Sorrel Diseases And The Fight Against Them

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Sorrel, like most other crops, is often affected by a huge number of all kinds of diseases. In order to protect this wild-growing grass known from prehistoric times from various misfortunes, it is important to know exactly how they manifest themselves - only in this case, the fight against ailments can give positive results. So, what is this sour green handsome man sick with?

Powdery mildew

Perhaps this is the most harmful ailment of all that a handsome sorrel can get sick with. Symptoms of powdery mildew can be found on all of its aboveground organs - an extremely unpleasant whitish powdery coating appears on them, densely dotted with tiny dots of the fruit bodies of the pathogen - cleistocarpia.

Peronosporosis

This attack manifests itself on the undersides of the sorrel leaves in the form of slightly chlorotic diffuse specks covered with a disgusting grayish bloom. Infected leaves are deformed and stunted. They thicken, curl upside down, turn pale and become fragile and wrinkled.

Young parts of growing sorrel are especially loved by this misfortune. And the fungus-causative agent of peronosporosis spreads with the help of colorless oval-shaped conidia by means of wind and raindrops.

To overcome this destructive ailment, about ten days before the start of harvesting sorrel leaves, crops are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.

Rust on sorrel leaves

There are three types of rust raging on sorrel. The most common is Puccinia acetosae, which initially appears on the stalks, petioles and leaves of sorrel in the form of orange or yellowish rounded small specks. Gradually they swell, and after a while they burst, releasing a myriad of harmful orange spores.

In the case of the massive development of the ill-fated ailment, the growth of sorrel is significantly weakened, and the presentation of the leaves is completely or partially lost, as a result of which the leaves often become unusable. Rust is especially harmful in the temperate climatic zone.

Correct agricultural technology and the introduction of phosphorus-potassium dressings will help to reduce the susceptibility of sorrel to rust.

Sorrel ovularia

The sorrel leaves gradually begin to become covered with tiny grayish-brown specks equipped with dark purple edges. And from the lower sides of the leaves, the development of fungal sporulation of a light gray color begins. Sick leaves gradually turn brown and dry out quickly.

White spot

This mushroom disease affects peduncles, petioles and sorrel leaves. On young leaves, single specks painted in off-white tones appear, framed by thin dark rims. And in their bright areas, you can see chaotically scattered little black dots. Gradually, the number of spots increases, and they begin to merge, covering the leaf blades completely. Infected leaves turn brown and, when dry, fall off. The main source of infection is the remains of unhealthy plants.

Gray rot of sorrel

Another fungal disease that attacks sorrel when plantings are thickened and in damp seasons. However, sometimes it can appear during storage of fresh leaves. On the sorrel leaves attacked by the ill-fated gray rot, brownish specks are formed, increasing in size with lightning speed. Plant tissues become flabby, softened and become watery. And after a while, the infected parts of the leaves rot, turning into a dusty thick gray coating. The spread of infection occurs through spores.

To avoid the appearance of gray rot, the soil on which the sorrel grows is mulched with peat, and in the immediate vicinity of the plants it is pollinated with fluff lime or ash, spending 10 - 15 g of a saving agent for each bush.