Symptoms and control measures of watermelon virus disease

Watermelon is a leader among summer fruits and is loved by people for its sweet taste and rich nutritional value. However, watermelon will also encounter various diseases during its growth process, viral disease is one of them. Here we will talk about the harmful symptoms and prevention and control measures of watermelon viral disease.

1. Symptoms of watermelon virus disease

1. Mosaic type

Initially, yellow-green mosaic patterns appeared on the top leaves, which later became wrinkled and deformed, with uneven leaf surfaces and smaller leaves. The internodes of new stems and vines became shortened, thin and twisted, and no or few fruits were set.

2. Fern Type

The new leaves become narrower, grow slowly, shrink and twist, and the plants become shorter. Sometimes the top group of plants grow late to develop the disease, forming deformed melons. The fruits are poorly developed, small, with uneven surfaces, and dark brown flesh, which has a great impact on quality and yield.

2. Prevention and control methods of watermelon virus diseases

1. Agricultural prevention and control

(1) Choose disease-resistant varieties and select seeds from disease-free plants.

(2) Seed treatment: soak the seeds in 10% trisodium phosphate solution for 20 minutes or in 55°C warm water for 30 minutes, rinse with clean water, and then germinate and sow.

(3) Grow seedlings in a centralized manner and lay silver-gray film in the fields to prevent aphids.

2. Chemical control

In the early stage of the disease, use 200-250 times diluted 2% Junkedu Ke aqueous solution, or 500 times diluted 20% Virus A wettable powder, or 1000 times diluted 1.5% Implant Ling emulsifiable concentrate , or 800 times diluted 30% Virus K wettable powder, or 1000 times diluted 20% Xiaoyedi, etc., mixed with the anti-aphid agent, and spray for prevention. Once every 7 days, 2 to 3 times in a row. For fern-type symptoms, adding "Qibao 920" will have a good control effect.

3. Fertilization

(1) Apply sufficient base fertilizer, apply appropriate topdressing, increase potassium fertilizer, water in time to prevent drought, and prune appropriately to improve the disease resistance of the plant.

(2) Pay attention to clearing weeds in and around the melon field and remove diseased plants in a timely manner. When performing field operations such as pruning and pollination, care should be taken to minimize damage to the plants.

(3) Choose a sunny day and carry out the treatment in the sun to reduce the size of the wound as quickly as possible and eliminate the aphids.

That’s it