Eggplant is grown not only in regions with a warm climate. Almost throughout Russia learned to cultivate such a vegetable culture as eggplant. Diseases and pests cause irreparable harm to this plant. If you do not fight them, the crop may die completely.
Eggplant diseases and pests
Climatic conditions in Russia in different regions differ significantly. But this does not stop summer residents, and they grow exotic plants on their plots. Eggplant has become a familiar vegetable in the garden of even the northern regions, although the cultivation of this crop there is mainly produced in greenhouses. Gardeners learned to grow eggplant in almost any climatic conditions on their sites. Diseases and pests of this plant can destroy up to a third of the possible yield. Consider the most common pests of this culture.
Eggplant Pests
One of the most dangerous eggplant pests is aphids. This insect appears on the leaves, flowers and stems and sucks the juice of the plant. It should be noted that aphids usually appear where there are garden ants that cultivate aphids, transfer it from one plant to another, as they feed on sweet sticky secretions of these parasites and thus make a nutritional reserve for themselves. Therefore, the
fight against ants should go along with the destruction of aphids. Before planting, you can treat the places of their accumulation with hot boiling water or ash, and from aphids, use kalbofos according to the instructions.
The spider mite also feeds on plant sap. It settles on the underside of the sheet,
forming a cobweb around itself, it is visible. The tick itself is much more difficult to notice, it is very small. Eggplant leaves affected by a spider mite become spotty. To combat this pest, you can use the infusion of onions or dandelion, adding a little liquid soap. These infusions can be used even in the phase of fruit formation.
Naked slugs can damage not only the leaves, but also the fruits themselves. To combat them, it is necessary to weed in a timely manner and till the soil around the plants with salt, ash, red pepper or tobacco dust - by any means that irritates the naked abdomen of slugs. They simply cannot get to the plant.
Eggplant Disease
Diseases and pests of this vegetable crop are widespread almost everywhere. In regions with a hot and dry climate, eggplant often suffers from fusarium and verticillous wilting. These are fungal diseases, therefore it is better to remove the affected plants, and for prevention, do not apply too thickened plantings, as well as use hybrids that are resistant to these diseases. With this type of fungal infection, the plant withers; it is extremely difficult to cure it, since not only the root, but also the entire conductive system of the plant suffers.
The black leg can also infect young eggplant plants and seedlings. This disease occurs with low temperature and high humidity. If only the first signs of a black leg appeared (the stem on the border with the soil becomes slightly thinner and darkens), then the plant can still be saved. To do this, watering is stopped, the soil is loosened, and the next watering is carried out only after the soil dries well. Waterlogging does not like eggplant. Diseases of seedlings (photo), or rather their signs, look like this.
Stolbur is a disease caused by phytoplasma. The main carrier of it is the circus. Signs - a plant is low, with purple leaves, on the top of the leaf is corrugated and thickened, the flowers develop, but the fruits are not tied. Prevention - keeping plantings clean. The drug "Actellik" will help reduce the number of carriers of the pathogen Columbus, which is dangerous not only for such a vegetable crop as eggplant. Diseases and pests will not damage your landings if timely preventive measures are taken. Have a good harvest!