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The appearance of pests can lead to a complete loss of yield and death of plants in the garden. Whitefly on cabbage is a real attack for most farmers. The invasion of insects spoils the planting, however, if detected early, this problem can be easily neutralized.
Causes of the appearance of whitefly on cabbage
Insects cause great harm to vegetable and cultural plantings in vegetable gardens and personal plots. Cabbage, potatoes and tomatoes are most susceptible to whitefly infestation. Pests settle on the inner side of the leaves of the plant and parasitize, feeding on its juices. The most common reasons for the appearance of insects in cabbage beds include the following factors:
- high temperature and humidity of the environment;
- insufficient ventilation if grown in closed greenhouses;
- low sparseness of landings.
Most often, whitefly damages the inside of cabbage leaves.
Whitefly appears most often on cabbage in greenhouses and greenhouses. In conditions of planting in open ground, its life is interfered with by the wind and larger insects. However, with strong waterlogging of the beds and complete calm, an invasion of pests can be expected.
Why is whitefly on cabbage dangerous?
Having settled on the inside of cabbage leaves, the larvae begin to feed on the sap of the plant. Having lost nutrition, the cabbage begins to dry, gradually dying off until the complete death of the plant.
When sucking the sap of plants, the whitefly secretes a sweet liquid. A sooty mushroom very actively settles on such a substrate. With a strong infection, cabbage leaves are covered with a black film, which impedes photosynthesis, impairing the vegetation capabilities of cultivated plantations.
Signs of whitefly appearing on cabbage
Timely detection of pests will allow you to quickly begin an active fight against them, reducing the possibility of losing future crops. It is the larvae that do the main harm to cabbage, but they are the most difficult to detect. Small worms of pale green color reliably stick to the stems and lead a sedentary lifestyle. Over time, they develop a thin waxy coating - a sure sign of their imminent transformation into butterflies.
While hatched butterflies are fairly easy to identify by their characteristic appearance, the larvae are much more difficult to find. At the first signs of leaf darkening or wilting, as well as damage by a sooty fungus, it is necessary to immediately inspect the cabbage planting for the appearance of pests. Experienced farmers are also advised to inspect the plantings once a week.
How to deal with whitefly on cabbage
The uncontrolled development of pests causes irreparable damage to the plantings up to the complete destruction of the crop. The simultaneous attack of larvae and adult whiteflies on cabbage, in conjunction with a black fungus, deprives the ability of normal vegetation.There are several ways to deal with it, ranging from decades-proven folk methods to modern chemicals.
Regular inspection of cabbage leaves will identify whitefly as early as possible.
Completely defeating the whitefly in cabbage beds is a rather difficult task, although quite doable. The process is most often complicated by the simultaneous presence of several generations of pests. Some maggot-killing drugs may be useless against adults, and vice versa.
Measures to combat whitefly on cabbage with folk remedies
Centuries of experience in the cultivation of cultivated plants made it possible to form working methods to reduce the harm of parasites and insects. The use of folk remedies to combat whitefly larvae and butterflies on cabbage can effectively protect plantings, minimizing harm to the human body from excessive accumulation of insecticides. The most popular methods include spraying the bushes with the following solutions:
- garlic infusion;
- tincture of yarrow;
- tobacco infusion;
- infusion on dandelion leaves and rhizomes.
One of the most effective remedies for whitefly on cabbage is ordinary laundry soap. It is mixed with water in a 1: 6 ratio. The resulting solution is sprayed on cabbage beds every 8-10 days. More frequent treatment can cause leaf burns.
Fighting whitefly on cabbage with chemical agents
Chemical exposure allows you to reduce the number of parasites to a minimum level. Best of all, the drugs Rovikurt, Fufanol, Zeta and Karbofos help protect cabbage from whitefly. They are bred according to the manufacturer's instructions and the plantings are processed. At the same time, it is necessary to process cabbage several times in order to be able to remove pupated larvae in the next approach.
Timely application of insecticides will allow you to secure cabbage planting
Treatment of plantings with insecticides is carried out until mid-June. Otherwise, excessive absorption of drugs and chemicals may occur. In later growing seasons, it is better to use folk remedies.
Prevention of the appearance of whitefly on cabbage
Popular wisdom says that it is much easier to prevent an illness than to fight it. Since the whitefly survives the winter easily, it begins to lay eggs quite early. This period can occur simultaneously with the cultivation and hardening of cabbage seedlings. Before disembarking, you should definitely inspect all planting material for infection. Other most popular preventive methods include:
- Disinfection of greenhouses in the autumn. Complete cleaning of plant residues and the introduction of special insect repellents completely destroys the whitefly during wintering.
- Disinfection of soil in November. Removing weeds and cleaning the soil with insecticides actively helps in the fight against whitefly.
Another preventive way to fight is to dig the land in the pre-winter period. The insect, ready for wintering, finds itself in unfavorable conditions and instantly dies.
Gardener Tips
During the active development of butterflies and other flying insects, it is recommended to protect windows and entrances to the greenhouse with gauze. Mosquito nets can work great. They protect cabbage plantings in greenhouses from the abundance of flying parasites, while the windows can be open and reduce excess moisture.
Experienced farmers have long noticed that insects of this species are very fond of orange. By installing a small shield next to the cabbage beds, and smearing it with something sticky, you can get an impromptu trap.Insects will stick to its surface and die.
Conclusion
Whitefly on cabbage can be a real disaster, even for experienced gardeners. Despite the large number of ways to destroy this parasite, only a comprehensive fight in combination with preventive methods can give a 100% result. Neglect can lead to the complete destruction of crops.
