Pests and Diseases that Endanger the Cauliflower
Like all crops, cauliflowers have their own set of insects or pests that appreciate its taste. There are diseases, too, that commonly affect cauliflowers.
What are some of these pests and diseases you should watch out for? How would you know when they are already affecting your crops? What should you do in case your plants get attacked?
You can pick from a variety of cauliflowers to plant,
some are better than others because some have natural resistance to diseases while others are not. Take for example the root rot disease, most cauliflowers are very much vulnerable to this type of sickness but you have the option to pick another type of cauliflower that is resistant to it. You need to pick the one that is most suited otherwise you’ll be picking up parts of the plant that are infected so that it won’t spread to the others.
Another disease to look out for is the Alternria leaf spot which is a fungal disease. It infects unprotected parts of the plant leaving brown spots on the leaves withering it until it falls out. If not cured all the leaves of the plant could fall out. You can use Fungicidal ointments to treat the plant or use other chemical seed treatments.
The clubroot is a very persistent type of disease. It could stay dormant in the soil to more than 19 years hiding until it will attach itself to a host plant. This is why carful sterilization of the soil is needed before any plants are placed. In worst cases the plants that are infected by clubroot will have an irregular growth and the roots will give off a foul stench. The disease is more active during hot days.
As of now, however, no known cure has been recommended to eradicate clubroot, it can only be avoided through prevention. Some of the most notable methods are to make sure the soil is prepared right and when manure or organic fertilizer is added it should be well-rotted before mixing. Also increasing the pH levels of the soil to make it more acidic will help.
Cabbage root maggot feeds on cauliflower stems and roots and may stunt the growth of your crops which will lead eventually to its death.
When it becomes a small fly, it deposits its eggs at the base of the cauliflower plants to hatch. They look like white, legless short worms that often clump in groups.
There are a number of ways to get rid of cabbage flies. One of them is to introduce the natural hunters of flies which are nematodes and wasps. You can place these insects near the crop so that they will protect it. Also screens can be used to block the flies or tilling will be good too. If all else fails you can go for the manual way which is handpicking each egg, which will be more laborious.
