Content
Many gardeners traditionally begin the spring planting season by planting radishes. This is completely justified. Radishes are considered one of the most unpretentious vegetables; they grow well in cool weather and do not need long daylight hours. Many varieties with different ripening periods make it possible to grow this crop in a wide variety of regions. The plant has good immunity, but pest invasions and radish diseases still occur periodically.
Radish pests and their control
Radishes belong to the Brassicaceae (Cruciferous) family, so they are endangered by the same pests that attack cabbage and other plants in this group.Next, photos of the most common radish pests will be given and information about how to combat them will be given.
Cruciferous flea beetle
A common pest that overwinters under plant debris in the top layer of soil. The cruciferous flea beetle is a small (about 3 mm) black bug.
Insects have excellent jumping ability and can cover considerable distances. The greatest danger is posed by the larvae of the pest. They appear from eggs laid by the female flea beetle on the underside of the leaf. The larvae eat radish leaves, literally turning them into a colander, as well as the roots of the plant.
To protect against these pests, treatment of radishes with folk remedies is widely used. Ash mixed with tobacco and ground pepper helps well against fleas. You can treat the beds with dandelion infusion, as well as a weak solution of acetic acid. If the pest population is large, special means are used, such as Decis or Aktara.
Cruciferous bug
This is a small insect, clearly visible against the background of green foliage due to its red and black coloring. At the end of April, bugs emerge from hibernation and females lay eggs on the leaves. Insects feed on plant juices by making pinhole punctures in the leaves.
The leaf plate at the puncture site turns yellow and collapses. Cruciferous bugs cause the greatest damage in hot sunny weather.
The best biological remedy for this pest is tansy; the insect cannot stand its smell. A small population of bedbugs can be collected by hand.An effective way to get rid of this pest is to treat the beds with an infusion of onion peels or chamomile. If the insect population is significant, it is more advisable to use chemicals, for example, Belovos or Phosbecid.
Rapeseed flower beetle
The rapeseed flower beetle is a small black bug. You can recognize it by its shiny, hard wings, which shimmer very beautifully in the sun with a greenish color. The flower beetle eats flower buds from the inside, so it is dangerous, first of all, for rapeseed crops, but it can also cause significant harm to radishes.
Folk remedies do not have any effect on the rapeseed flower beetle, so they fight this pest exclusively by treating radish crops with insecticides, such as Karate or Kinmiks.
Rapeseed sawfly
This is a small winged insect. A danger to plantings are its larvae, which resemble caterpillars; a significant population of this pest can destroy radish leaves almost completely.
You can take preventative measures against this pest already at the stage of planting radishes by soaking the seeds for 10-15 minutes in Actellik solution. A small number of caterpillars can be repelled by treating crops with a solution of soda or mustard. For large pest populations, it is better to use insecticides, such as Fury or Arrivo.
Slugs
Slugs are invertebrate mollusks that resemble snails without shells. They feed on both plant greens and root crops, often gnawing right through them.
To prevent the appearance of slugs, traps are installed in the beds - small, buried containers with beer or fermented kvass.These insects cannot move at all on bulk materials, so crops can be surrounded with a barrier of dry pine needles, sand or wood ash. You can drive slugs away from the area by treating crops with infusions of hot pepper or mustard. If there are a large number of pests, use the drugs Slug Eater or Meta.
Cabbage fly
The cabbage fly can be distinguished from the usual one by its more elongated body and longitudinal black stripe on the abdomen. The larvae of this insect eat young radish shoots, damaging not only the leaves, but also the roots.
To combat cabbage fly and to prevent its occurrence, radishes are treated with broad-spectrum insecticides, for example, Danadim Expert.
Cabbage moth
The cabbage moth is a small butterfly with a wingspan of only about 15 mm. The danger to crops is posed by the larvae of this insect, which actively feed on the greenery of radishes and other plants of the Cruciferous family.
If signs of cabbage moth appear (yellowing of leaves, stunted growth, appearance of rot), the plant must be treated with systemic insecticides, for example, Ditox.
Cabbage caterpillars
The white butterfly (cabbage butterfly) is familiar to many. For radishes and other plants of the Brassica family, the caterpillars of this insect pose a danger.
As the first butterflies emerge, precautions must be taken to prevent the butterflies from laying eggs. For this purpose, sharp-smelling plants are planted next to the crops, for example:
- Sagebrush.
- Basil.
- Sage.
To prevent access to butterflies, radish crops are often covered with fine mesh. To kill flying insects, glue traps (honey water or sticky tape) are often used. To combat caterpillars, use the drug Actellik, treating radish crops with it.
Aphid
Aphids are microscopic green sucking insects. They pose a danger not only to radishes, but also to most other garden plants.
Feeding on plant cell sap, aphids make numerous punctures across the entire surface of the leaf blade. Leaves that regularly lack nutrients due to this become depressed, turn yellow and wither. Large colonies of aphids can completely destroy plants.
Small colonies of aphids can be washed off with a solution of laundry soap and water. Treating plants with infusions of herbs with a pungent odor: garlic, onion, calendula has also proven effective. The same plants can be planted next to radishes. If aphid populations are significant, broad-spectrum insecticides such as Inta-Vir or Confidor must be used to treat radishes against these pests.
Video about controlling radish garden pests:
Radish diseases and their treatment
Most radish diseases are associated either with poor-quality planting material or with unfavorable growth conditions. This may be excessive moisture, which contributes to the development of various fungal diseases, or, for example, excessive soil acidification, which causes diseases of the root system.This chapter describes the most common radish diseases and methods of treating them, and also shows photos of affected plants.
Gray rot
A fungal disease that affects most garden plants. Develops in conditions of high humidity and low temperature. It can affect various parts of the plant, appearing as brown or gray spots.
When gray rot appears, the affected parts of the plants must be torn off and burned. To prevent the development of the disease, crops are treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur or fungicides.
White rust
White rust (white) is a fungal disease that develops on radish leaves under conditions of prolonged low temperatures and high humidity. The disease is promoted by the neglect of the site, the presence of weeds and plant debris. It appears as an oily-white coating on the tops, then in these places the leaves turn brown and dry out.
At a late stage of plant formation, the disease can also develop on root crops. Growths appear on them, while the above-ground part of the plant begins to grow vigorously and branch, gradually drying out and then dying.
If a disease is detected, the affected leaves must be immediately torn off and burned. For prevention and treatment at the early stage of infection, plantings are treated with solutions of colloidal sulfur and potassium permanganate; at a later stage of disease development, it is more advisable to use fungicides Ridomil-Gold or Folicur. Often, shavings of laundry soap are added to the treatment solution. This composition wets the plants better and is not washed off with water longer.
Radish mosaic
Mosaic is a viral plant disease. It affects not only radishes, but also a large number of other garden crops. The disease is very dangerous because there is no cure for it. All infected plants must be destroyed by burning. The mosaic can be detected by characteristic light green or light green spots on the leaf plate, often in the shape of various geometric shapes. Affected leaves become deformed, curl, gradually darken and die.
To prevent the appearance of mosaics, it is necessary to inspect and reject the seed material. As a preventive measure, seeds can be kept in a solution of special products Horus or Topaz. The fight against sucking insect pests that are carriers of the mosaic virus is also of great importance for the prevention of disease.
Powdery mildew
Powdery mildew is a well-known fungal disease that affects not only radishes, but also many other types of garden plants. The causative agent of the disease is soil fungi, so infection usually begins with the lowest leaves. It appears as a white or light gray powdery coating on the leaves, which eventually turn brown and die.
The disease progresses in conditions of high temperature and humidity. An unfavorable factor contributing to the development of the disease is sudden temperature fluctuations. To prevent the appearance of powdery mildew, it is usually enough to treat once a week with a solution of colloidal sulfur or folk remedies: infusion of ash or curdled milk diluted with water.When infected, radish crops are traditionally treated with copper-containing preparations, such as an aqueous solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.
Downy mildew
Downy mildew, or downy mildew, is a fungal disease that develops on the leaves of radishes and other plants. Downy mildew can be recognized by small light green spots on the leaf blade, which gradually turn yellow and then turn brown. On the reverse side of the leaf, a spore pad is formed in the form of a gray velvety coating.
To prevent downy mildew, plantings are sprayed twice with a solution of boric acid or with agents such as Rizoplan or Pseudobacterin. Good results are obtained by treating plants with folk remedies, for example, infusion of wormwood or garlic.
Kila
Clubroot is a specific fungal disease characteristic only of plants of the Cruciferous family. Visually detecting the disease during the growth process is quite difficult, since only the underground part of the radish is affected. White growths form on the root crop, which then turn brown and rot. The root ceases to perform its function, the movement of nutrients slows down and then stops. The plant lays down and dies. The photo shows radishes affected by this disease:
Kila is not treatable. The area where this disease was noted is not recommended for sowing plants of the Cruciferous family for 8-10 years, devoting it to potatoes or tomatoes. The disease often develops in conditions of high humidity on heavy clay soils, as well as in conditions where the soil acidity is too high.Therefore, prevention is to increase the looseness of the soil by adding sand, wood ash, as well as deoxidizing it with dolomite flour or milk of lime.
Blackleg
This is a fungal disease caused by soil fungi. It usually develops in the lower part of the stem. Within a short time, the stem becomes thinner and completely rots, after which the plant simply falls to the ground and dies.
Blackleg is not treatable. Infected plants should be immediately removed from the garden bed and burned. The development of the disease can be prevented by following all the rules of agricultural technology, as well as using high-quality planting material.
Vascular bacteriosis
Bacteriosis usually affects mature plants that are at the stage of root formation. This disease can be detected by the color of the leaves. In the affected areas, the veins turn black, the leaf blade around them turns yellow and eventually begins to crumble. The disease is carried by insects and can also be spread by rainwater.
Bacteriosis in its early stages of development is treatable. At this stage, you can treat the radishes with Fitolavin or Binoram, however, if the damage is severe, it will not be possible to save the plant; it must be destroyed. To prevent this disease, many gardeners soak radish seeds in hot water at a temperature of 45-50 ° C for 15 minutes before planting.
Signs of diseases and pests of radishes
Most diseases, as well as the presence of pests on radish plantings can be detected visually. Such signs are disturbances in the color of leaves, their deformation, the appearance of holes in leaf blades, etc.Plantings need to be inspected regularly; many diseases can be cured if detected at an early stage.
What to do if radish leaves are in a hole
If numerous small holes appear on the radish leaves, then most likely they could have been caused by cruciferous flea beetles. Larger holes with jagged edges may indicate caterpillars of winged insects such as the white butterfly or cabbage moth. If the edges of the holes are brown, the material of the leaf plate rots and crumbles, then there is a high probability of fungi developing on the plants.
Why do radish leaves turn yellow?
Yellowing of radish leaves is not always associated with disease. Perhaps the plants simply do not have enough sunlight. The yellow color of the leaves may be due to a lack or excess of moisture. If the yellowing is accompanied by wilting of the plant, clubroot may be the cause, causing disruption of nutrient flow.
Another reason for yellowing of radish leaves may be sucking insects (aphids or bugs), a large population of which can significantly depress crops.
Why do radishes turn black inside?
Blackening of radish roots is usually associated with diseases. One of the reasons is downy mildew, or downy mildew. At the initial stage, the disease affects the leaves, and then the fungus spreads to the entire plant. The root crop turns black and rots. However, not only diseases can lead to blackening of radishes. Quite often this phenomenon is a consequence of improper care, in particular, rare but abundant watering. Another reason for blackening of radish roots can be increased soil acidity.
Why do radish leaves dry out?
Drying radish leaves may indicate that the plant is infected with powdery mildew. When choosing seeds for planting, you should pay attention to varieties that are resistant to this disease. In addition to disease, the cause of leaf drying can also be a simple lack of moisture. Therefore, watering radish beds should be regular, especially in hot weather.
Prevention measures
To protect radishes from pests and diseases, it is necessary to carry out a number of measures in a timely manner, both with the plants themselves and with the area where this crop is grown.
- The place for the beds must be prepared in advance. When digging, add sand if the soil is not loose enough. Add dolomite flour or slaked lime if the acidity is higher than normal.
- Inspect and discard radish seeds.
- Before planting, soak the planting material in a disinfecting solution.
- After planting, provide the plants with good care. Water the radishes, weed, and loosen the soil in a timely manner.
- After the emergence of shoots, cull the shoots, removing thickening and weak plants.
- At all stages of growth and development, conduct regular observations, promptly taking measures to remove disease-affected plants. If necessary, treat the radish plantings with special preparations.
- Carry out protection measures in a timely manner and, if necessary, treat radishes against insect pests.
Conclusion
Radish diseases are most often the result of improper care or the use of low-quality planting material. Despite the fact that the plant is considered quite unpretentious, it requires some care to get a good harvest. It is quite simple, so you should not neglect it.
