Diseases and pests of green onions

There are a lot of diseases and pests that affect green onions. It is important not to miss the first signs of the manifestation of the disease so that it does not spread to the rest of the plantings.

Among the many diseases of green onions, viral and fungal diseases are most common.

Viruses infect living plant tissues. Such diseases are not cured. They are prevented by controlling insects that are carriers.

Mushroom spores are dangerous because in a few days they can affect all onion plantings both in the open field and in the greenhouse. Mushrooms multiply very quickly under suitable conditions. Germinating in plant tissue, they cause leaf death.

Fungal diseases include:

• aspergillosis;
• rust of onions;
• peronosporosis;
• alternaria;
• cervical rot.

Onion rust is promoted by rainy weather, abundant watering and an increased nitrogen content in the soil. It is mainly the perennial onions grown for greens that are striking. The disease is characterized by the formation of convex yellow and red oval spots on the leaves. In the course of the disease, the growth of the feather stops, and it dries up. The rust pathogen is contagious and resistant.

Downy mildew or downy mildew is a fungal disease that very quickly affects the entire crop.

Its development is facilitated by:

• lack of sunlight;
• cold and wet weather;
• lack of air with frequent landings;
• abundant watering;
• morning dew.

At the onset of the disease, yellow spots form on the leaves, and then they turn gray-purple. This plaque is especially noticeable in the early morning. Gradually affects the entire feather, it turns yellow and dries.

Alternaria appears as white spots on feathers with a watery outline. Over time, they become brownish-burgundy, grow and become similar to tree rings on a cut of a tree. Spots affect an ever larger area, the feather dries and breaks.

Cervical rot is a disease that destroys the bulb. The disease is promoted by high humidity. It begins with the rotting of the feathers, then the rot goes to the head.

The main signs are:

• the neck of the bulb turns brown and gets wet;
• rot spreads from above along the entire head;
• gray mold and black dots form on the scales.

If these bulbs are planted, the feathers will grow weak and pale.

Mosaic is a viral disease of green onions, which manifests itself in the form of light yellow stripes and specks on the leaves. Arrows and leaves are deformed. The plant grows poorly and withers. Affected bulbs become elongated. The carrier of the disease is a four-legged garlic mite.

Onion jaundice virus is carried by cicadas. With this disease, the arrows and feathers begin to turn yellow. Yellowing occurs from the tips and captures the entire green part.The onions stop growing and the leaves flatten. Infected plants must be destroyed, since it is useless to fight the virus.

Curly onion is not considered an independent disease. It is provoked by various viruses or damage by onion stem nematode. Curliness is characterized by the interlacing and curliness of the feathers, as well as cracking of the bulb, which leads to the death of the plant.

Yellow spots on onions do not always mean disease or pest infestation. At high humidity, feathers are deformed and change color, and intense heat provokes premature wilting.

Another reason for yellowing is insufficient nitrogen in the soil. It is necessary to feed the plants with nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

Improper care also affects the yellowing of the feather. Before you start growing onions, you need to understand all the intricacies of this process.

For the treatment of fungal diseases, folk remedies with milk whey, green herbs and wood ash have proven themselves well. For unreleased cases, you can treat with infusion of dandelion and nettle.

Zelenka is a good antiseptic due to the combination of copper in the composition. It is used for powdery mildew and peronosporosis.

To prepare a solution for 10 liters of water, use:

1. 2 liters of milk whey;
2. 10 ml greens;
3. 50 g of urea.

Green onions planted in open ground or in a greenhouse are sprayed with this solution once every 7-10 days. Spraying is carried out in the evening in dry and calm weather.

Treatment with drugs before planting.

1. The beds are watered with Fitosporin solution at the rate of 2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water.
2. Sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate. On a bucket of water, take 40-50 g of the substance. Treat 1 m² with 1 liter of solution.

"Fitosporin" is also used for irrigation when growing onions. In 10 liters of water, 2 tablespoons of the drug are diluted and watered once a week.

With the manifestation of fungal diseases, it is necessary:

• sprinkle the beds with ash;
• apply nitrogen fertilizers;
• reduce watering;
• loosen the soil.

When growing onions for greens, it is unacceptable to fight diseases with chemical agents. It will not be possible to eat it.

Viral diseases in green onions are easier to prevent than cure. The carriers of the virus are small sucking insects:

• ticks;
• nematodes;
• aphid.

Plant sap serves as food for them. Moving from one instance to another, they carry viruses. To prevent infection, you need:

• weed the beds in time;
• prevent waterlogging of the soil;
• observe moderation in dressing.

For the treatment of mosaics with folk remedies, a tincture is made from ash. Dilute 300 grams of wood ash in a bucket of water, bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes. The solution is cooled to room temperature, then 35 ml of liquid soap is added to it and the onion is sprayed.

The successful cultivation of green onions can be prevented not only by disease, but also by insect pests. They damage both the root system and feathers.

Onion moth start up from excessive moisture. It is a small brown butterfly. It is only 8 mm long and has a wingspan of 10 to 17 mm. During the summer, she lays eggs in the soil or on leaves. The eggs hatch small yellow caterpillars with brown spots that damage the feather of the onion. First, longitudinal stripes appear on the leaves, then they turn yellow and dry.

Insecticidal control agents:

• "Spark";
• Metaphos;
• "Summer resident".

These funds are used as indicated in the instructions.

Onion fly occupies a special position among pests. It is a small gray insect. It differs from an ordinary fly in a yellow-green belly. She lays eggs in onion scales. After a week, the larvae hatch. They feed on onion pulp.

The defeat of an onion fly is determined by the following criteria:

• plant growth slows down;
• the head of the onion begins to rot;
• the feather dries and withers;
• the presence of white small eggs on the feathers.

Digging the ground after harvesting is used to prevent the occurrence of flies. So the pupae of the fly will die from the frost.

At the initial stage, folk methods are effective.

1. They are treated with dandelion infusion. 200 g of dandelion roots are insisted in a bucket of water for one week. The solution is filtered and the plants are sprayed once every 10-14 days.
2. Pour with a solution of salt at the rate of 250 g per bucket of water once every 10 days.
3. Sprinkle with a mixture of wood ash, tobacco and black pepper. For 200 g of ash, take a teaspoon of pepper and tobacco. Processing is carried out before the appearance of insects and during the laying of eggs.

If these methods do not give the desired effect, then industrial insecticidal preparations are used for spraying:

• Aktara;
• Tabazol;
• "Mukhoed".

Onion thrips infect both the bulb itself and the feather, and are also carriers of viruses. These are small brown or yellow insects. They spoil the feathers of the onion, leaving light spots on the leaves. When growing onions on a feather, it is better to use folk remedies to combat thrips.

1. Infusion of celandine. 100 grams of dry grass is infused in 1 liter of water for 2-3 days. The ready-made infusion is used for spraying.
2. Infusion of garlic. A tablespoon of chopped garlic is poured with a glass of water and insisted for a day, filtered and sprayed with plants.
3. Traps with glue for catching insects are placed between the beds.

It is easier to prevent viral and fungal diseases of plants than to treat them later. Timely prevention will help to improve the quality of the crop, in particular, the treatment of seeds and the site before planting.

Seeds can be disinfected in different ways.

• Soak the planting material in a solution of copper sulfate (3 grams per 1 liter of water).
• Thermal method. The seeds are dipped in hot water for 15 minutes before planting. The water temperature is 45-50 degrees Celsius. Then pour cold water for 10 minutes.
• Treatment with growth stimulants "Biostin", "Zircon", "Cytovit" will additionally protect the bulbs from diseases and increase immunity.

Folk remedies are also used.

1. Soak the seeds for 5 minutes in a salt solution. For 1 liter of water - one tablespoon.
2. Soak for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate (it should be purple) and washed with water.
3. Pour in a solution of wood ash for 5 minutes - 250 grams per 5 liters of water.

Site processing methods before planting.

1. All weeds and plant debris are removed from the site selected for planting in the fall.
2. Watered with Fitosporin solution or copper sulfate solution.
3. Mustard is sown on the site of future beds. It prevents the development of pathogens and heals the soil.

Healthy and well-groomed plants are less susceptible to various diseases and more resistant to weather conditions. Observing simple agronomic techniques, you can significantly improve the quality of the crop:

1. choose a sunny, ventilated place for planting;
2. disinfect seeds before planting;
3. observe crop rotation;
4. fertilize the soil on time;
5. weed the beds in a timely manner and loosen the ground;
6. watered, avoiding excessive waterlogging of the soil;
7. Plants are regularly examined for the presence of pests and, at the first sign, they begin to fight them.

How to deal with onion pests, see the video.