Sunflower broomrape disease prevention and control measures

Sunflower broomrape is a plant also known as poison root weed. It is fleshy and has a height of 20 to 50 cm. It has no real roots and mainly parasitizes on sunflowers, relying on fibrous roots to enter the roots of sunflowers to absorb nutrients. The inflorescence is spike-shaped, with 20 to 70 flowers per plant , and sometimes more than 200 flowers. They usually grow in groups, and once you find them, you will see a pile of them, which seriously affects the growth of sunflowers.

Prevention and Control of Sunflower Orobanche

Seed selection

Different varieties have different degrees of resistance to parasitism of Oleander. When purchasing seedlings, choose varieties that are resistant to Oleander.

Strict disinfection. If you choose to plant sunflowers by sowing, you must first check the purity of the seeds and disinfect them before planting. Do not mix seeds with other plants to prevent invasive spread.

Early detection and early treatment

Even if the variety is selected well, Oleander cannot be eradicated. Oleander is pervasive and can be produced from the formation of the flower disk to maturity. Therefore, you should observe frequently and clean up the emerging Broomrape seedlings and sunflower seedlings in time. When the broomrape grows leaves, pull it out with its roots and loosen the soil frequently to curb its growth.

Chemical control

Spraying 10,000 times the concentration of fluazifop solution on the soil surface after sowing and before seedlings emerge can effectively prevent the parasitism of Oleander.

After the Oleander grows out, first pull it out, then spray it with a butyl resin solution, or irrigate the roots with nitroammonia water, and it will die in 8 to 12 days.

Please note that this method can only be used when the sunflower disk grows to about 10 cm, otherwise it is very easy to cause pesticide damage.

Biological control

Biological control methods are costly and not suitable for home use. The editor has only listed them for your reference. As the saying goes, every plant has its own nemesis. Broomrape parasitizes sunflowers, and Broomrape can also be parasitized. The larvae of the broomrape fly can feed on the flower stems and fruits of the broomrape, and can eliminate the broomrape within a certain period of time.