Temperate Vegetables (1+1)

DISEASES AND PESTS

DISEASES

1. Curly dwarf

• Curly dwarf is caused by virus.
• It includes leaf curl, dwarfing of the plants and reduced production of the buds and many of them misshapen.
• This virus is transplanted easily during the replanting process from propagating material if infected stumps are not culled carefully.
• Insect transmission of the disease may also occur.
• Buds may become misshapen and remain small.

Control measures
• Improved cultural practices including planting of garlic and onions will repel aphids, a prevalent enemy of artichokes.
• Avoid planting infected propagating material.
• Control of the insect vector that transmits the disease by repeated sprays of malathon @ 0.05 per cent is also recommended.

2. Botrytis blight : (Botrytis cinerea)

• It appears as a fungal growth and decay on tissue damaged by insect or frost, when the weather becomes warm and moist.
• Although it infects both the plant and the flower bud, economic damage is usually limited to the harvested artichokes.
Control measures
• Best control for botrytis blight is low humidity and good air circulation and factors that do not enhance the infection.
• Removal of infected buds in the packing shed and storing and shipping at low temperature will control the disease.

PESTS

1. Artichoke plume moth : (Platyptilia carduidactyla)

• It is the most common pest of artichoke.
• It is a brown buff moth with narrow wing.
• The yellowish larvae with black head feed on leaves, stem and developing buds.
Control measures
• Spray deltamethrin (0.0025 %) for effective control

2. Aphids: (Myzus braggii)

• Several species of aphids feed on artichoke.
• The artichoke aphid is yellowish green while where as Myzus fabae is black in colour.
• Both cause serious damage by sucking sap from the underside of leaves.
Control measures
• These aphids can be controlled with a spray of malathion (0.05%) or oxy-demeton methyl (0.025%).