Dill Diseases And Fight Against Them

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

Dill is extremely unpretentious, however, it is also susceptible to damage by a wide variety of ailments. Particularly dangerous are cercosporosis and phomosis, as well as powdery mildew. However, no less destructive misfortune is fusarium wilting. How to understand what kind of disease struck the growing fragrant twigs? If you have information about how this or that ailment manifests itself, then it will not be difficult to make a "diagnosis" of dill

Fomoz of dill

Often, the manifestations of this ailment can be found on tiny seedlings at the same time as the black leg. And in the second half of summer, the phomosis also covers adult dill bushes. On the stems, leaves, inflorescences and even on the roots of dill, elongated dark spots appear with well-visible black dots.

The causative agent of this disease is the pathogenic fungus Phoma anethi Sacc, which penetrates literally all tissues of growing dill. On infected vegetation, the fungus develops for no more than two weeks, respectively, during the season it easily gives a decent number of generations, thereby provoking several waves of the disease.

If fomoz strikes dill at the stage of seed formation and their subsequent ripening, they will instantly lose their germination and turn into a source of infection.

Powdery mildew on dill

A characteristic feature of this misfortune is a whitish bloom, initially similar to a cobweb, and after some time resembling traces of flour or whitewash. It consists of the mycelium of a destructive fungus-pathogen called Erysiphe umbelliferarum. The specks formed on juicy greenery gradually cover new surfaces, continuing to do this until all aerial parts of the dill are affected.

Spores of the pathogen fungus overwinter in plant residues not harvested in time from the beds or on weeds. Wild varieties of umbrella crops are especially beloved by the pathogen.

In open beds, a harmful attack most often infects dill when the weather is humid and warm enough, and in protected ground, the pathogen is almost always detected in greenhouses, in which weeds are adjacent to dill. Leaves with traces of this dangerous ailment lose their exquisite aroma, former juiciness and excellent taste.

Fusarium wilt of dill

Fusarium almost always begins with the lower leaves of dill - when affected by this misfortune, the greens first turn yellow, and then change their color to brownish or reddish. Further, the infection gradually moves upward, capturing the upper tiers of dill, as a result of which it begins to fade.

To understand how badly dill is affected, it is enough to look at the cross sections of the stems, the tiny vessels of which acquire a rich reddish, brownish or yellowish color.

The causative agent of fusarium wilting is considered to be the fungus Fusarium, which accumulates and overwinters in the soil. Most often, the infection is spread by soil pests (in particular, nematodes) or gets into plants due to careless loosening of the soil. Increased soil temperature and waterlogging of the soil are especially favorable for the development of the disease. To prevent fusarium from destroying the entire crop, it is important to try to prevent the reproduction of pests living in the soil and stagnation of moisture in the soil.

Cercosporosis of dill

This misfortune has a lot in common with phomaosis, moreover, often cercosporah precedes its development. This unfortunate ailment is caused by the harmful fungus Cercospora anethi, which affects all the aerial organs of growing dill. Brownish or dark spots are formed on them in places where the pathogen is introduced, gradually taking on an elongated shape. As soon as the spores begin to ripen, all specks will be covered with a light and very dense bloom. And the source of infection remains mainly on the remains of plants that were not removed from the beds in a timely manner, as well as on ripe dill seeds.