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Diseases and pests of peas are one of the main reasons for the death of a plant or a decrease in yield indicators. For the fight to be effective, you need to be able to determine the cause of the disease and take the necessary measures.
Pea diseases and control measures
Often gardeners pay attention to the plant when there are clear signs of the disease. In the early stages, the activity of bacteria and fungi manifests itself in similar symptoms, so you need to be able to distinguish them from each other.
Powdery mildew
The disease is caused by fungi of the genus Erysiphe. Most often, cases of infection are recorded in the central and southern regions of pea cultivation.
Symptoms appear during the onset of flowering and persist throughout the season. Leaves and stems with flowers become whitish during illness. As powdery mildew progresses, all parts of the peas are affected. Gradually, the plaque thickens, becomes a grayish tint. Leaves and flowers fall off during illness, the stem turns brown, the plant dies without treatment.
For powdery mildew, the use of fungicides Kolosal Pro and Prozaro is effective
Ascochitosis
The cause of pea disease is the Ascochyta fungus. There are three varieties of it that have similar symptoms when a culture is damaged.
The causative agent Ascochyta pisi is the cause of the appearance of pale ascochytosis. Beans are more affected than stems. The disease is characterized by brown spots on peas, gradually fading in the center and changing color to gray-ocher towards the edge. The edging of the spots is dark brown. Infected seed dies or produces seedlings that do not survive.
Ascochyta pinodes causes dark ascochytosis on peas. The disease affects all parts of the culture. Spotted spots, with a bulge, from 1 to 8 mm in diameter. They are darker in the center than at the edges.
On the stems, brown lesions of various sizes, dark brown or black. Seeds infected with ascochitosis do not germinate well, and the root collar of pea sprouts rots.
Ascochyta pisicola causes a confluent form of the disease. The spots on the affected plants are round, light-colored with a dark border. In the center of the foci are spores of the fungus.
Such drugs as Akanto Plus, Prozaro, Sinclair, Maxim are effective for ascochitis.
Bacteriosis
The optimal conditions for the onset of the disease are humid and hot weather, the temperature is not less than + 25-28 ° C. The causative agent is the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae.
Symptoms persist throughout the season: all parts of the culture are affected. Spots appear that differ in shape and color. At first they are watery, then they acquire a pale, greenish-brown color with a dark center. The color of the entire leaf gradually changes during illness.
As bacteriosis spreads, the plant dries up, turns yellow, the ovary dies. Pea seeds do not ripen or are unusable.
For bacteriosis, the bush must be treated with Gamair, Fitolavin or copper sulfate
Root rot (fusarium)
The disease is dangerous by decay and death of roots.The cause is a fungus of the genus Fusarium.
Symptoms are expressed in the defeat of the root system and stems. If the disease progresses rapidly, then peas can die at the stage of germination. On visual inspection, light brown blurred stripes and spots can be seen on the aerial part of the culture. Gradually they darken and merge together. The plant dries up and dies from the disease.
In the early stages, Fusarium disease can be treated with Kolosal Pro.
Downy mildew
Most often, the disease is recorded in the Kaliningrad region, in the northern region and in the Caucasus. The reason is the spores that have successfully overwintered in the soil.
Downy mildew affects the entire aerial part of the peas. The disease can be local and diffuse. The first is characterized by damage to the leaves: whitish or yellowish spots appear on the outer side of them, and on the lower part, during the rainy season, a gray cobweb bloom. On the stems and beans, you can also find foci of the disease. Peas gradually lag behind in growth, the culture becomes outwardly similar to a head of cauliflower.
For downy mildew, agents such as Fitosporin, Alirin are effective
Mosaic
The Pisum virus 2 Smith virus causes pea disease. It can remain active for 45-50 days and is not seed-borne.
Mosaic appears as mottling and wrinkling of the leaves. First, chlorotic spots appear on them, which turn white over time. Affected pea seeds during the period of illness can be identified by their intense yellow color.
There are no drugs for the treatment of mosaic, the plant should be destroyed
To prevent the spread of the disease, you need to treat the peas with a solution of karbofos: 75 g of the substance per 10 liters of water.
Rust
The disease is the result of the activity of the fungus Uromyces pis. It affects the stems and leaves of peas. Most often, cases of the disease are recorded in the northern regions of Europe.
Rust symptoms can be found during the flowering period. Light brown pustules appear on the aerial part of the plant. Over time, the pea bush dries up prematurely from the disease, the beans do not have time to ripen.
To get rid of rust, it is recommended to irrigate the plant with such means as Acanto Plus or Kolosal Pro.
Gray rot
The cause of the disease is the fungus Botrytis cinerea Per. Its spores are perfectly preserved in the soil and seeds, and are activated in a favorable environment.
Gray rot can destroy the entire crop. To identify it, it is enough to inspect the plant. Flowers during illness change color to brown, mushroom spores remain on their petals. Pea buds wilt and fall off, allowing infection to spread throughout the plant. Dirty green spots can be seen on the underside of the leaves. Gradually, pea shoots begin to rot, become covered with a gray bloom.
Treatment of the disease consists in the use of fungicides Scarlet, Fitosporin-M.
A favorable environment for gray rot is high humidity and heat
Pea pests and control
Insects and beetles can cause tremendous damage to crops, so the gardener must be able to deal with them. The methods of pest control depend on the definition of the type of pest.
Pea weevil
The adult beetle is broadly oval, black in color, with grayish hairs and a white spot on the abdomen. The pest hibernates inside the pea, in the spring it feeds on the flowers of the culture.
Females lay their eggs in legume valves. The larvae feed on the contents of the fruit, where they turn into pupae.
To identify the pest, you need to inspect the seed. There will be dark spots on the shells of the peas, and a hole will also be visible on the surface.
To separate healthy legumes from damaged ones, it is enough to immerse them in a solution of table salt.To do this, add 1 kg of substance to 3-3.5 liters of water. Peas that are not suitable for sowing will float up.
The length of the pest weevil is 4-6 mm
Pea moth
The butterfly reaches 12-17 mm in wingspan. The anterior ones are dark brown with white stripes along the edge. The head and chest shield are gray in color. The caterpillar of the pest of peas is pale yellow in color, up to 12 mm in length.
The moth develops in one generation, hibernates in the soil, wrapping itself in a cocoon. In the spring it pupates, and the circle of development is repeated. Peas serve as food for the pest. When the larva takes up the maximum amount of nutrients, it leaves the legumes and hides in the ground.
The only way to control the moth is the early sowing of early ripening pea varieties, as well as deep digging of the soil.
Pea aphid
The pest lives on wild legumes. Differs in large size, up to 5.5 mm in length. Its color is dark green, long juice tubes. Aphids can give up to ten generations a year.
The pest sucks juice from leaves and shoots. Because of this, peas begin to lag behind in growth, turn yellow, lose the ovary and gradually die.
If you do not take any measures, then by the end of the season aphids create a whole colony that can completely destroy the crop.
Pest control methods involve sowing peas early. Timely weed control is recommended. The bushes should be sprayed with Fury's solution. It is important to carry out the procedure no later than ten days before harvest.
Bean moth
The pest reaches a wingspan of 26 mm. Its front wings are brown, with a gray tint, a white stripe and an orange spot. Butterflies appear actively in May and cease their activity only in September. But great harm to peas is caused by moth caterpillars. They eat the beans completely.
To destroy the moth, it is recommended to plant early-ripening pea varieties in the spring. Dig deep into the soil after harvesting the legumes.
For wintering, the bean moth hides in the ground
Umbelliferous beetle
Small insect of pale green color. The pest damages the leaf plates by sucking the juice out of them. Because of this, the plant lags behind in growth, the yield of peas decreases.
The larvae of the leaf beetle are greenish-yellow
As chemicals from the pest, you can use the drugs Decis, Kinmiks, Karbofos.
Colorado beetle
Despite all the assurances, the insect is able to eat not only potatoes, but also peas. This can be determined when a beetle is found on the leaves of a culture. The pest safely destroys the aerial part of the plant, if no action is taken.
Effective means for fighting the beetle are Actellik, Confidor
Nodule weevil
There are two types of pests: striped and bristly. Beetles have an oblong body up to 5 mm long. The striped weevil has striated elytra. The bristly type has cilia along the upper edge of the eye, there is no striping.
The pest develops in one generation per year. Beetles hibernate in the soil, giving preference to beds with legumes. In the spring, they appear with the onset of spring. By the end of June, the number of pea pests begins to decrease. On sunny days, beetles actively climb the plants and eat it.
An effective drug for the root weevil is Karbofos
Early sowing of peas, digging of beds in late autumn helps to reduce the activity of the pest.
Chickpea miner fly
The pest reaches a length of 2 mm, it is black, with yellow antennae. The fly eats only chickpeas.
Pupae overwinter in the soil. In May, they come to the surface of the earth, lay their eggs in the leaves. The larvae suck the sap and then go into the soil, where they pupate. During the year, the pest is able to form 3-4 generations. The plant dries up as the detail of the fly and gradually dies.
Treatment of peas with Fury is recommended as a control measure.
For prevention, you can regularly loosen the aisles.After harvesting, you need to dig up the ground.
Protection of peas from pests and diseases
To preserve the harvest, it is easier to take preventive measures than to get rid of the consequences, so you should adhere to the recommendations:
- you cannot plant peas in the same garden for several years in a row;
- you need to regularly process the area with legume fungicides, Bordeaux liquid;
- take into account the varietal characteristics of the plant, the nuances of its cultivation on certain types of sites;
- timely and thoroughly select seed;
- dig deep into the soil in the fall.
Conclusion
Diseases and pests of peas can cause significant damage not only to one crop, but also to the site as a whole. When growing legumes, prophylaxis should be carried out in a timely manner, and when signs of illness appear, appropriate measures should be taken quickly.
