloride, Ridomil Gold, Acrobat. The completely affected watermelon is removed.

Watermelon mosaic disease (lat. Watermelon Mosaic Virus)

Viral diseases of watermelon are not particularly common, they are rare, but when infected, the only method of combating them is to protect them from spreading by removing and burning the plant. It appears as light spots of different shapes and sizes on the leaves.

The disease slows down the growth of the berry, deforms and dries out the leaves. Transmitted through dirty tools, water, seeds, insects.

In the initial stage, you can spray with Karbofos, twice with a time interval of seven days.

Watermelon pests and their control

Melon aphid (lat. Aphis gossypii)

settles in colonies, covering almost the entire plant and forming a black coating. Treating watermelons against pests is effectively carried out using infusions of strong-smelling plants: garlic, wormwood, onions, citrus peels. For prevention, herbs are planted next to the plant.

Sprout fly (lat. Delia platura)

Sprout fly larvae destroy the plant from the inside. Prevention will help get rid of them: digging and loosening the soil twice a year, soaking the seeds in one of the dressing agents: Fentiuram, hexatiuram, BMK, foundationazol, topsin. When the first signs appear, the leaves and soil are treated with insecticides.

Spider mite (lat. Tetranychus urticae)

Treating the plant with infusions of garlic or onion pulp or cyclamen tubers will help against spider mites. If the pest does appear, then only toxic drugs Agravertin and Apollo will help.

Wireworm - larva of click beetle (lat. Elateridae)

It damages the root system of watermelon, and less often the fruit itself, and carries many fungal diseases. To prevent the appearance of wireworms, dolomite flour, eggshell powder or wood ash are added when preparing the soil. This measure will make the soil less acidic.

It is also recommended to regularly weed the beds and plant legumes and mustard greens between them. When planting a watermelon in an onion, throw in the onion skins. If the pest does appear and multiply, then you cannot do without chemicals.

Melon thrips (Melon Thysanoptera)

Thrips feed on plant sap and are especially active in hot weather. Traps made of plywood or cardboard coated with honey, Vaseline, or glue help deal with them.

Infusions help against certain types of pests: celandine, tomato tops, chamomile, garlic and onion arrows. To combat a massive invasion, you will have to use stronger substances: Vertimek, Fitoverm.

Prevention to protect watermelons from diseases

Many watermelon diseases appear at the seedling stage. If the root stem of the plant darkens, the bush looks wilted, and the leaves begin to turn yellow - most likely the young shoots are already affected by the black stem. Such plants are removed, the soil is changed, and more suitable growing conditions are selected for the rest.

Also on seedlings you can detect primary signs of diseases or damage by pests: fungal spores, sudden wilting, yellowing of leaves, cobwebs, strange spots. All this indicates the need for regular preventive treatments, and also calls into question further cultivation.

In addition, for preventive purposes when caring for watermelons, it is recommended:

• Regular ventilation of the greenhouse.
• Disinfection: fumigation, washing the greenhouse elements with a solution of slaked lime, digging up the soil and pouring hot water.
• In autumn, clear the area of ​​debris and dry vegetation. Dig up the soil.
• Disinfection of soil before planting.
• Loose fit.
• Sharpen working tools and disinfect them.
• Change the planting site every two to three years.
• Constant loosening of the soil, especially after rain.
• Proper feeding.
• Proper watering with water at room temperature.

You will probably like ours about growing watermelons in the Moscow region.