Plant diseases are often a challenge for professional farmers and home gardeners alike. This problem can affect crop quality and even compromise a plant’s survival. Therefore, prevention is key, and it is necessary to have the right tools and optimal spaces.
Some farmers choose greenhouses, such as the tunnel greenhouse, a straight walls tunnel greenhouse, minitunnel greenhouse or a mini wide span greenhouse. This is done to have greater control over the space and reduce the impact of any diseases. Below, we will tell you more about these conditions and how you can manage them in your crop.
- Plant diseases caused by bacteria
- Plant diseases caused by fungi
- Plant diseases caused by nematodes
- Plant diseases caused by viruses
Plant diseases caused by bacteria
Just like with people, bacteria can enter plants through wounds or cuts in stems and leaves. Once inside, they multiply rapidly and block the transport of water and nutrients. We will explain a little about what happens when this occurs.
Symptoms in plants
Among the most common symptoms are:
- Necrotic spots on leaves.
- Rot in stems and roots.
- Sudden wilting.
- Presence of viscous liquids.
- The leaves may turn yellow and eventually fall prematurely.
Diseases caused by the most common bacteria
Among the most frequent are:
- Bacterial blight: Very common in tomatoes and peppers, causing necrosis in leaves and stems.
- Angular leaf spot: Affects cucumbers and other cucurbits, causing angular lesions.
- Soft rot: Occurs in vegetables such as carrots or lettuce, which have soft tissue and a foul odour.
Appropriate control measures for diseases caused by bacteria
Control should focus on prevention. It is important to disinfect work tools, avoid overwatering, and prevent damage to stems when handling plants. It is also advisable to remove infected debris from the field and use certified resistant seeds.
Plant diseases caused by fungi
You should know that fungi are responsible for most plant diseases. This is because their spores are very easily transported.
Symptoms in plants
The main symptoms of this type of disease are:
- Irregular spots on the leaves.
- Whitish or orange powder.
- Fruit rot.
- Soft stems.
- Deformation and loss of vigour.
Most common fungal diseases
You should also consider the type of disease caused by fungi. The most common are:
- Mildew: Appears as yellow spots on the upper side of the leaf and a grey powdery substance on the underside.
- Powdery mildew: Forms a white powder on leaves and stems that limits photosynthesis.
- Rust: Manifests itself as orange or brown pustules.
- Botrytis: Common in grapes and strawberries, it causes grey mould on ripe fruit.
Appropriate control measures for diseases caused by fungi
To control these diseases, you should:
- Reduce watering.
- Maintain distance between plants
- Avoid puddles.
- Specific fungicides are used if there are advanced infections.
- Ideally, affected leaves should be removed if the cases are mild.
- Greenhouses must be ventilated to slow down the spread.
Plant diseases caused by nematodes
Nematodes are microscopic worms that live in the soil and attack roots directly, interfering with water and nutrient absorption. Here we explain more about what they do to plants.
Symptoms in plants
- Galls or nodules appear on the roots.
- The leaves turn yellow.
- There is wilting during the hottest hours of the day.
- Growth retardation occurs.
Diseases caused by nematodes
Root-knot nematodes are the most common and affect crops such as:
- Tomate
- Pepino
- Pepper
- Berenjena
- Root vegetables.
They can also damage fruit trees such as banana or citrus trees, gradually weakening them.
Appropriate control measures for diseases caused by nematodes
Crop rotation with non-susceptible species, soil disinfection through solarisation, and the use of resistant varieties when available are recommended. On large farms, nematicides are applied under technical supervision.
Plant diseases caused by viruses
Viruses cannot be eliminated with chemicals. This makes them one of the most difficult plant diseases to manage.
Symptoms in plants
Among the most visible symptoms are mosaic spots, irregular yellowing, deformed leaves, and stunted growth. Malformed fruit may also appear, which is smaller and loses commercial quality.
Diseases caused by viruses
Among the most common are:
- Tobacco mosaic virus: Affects solanaceous plants such as tomatoes, peppers, and tobacco.
- Tomato yellow leaf curl virus: Causes curling and yellowing of young leaves.
- Yellow dwarf virus in cereals: Causes reduced growth in wheat, barley, and oats.
Appropriate control measures for diseases caused by viruses
To manage this, you must take preventive measures. It is necessary that you:
- Use certified, virus-free seeds.
- Control pests that act as vectors.
- Remove affected plants.
- Protective netting should be used to prevent insects from entering the crop.
Remember that if you want a more controlled environment, you can use different greenhouses. At Fertri there are many high-quality greenhouses with models adapted to your needs.
Among the options you have: The greenhouse tunnel, a greenhouse tunnel with straight walls,& minitunnel greenhouse or a mini wide span greenhouse. Choose the one that suits you best and don’t hesitate to ask for details.es.