Cauliflower Pests and Diseases: [Detection, Causes and Solutions]

Cauliflower is a vegetable with a very good flavor and ideal properties for health. Its consumption can be made raw or cooked.

Around planting, its roots are usually short, but this does not prevent it from being a crop that needs a lot of space to grow.

Considering the pests and diseases that can attack it is crucial to achieve good harvests.And the purpose that we seek around this article is that you know the most precise data on the subject so that you know how to act, if necessary.

caterpillars

It represents a frequent pest in cauliflower crops, which attacks harmfully when it is a larva, not when it becomes a butterfly.

The focal point is oriented to the leaves, which appear full of holes that are produced by the consumption of their structure.

These bites lead to obvious weakening of the plant, and in some cases, the wounds may rot. There are different types of caterpillars that can cause damage to plants, some preferring any type of leaf, while others opt for the most tender.

On the other hand, most caterpillars attack at night, making them difficult to spot. Therefore, they are detected is by damage. To deal with them, it is best to use pheromones and also install light sources where the crops are.

Mildew

It is one of the most common diseases that usually affects cauliflower crops and is generated in seasons where cold and humidity prevail.

Its action goes directly to the leaves in which stains are generated that are greasy at first and then turn brown and wither .

This condition may occur, both in young plants and in those that are already developed, causing damage at any stage.As the leaves are interrupted from their normal process of photosynthesis, the development of the vegetable can be severely affected.

To avoid its appearance, it is essential to use seedlings that are very resistant, as well as advance with the application of fungicides preventively.

White fly

Whitefly causes two types of damage to cauliflower leaves.The first of them is due to the suction that it makes of the sap of the same to feed itself.

The second has to do with the production of molasses , which is not only an entry point for fungi, but also dirty the leaves.

It is a pest that can appear in rather low temperatures, which is rare in most pests where the preference is in the heat.Finding the whitefly on the plant will be a more or less simple task if we check the underside of the leaves, since they are usually located there.

In any case, if there is an attack, the plant extracts themselves (such as garlic or wormwood) can be used to deal with them.

aphids

Aphids are very common pests on crops of all kinds and cauliflower is no exception .

There are different types depending on the species and this allows them to vary in terms of physical characteristics, especially in what has to do with colors.

They are tiny aphids that do not exceed 3 mm in length and feed on young plants.From these plants they consume the sugars that they find within the sap, which they extract through suction.

In its beginnings, the larvae have the property of consuming parts of the leaves , creating galleries inside them.Later, when they become adults, they extract the sap and in turn produce a molasses that attracts ants and is an open field for the bold to settle.

Normally, they attack sharply for a certain time, but on very few occasions do they cause such harmful damage as to lose the plantation.When applying a treatment, it is best to take advantage of neem oil, potassium soap or nettle purin.

botrytis

When talking about cauliflower diseases, botrytis is a determining factor as a product of the action of a fungus.

It occurs in conditions of high humidity, dramatically attacking the plants, causing rot inside them .

This rot is generated in the tissues , especially those located in the neck and the youngest stems of it. These attacks can be evidenced due to the presence of a gray powder that corresponds to the mycelium of the fungus.

One of the main causes that promote its appearance has to do with the fact that the disease has manifested itself in previous crops in that same soil.The worst thing is that the treatment of botrytis is complex and the desired results are not generated in all cases.

Currently, one of the compounds that is producing the best expectations is iprodione , which is a powder that is diluted before applying.

moths

Moths have different life stages that affect cauliflower plants differently depending on what stage they are in.

The least harmful is in adulthood , when it becomes a butterfly because it is only dedicated to visiting the plant to hide in the leaves during sunlight hours.

This is because their rhythm of life is preferably nocturnal.However, detecting their presence can raise the alarm regarding the existence of larvae that do cause precise and considerable damage to cauliflower.The larvae, when they just hatch from the egg, operate by consuming the leaf tissue.

But as they grow, the shoots and inflorescences are also consumed. It is a pest that can be controlled from the beginning thanks to the use of pheromones , as well as biological and chemical products.

Enjoying healthy and tasty cauliflowers will be possible to the same extent that the crops are in the best conditions.