Beet diseases: description and treatment, fight against them with photos

Beetroot is considered an unpretentious vegetable that even beginners can grow. However, sometimes the cultivation of such a plant is accompanied by serious diseases, leading to poor yields and death of the bushes. To maintain the he alth of beet bushes, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the description and treatment of beet diseases.

Disease prevention: general agricultural practices

Before you start planting, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the features of disease prevention so that beet diseases do not appear. There are a number of agrotechnical recommendations that should be followed when planting and growing this crop:

Crop rotation. Proper crop rotation is recommended to reduce the number of pathogens in the soil.
Processing the site. Before planting, the soil must be treated with disinfectants.
Liming. To ensure reliable protection of table sugar beets, liming is carried out. To do this, quicklime, flour and wood ash are added to the soil.
Seed dressing. A prerequisite for growing and planting beets is the processing of seed. To do this, the seeds are treated with antimicrobial mixtures and a manganese solution.

Common diseases

There are many common sugar beet diseases that vegetable growers face when growing this vegetable. It is recommended to familiarize yourself in advance with their distinctive features and medicinal folk remedies for restoring the leaves of beet bushes.

Root eater

All beet diseases are different from each other and manifest themselves in different ways. Root beetle differs from most common diseases, as this disease is considered complex. The development of the root beetle is carried out by dozens of different bacteria and fungi, the action of which can lead to the death of all bushes.

Most often the disease appears in waterlogged soil or due to frequent temperature changes. At first, the root beetle affects only the root system of the seedlings, which is why the roots gradually rot and darken. The rot then spreads to the stem and leaves. Affected bushes grow worse, and the quality of their root crops deteriorates significantly.

It is recommended to treat seedlings immediately after the first signs of root beetle appear. Without timely treatment, all infected bushes will darken and rot. To get rid of the disease, all seedlings are sprayed with chemicals Tiram, Prefikur or Fitosporin.

Cercospora

A common disease that is often encountered when growing beet bushes is cercosporosis. It is a fungal disease that often originates in seed or is carried by spores from infected plants to he althy ones. When it comes into contact with seedlings, the fungi multiply rapidly and infect the leaves. Most often, cercosporosis appears in the second half of June in rainy weather.

Identifying bushes infected with this fungal disease is quite simple. When a pathogen enters, small gray spots appear on the leaves of the bushes. Over time, all the spots on the leaves are reduced to small black dots. Infected seedlings weaken and their root growth deteriorates.

So that he althy beets do not become infected with cercosporosis, measures are being taken to combat this disease. To do this, all the tops of the infected bushes are dug up and burned. Then the soil is treated with chemicals to destroy the pathogens of cercosporosis.

Ramulariasis

Beet ramulariasis is often confused with cercosporosis, as these diseases have very similar symptoms. With ramularia, spotting also appears on the leaves and the plant gradually dies. However, these diseases have a number of differences, the main of which is the color of the spots. In this case, the lesions are not dark, but light in color.

Also, a distinctive feature is the size of the spots, which is 1-2 cm in diameter.

Most often, ramulariasis appears in the second half of summer in hot weather. First, the spots appear on the lower leaves of the bushes, after which they gradually move to the petioles and tops. Platinum leaf on infected plants collapses and dies off completely.

To stop the development of ramulariasis, all infected seedlings are treated with fungicidal solutions in the fight against the disease.

Phomosis

Some gardeners do not consider beet phomosis a serious disease, since it develops only at the end of the growing season after the root crops ripen. However, the negative effects of phomosis should not be underestimated, as its signs appear even after harvesting a ripe crop.

When such a disease appears, the plant becomes covered with large brown spots. At first they appear in the lower part of the bushes, but over time, spotting spreads to peduncles and petioles. Because of this, all the tops gradually dry out and have to be disposed of earlier. If treatment is not done in time, after 1-2 months the entire harvest will turn black and deteriorate.

All infected plants should be treated regularly with curative fungicides.

Peronosporosis

One of the most common diseases is beet downy mildew, which most often affects beet bushes. The disease develops in spring or summer in conditions of high humidity. The characteristic signs of peronosporosis are the deformation of the leaves and their death.

The cause of the disease is a fungus that affects he althy tops and completely covers it with yellow spots. Also, due to the action of the fungus, a purple or gray coating appears on the surface of the sheets, in which peronosporosis spores multiply. To save crops and protect them from this disease, disinfect the seed before planting and periodically treat the plants with fungicides.

Cut Rot

This disease of table beet develops under the influence of fungi and other harmful microorganisms. The first signs of the disease appear at the end of summer.Root crops of the plant most often suffer from clamp rot, the surface of which is gradually covered with mold. Over time, due to mold, fruit tissue dies and decomposes.

The reasons for the appearance of rot on root crops include low temperatures and low air humidity, due to which root crops lose turgor. Also, the disease appears if the soil is not fertilized with fertilizers during cultivation.

To protect seedlings from clamp rot, you will have to follow certain recommendations. It is not recommended to plant beet varieties that do not have resistance to common diseases. Also, to preserve fruits from rot, it is recommended to sort the entire harvest before storage and put fruits with mechanical damage in a separate container.

Fly, crawl, gnaw

Beet bushes suffer not only from diseases, but also from pests, which must be disposed of by folk remedies or other methods.

Beet flea

Often, beet diseases appear due to the beet flea that attacks the bushes. This insect is considered quite dangerous, as it damages young leaves of seedlings. Sometimes the pest does not stop on the leaves and eats the growth points, because of which the bushes cannot grow normally and die.

The main signs of the presence of beet leaf aphids include twisting and complete drying of the leaves. It is recommended to cure infected plants before the second generation of insects appear, which grow by mid-July. If you do not get rid of the beet flea in a timely manner, you will not be able to collect he althy beet roots.

Beet miner fly

Often, beet seedlings die because of the beet fly, which is considered a dangerous pest. The insect falls on the bushes in the first half of May and lays eggs on them to breed the next offspring.Over time, larvae appear from the eggs, which feed on the leaf plate and completely eat away the affected tissues from it. The cavities formed in the sheets gradually dry out.

Special pest and disease control measures are in place to protect the bushes from the beet leaf miner and beet diseases. It is recommended to use insecticidal solutions prepared from Proteus or Maxi preparations.

Conclusion

Beets are grown by most vegetable growers who are interested in planting vegetables in their gardens. To collect he althy beet roots, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the common diseases of this vegetable crop and the features of their treatment.