Content
Diseases of sea buckthorn and insect pests can negate all the gardener's efforts to obtain a good harvest of the berries of this shrub. Although the plant has good immunity, it can often suffer due to a violation of agricultural technology or bad weather conditions. This article tells about the diseases and pests of sea buckthorn and the fight against them, as well as the prevention of their appearance.
Signs of sea buckthorn disease
Diseases of sea buckthorn are recognized by many signs. Since most of the infections affecting this plant are fungal, they can be detected visually. Signs of the onset of the disease include:
- Yellowing, blackening, premature wilting and leaf fall.
- Changes in the color of the bark of a tree, the appearance of spots, plaque, mold, foci of rot on it.
- Premature fall of berries, change in their consistency, drying out, decay.
- The appearance of growths, neoplasms.
Diseases of sea buckthorn and the fight against them
It is very important to see and recognize the disease in time. In this case, it is sometimes possible to do with sanitary measures and save the tree from death. Below are the main diseases of sea buckthorn with a photo.
Scab
This disease, also called stegmina, can completely kill the sea buckthorn bush in several seasons. It can be detected by the numerous black spots on the leaves, young branches and berries.
Usually, due to this disease, up to half of the harvest is lost in the first season. After winter, part of the shrub may be dry, and after 3-4 years the whole plant will die.
At the first signs of the appearance of scab in sea buckthorn, all affected leaves and shoots should be cut off and burned, and all fallen leaves should be collected and burned in the fall. In the spring, before the beginning of the growing season, the bushes need to be sprayed with a 3% nitrafen solution.
Endomycosis
Endomycosis is a fungal disease of sea buckthorn fruits. It usually appears in the first half of August. Affected berries soften and become watery. Then their shell is torn apart. The contents of the fruit, together with the spores of the fungus, are carried by water to healthy berries, infecting them as well.
To protect against endomycosis, sea buckthorn bushes are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid 1% or copper chloride solution 0.4%.
Stem rot
The causative agent of stem rot is a tinder fungus, the spores of which live and multiply in the bark. The affected wood begins to exfoliate along the growth rings, which is why the disease is also called white ring rot. Infection occurs through damage to the cortex.
To combat the fungus, it is necessary to remove the affected branches in a timely manner. All cuts and damage to the sea buckthorn bark must be promptly treated with a solution of copper sulfate and painted over with oil paint.
As a preventive measure, before bud break, sea buckthorn is treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid 1% or with analogue preparations (Abiga-Peak, HOM).
Ulcerative necrosis of the cortex
The causative agent of the disease is a fungus that develops in the bark of a tree. At the site of the lesion, an outgrowth arises, which then bursts along and opens.
The spores of the fungus enter new areas of the bark and infect them. As the fungus develops, the trunk dries up and dies off. Lesions on young shoots of sea buckthorn are stronger and more numerous, in this case the plant is likely to die.
Prevention and treatment measures for this disease are the same as for stem rot. The growths are cut off by treating with copper sulfate. In the spring, plants are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.
Nectric necrosis
The fungus that causes this disease affects the bark of the sea buckthorn. You can recognize it by the red spore pads along the shoot. The shoot affected by the fungus dries up and dies over time.
They must be deleted. As a preventive measure, shrubs are sprayed in early spring with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid or analogues.
Alternaria bark of sea buckthorn
This is a fungal disease that primarily affects the sea buckthorn bark. It can be recognized by the black velvet bloom that appears on the shoots in wet weather. The abundance of precipitation leads to the rapid development of the disease, the leaves turn brown and fall off, the branches dry up and die off. This is especially pronounced on the lower tier of shrubs with thickened plantings, as well as on young trees.
Prevention is the timely implementation of work on sanitary pruning of sea buckthorn, thinning of plantings, removal of affected areas of branches. It is imperative to process and disinfect the sections.
In early spring and autumn, the shrub is treated with Bordeaux 1% liquid to prevent disease.
Brown spot
First of all, the pathogen fungus affects the leaves of the sea buckthorn, on which brown spots of irregular shape appear. In the future, they quickly merge with each other. On the dead tissue, over time, pycnidia become clearly distinguishable - black dots with the fruiting bodies of the fungus. Later they appear on the fruits and bark of the shoots.
Prevention measures for the onset of the disease are the same as for other fungi. In early spring, sea buckthorn bushes should be sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid, if necessary, repeat the treatment in autumn. All parts of the plant affected by the fungus must be removed and burned.
Septoria spot
Septoriosis is manifested in the appearance of rounded brown spots on the upper plate of the leaf, surrounded by a colorless ring. Over time, pycnidia form in them. A diseased plant flies around in August, shoots and berries, as a rule, do not ripen. The frost resistance of sea buckthorn sharply decreases.
Preventive measures are the same as for brown spotting.
Fusarium wilting
The appearance of a fungus of this species leads to the complete wilting of the plant. The shoots of sea buckthorn are affected, the leaves dry up on them, the fruits do not ripen, although they acquire a characteristic color.
The affected branches must be cut and burned.
Verticillary wilting
Verticillosis is a fungal disease that affects not only sea buckthorn, but also other garden crops. Symptoms of damage are a slowdown in plant development, its premature drying and wilting, as well as the presence of a large amount of root rot.
There is no way to fight the disease. The infected plant must be dug up and burned.
Blackleg
A disease caused by soil fungi affects seedlings. The subcotyledonous knee becomes thinner at the point of contact with the soil. The stalk of the sea buckthorn simply rotts away and it falls to the ground.
To prevent the development of the disease, it is recommended to plant a young plant in a nutritious substrate consisting of sand and turf soil (1: 1).In addition, once a week, the seedlings are carefully watered with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Black cancer
The fungus-causative agent of this disease of the sea buckthorn bark can be recognized by the characteristic black spots on the trunk. Over time, the affected bark cracks and flies around, the wood under it also turns black. The spots gradually increase, merging with each other and forming ulcers. The development of diseased sea buckthorn bushes is greatly slowed down.
To combat the fungus, the diseased areas are cleaned and treated with a mixture of clay, mullein and copper sulfate solution.
Heterosporia
The fungus causative agent of this disease affects not only sea buckthorn, but also more than 140 species of other plants, including:
- cereals;
- forage grasses;
- lilac;
- flowers (irises, nasturtiums, orchids).
The disease appears on the back of the leaves in the form of dark spots with a purple border. Over time, they grow, merge and the leaf dies off completely.
Often, the fungus also settles on the bark of the shoot and the berries of the sea buckthorn, forming a brown or brown-olive bloom. If found, leaves and affected branches should be cut and burned.
Fruit rot
This disease is caused by a fungus. It affects the sea buckthorn berries, which, under its influence, become soft, flabby, over time they begin to flow, turn black and dry out. Remaining on the branches, mummified fruits are a constant source of disease.
Prevention of the development of the fungus consists in spraying sea buckthorn bushes with 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid in spring and autumn. Dried berries must be removed from the branches and burned.
A set of preventive measures against sea buckthorn diseases
The vast majority of sea buckthorn diseases are fungal infections. They develop best in conditions of high humidity and temperature. Therefore, the general rule is sanitary care for sea buckthorn, cleaning of fallen leaves, rarefaction of plantings, pruning of dry, broken and diseased branches. It is also not necessary to allow stagnation of water in the roots.
An important stage in the prevention of the development of fungi is also spraying sea buckthorn plantings. This is done in early spring, before the growing season, and in autumn, after the leaves fall. For processing, a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid or its analogues is used. After the trimming procedure, all sections must be treated with a solution of copper-containing preparations, and then painted over with natural oil paint. This will prevent the infection from developing.
Sea buckthorn pests and control
Like many garden crops, sea buckthorn is often attacked by pests. To get a good harvest, it is imperative to take measures to protect and prevent their appearance. The most common sea buckthorn pests are presented in the review.
Sea buckthorn aphid
Aphids are microscopic insects that are light green, black or brown in color. Lives on leaves and young shoots, feeds on their cell sap. Damaged vegetative organs become sticky, curl up, turn yellow and fall off, aphids form large clusters and can cause significant damage to the green mass.
An effective measure against aphids is considered to be spraying the bushes with a solution of laundry soap. In addition, various insecticides are used, for example, a 10% solution of malofos.
Sea buckthorn honeydew
A small insect whose larvae live in the buds and on the leaves of the sea buckthorn.During the period of development, the larva of the sucker goes through five stages, gradually moving from the sea buckthorn buds to the reverse side of the leaf. It feeds on cell sap, making punctures in the leaves. They start to turn yellow and eventually dry out.
At the beginning of spring, the bushes are sprayed from pests with preparations Fufanon, Aktelik, etc. During the season, if necessary, the treatment can be repeated, taking into account the waiting period.
Sea buckthorn moth
This is a small (up to 1.8 cm wingspan) butterfly of gray color with shiny scales. Moths lay eggs in the root zone of the sea buckthorn bush, at the beginning of summer caterpillars hatch from them and crawl onto the shoots. First, they feed on the kidneys, as they grow, they pull 5–6 apical leaves into a spider's knot, in which they live, nibbling the leaf plates. After completing the cycle, the caterpillars descend into the soil, where they pupate.
To combat caterpillars during their release, the bushes are sprayed with Inta-Vir, Iskra and others. With a large number of spider nests, the treatment is repeated.
Sorrel bug
It is also called the edged edge. The insect is brown in color with a red-brown upper abdomen. The bug larva looks like an adult insect. Both mature individuals and larvae feed on the sap of sea buckthorn and other plants, sucking it out of leaves, buds, young shoots, which leads to their wilting. With a large number, they can cause serious harm.
In early spring, spraying is carried out against ticks and other pests. To do this, use the drugs Fufanon, Kemifos, etc.
Moth
Moths are large (up to 6 cm) caterpillars of brown color with yellow spots. They appear during flowering and are on the bushes until autumn. They feed on leaves. With a large accumulation, they can destroy the entire crown of the sea buckthorn tree.
To combat caterpillars, spraying with various insecticidal preparations is used. Against hibernating insects, they dig up the trunk circles before the onset of frost.
Spider mite
A spider mite is a microscopic insect, and it can be visually detected only by the cobweb with which the mite braids the leaves or with the help of a magnifying glass. It feeds on the juice of the buds and young leaves of sea buckthorn and other garden plants. Lays eggs inside the leaf plate. Capable of causing serious harm to sea buckthorn.
To combat the tick, it is necessary to use special means - acaricides. They are processed three times with an interval of 2 weeks. In this case, it is possible to destroy not only the tick itself, but also its larvae. Acaricidal drugs include Aktelik, Fitoverm and others.
Gall mite
The insect is worm-shaped, white, up to ¼ mm in size. The larvae are white. Adults hibernate in the kidneys, and in spring they begin to suck the juice out of them. During the breeding season, mites emerge on the leaves. In the place of laying eggs, galls are formed - thickenings up to 0.5 cm in diameter, inside which larvae grow and develop.
From the gall mite, the sea buckthorn is sprayed with Fitoverm, Karbofos and others. The first is considered the most effective; for 100% death of the tick, one treatment is enough.
Omnivorous bbw leafworm
Brownish-red or brown butterfly with a wingspan of up to 2.5 cm. Caterpillar up to 2 cm, green, with a dark back. On a tree, one or more leaves are rolled into a tube. It feeds on leaves, fruits and flowers. Can cause significant harm. Lives not only on sea buckthorn, but also on many other cultures.
For prevention, sea buckthorn is sprayed with Karbofos preparations or its analogues. Processing is done in early spring and immediately after flowering. If necessary, you can repeat the spraying at a later date, taking into account the waiting time.
Sea buckthorn fly
The most dangerous pest of sea buckthorn that can ruin the entire crop. It is a flying insect that looks like a fly 3.5–5 mm in size with translucent brownish stripes on its wings.The pests lay their eggs in the green berries of the sea buckthorn. The hatched larva literally gnaws the fruit from the inside, making moves in the pulp.
To combat sea buckthorn fly, both chemical and folk remedies are used. Of the latter, these are:
- Spraying with tansy infusion.
- Covering the trunk circle with sod that prevents flies from flying out.
- Mulching or covering the trunk circle with a film.
Of the chemicals, Iskra, Fitoverm or Inta-Vir are most often used.
Protection measures for sea buckthorn from pests
Diseases and pests of sea buckthorn do not appear just like that. Therefore, it is always necessary to remember that the best protection is the prevention of their appearance. To reduce the likelihood of damage to sea buckthorn by pests, it is necessary to carry out sanitary measures in time (pruning, cleaning of fallen leaves, destruction of diseased areas of the bush). It is very important to dig up the trunk circle for the winter, in which most pests and their larvae winter.
When pests appear, protective measures should be started immediately. Some species of insects are capable of producing more than one generation of offspring per season, so their reproduction can occur exponentially. The sooner you start pest control, the more chances you have to save the sea buckthorn crop, or at least part of it.
Conclusion
Diseases of sea buckthorn, like insect pests, can not only destroy the crop, but also kill the plant itself. Protective and preventive measures should not be neglected. This will allow you to get a good harvest of sea buckthorn and will keep the health of not only the tree, but also the gardener himself for a long time.
