How to deal with larvae in onions. Main pests of onions: control methods

Onion crops have good germination and rapid growth. However, the yield may decrease or even die due to diseases and pests. Timely prevention and compliance with planting technology significantly reduces risks. In this article we will examine the main questions of most gardeners: why the tips of the feathers of onions can turn yellow, what pests can spoil the harvest in spring or autumn. And also what to do and how to deal with adversity.

It is not difficult to plant and grow onions in a small plot or on a huge plantation., if you stick to technological process. However, in addition to the planned activities, there may be a need to treat the crop from pests and insects. You should not ignore signs of plant damage, because in just a few days the beds can thin out significantly. But it is quite difficult to cope with an advanced form of the disease or a mass infestation of insects; you cannot do without the use of chemistry. Therefore, it is recommended to include preventative procedures in your onion care schedule to prevent serious problems.

Downy mildew

Downy mildew is one of the types of fungal infection; the pathogen survives well on onion peels and seeds. The transition of bacteria into the active phase occurs when favorable conditions are created, which are characterized by high humidity and positive temperature conditions. The disease can be recognized by the following signs:

the formation of yellowish-green oily spots on the surface of the leaves;
a gray-violet coating settles under the feathers;
increase in spot parameters;
dying of leaves.

Control methods involve treating the crop and the soil underneath it with special or homemade solutions. Among the drugs that have proven themselves well are:

Fitosporin-M for onions and garlic;
Gamair;
Planriz;
Alirin-B;
Glyocladin.

2-3 weeks before harvesting root crops, treatment with chemicals should be stopped. To protect plants from powdery mildew, it is recommended to continue spraying, but using folk remedies.

There are also traditional methods which are preferred by most gardeners:

a solution of 9 liters of water, 1 liter of low-fat milk, 10 drops of iodine;
a weak solution (slightly pink) of potassium permanganate;
infusion of onion peel;
a mixture of water (9 l) and whey (1 l);
infusion of ash (half a bucket of ash for 8 liters of boiling water).

Powdery mildew on onions

What does gray rot look like?

The infection persists well on planting material, infecting the soil and, accordingly, the entire crop through loosely closed scales. When you press on the turnip, the skin bends in the neck area, and a gray coating is visible on the surface.

The fight against the disease consists of the following measures:

disinfection of seedlings before planting;
soil enrichment with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer;
timely removal of damaged plants from the plantation;
moderate watering and control of soil moisture levels;
proper collection of root crops;
airing and drying the onions after assembly;
creating conditions for storing crops;
periodic bulkheading to remove rotten turnips.

Bacteriosis and its treatment with chemical and folk remedies

At high humidity , and in warm weather, putrefactive bacteria penetrate through the onion scales and infect a healthy fruit.

Rotting can occur directly in the soil, but most often bacteriosis occurs during crop storage. The fruits can be identified simply by their characteristic smell and swollen skin.

Remnants of last year’s fruits can provoke the appearance of harmful bacteria in the soil, so the beds must be dug up after harvesting. Onions are planted in an infected area no earlier than after 4 years.

Fusarium rot and how to get rid of it in spring and autumn

The disease is infectious; the pathogen is located in the soil, where infection occurs. During the development period, the bottoms of the turnips are affected by rot, as a result of which first the greenery dies, then the root part. Among the reasons that provoke the formation of a pathogen in the soil:

waterlogging during irrigation;
harvest in rainy weather;
late fruit harvesting;
drought during turnip ripening.

before planting, the seedlings must be disinfected;
when choosing seeds, preference should be given to early and mid-ripening species (they are less susceptible to infection);
observe watering norms, avoid waterlogging of the soil;
Root crops should be collected in dry weather.

If an affected onion is identified, it should be removed from the garden bed and the soil should be treated with Bordeaux solution (1%).

Bacterial rot of onion seed

Rot often affects turnips when there is excess moisture in the soil. The reason is prolonged rains and the type of soil that prevents the rapid absorption of precipitation. Initially, mold forms in the neck area of the onion, descending over time through the seeds. Such a crop cannot be stored for a long time; the rotting process cannot be stopped.

Turnips are usually not used even for obtaining seeds; such material is affected by a fungus and is not capable of producing good seedlings.

Before planting, the seedlings must be disinfected;
Irrigation should be carried out under constant control of the degree of soil moisture;
regularly clean the beds of affected plants;
Harvesting should only be done in dry weather;
ensure proper storage conditions with a temperature range from +5° to +8° and ventilation.

The main pests of onions and protection against them

Not only diseases, but also various pests that prefer to colonize onions can reduce yields.

Before planting, the sets should be prepared: warmed for several days at a temperature of 23-25°, soaked in saline solution(1 liter of water per 1 tablespoon of salt) – 3 hours, then repeat the procedure, but in a manganese bath – 2 hours.
Choose a well-ventilated place for the beds. It is recommended to place onions and carrots next to each other. For both crops, this will provide additional protection from pests.
Change the location for planting onions every year. Late autumn When frost occurs, you need to dig up the ground well so that harmful bacteria and larvae die.

If there is a massive invasion of flies on a plantation, it is unlikely that it will be possible to do without chemicals. Among the popular ones: Bazudin, Aktara, Muhoed.

In order not to use chemicals, many gardeners use traditional methods. The most effective are considered:

a solution based on ammonia (for 10 liters of water take 3 drops of iodine, a tablespoon of ammonia, several crystals of potassium permanganate);
tincture of fragrant herbs(add several branches of valerian, wormwood, mint to 10 liters of boiling water);
pine decoction (half a bucket of spruce or pine needles is brewed in 10 liters of water);
wood ash powder;
powder of ash, red hot pepper, tobacco leaves.

In addition to the above methods, you can treat the bed with salt at the rate of 300 g of salt per bucket of water. The main thing that should not be forgotten when using this method is to spray the onions with clean water to wash off the salt from the feathers. If the treatment is successful, the flies will stop flying over the onions and will not lay eggs in the beds.

In addition, piperazine helps to cope well with the pest. Used at the rate of 1 package per bucket of water. It is necessary to spray all affected areas.

Pre-sowing treatment of onion sets against onion fly is carried out in early spring. You need to spray the entire garden bed. The zemlyan preparation also helps well in the fight against pests; you can always find out how to apply it in the instructions.

Onion mite and treatment against it

Before planting onions, the soil is fertilized. This is exactly the environment the tick chooses for itself. You can identify an insidious pest in a garden bed by its characteristic features:

deformation of feathers with the formation of a white coating on them;
wrinkling of the plant due to loss of moisture;
formation of mold and mildew.

You should not use pesticides in the fight against ticks. The product is addictive to insects, so the treatment will be ineffective.

For pest prevention purposes, the following methods are used:

thorough overhaul seed material during storage;
preparing seedlings for planting (sorting and warming);
carrying out disinfection procedures;
regular treatment of beds with herbal decoctions and nettle infusion.

Onion thrips

To prevent thrips from settling in onion beds, it is recommended to carry out the following measures:

annually change the location of planting onions in the garden;
store planting material under proper conditions;
follow the rules for preparing and planting seedlings;
removal of all crops and tops from the garden bed;
digging the soil in late autumn.

How to process onions?

In case of large-scale damage to the plantation, special preparations are used:

Aktara;
Fitoverm;
Karate;
Spark Gold;
Zeon et al.

When using chemicals, you should not eat greens.

You can also try traditional methods:

placing sticky tape for flies between the beds as traps;
planting a nearby onion plantation of fragrant herbs and marigold flowers;
spraying with infusion of tobacco leaves (leaf for 3 hours);
treatment of plants with infusion of celandine leaves (leave for 48 hours).

Reasons why onions turn yellow in the garden and what can be done

Yellow spots on winter onions do not always indicate the presence of diseases or pests. Sometimes the cause may be a lack of nitrogen in the soil. To correct the situation is quite simple - introduce nitrogen-containing fertilizers into the soil. For these purposes, organic and mineral baits can be used. Feed green vegetable You can also use ammonia. It is an excellent fertilizer and also helps get rid of flies and other pests.

Watering with ammonium nitrate should be done with caution according to the instructions. In addition, you can water and spray the onions with kerosene. It allows you to protect the crop from onion flies. You need to process the bed using 2 tbsp. kerosene to a bucket of water. This measure will help preserve the harvest and there is no fear of re-infection.

Yellowed feathers may also indicate insufficient crop care. Each variety has its own growing characteristics. Planting different types, few people are interested in the intricacies of growing a certain hybrid. Experienced gardeners It is recommended that during the selection process you familiarize yourself with the description of the plant and the rules of care.

Unfavorable weather conditions can provoke the formation of yellowness on the batun. As a result of prolonged rains, feathers change color and become deformed. Or from a too hot summer under the influence of intense sun rays feathers begin to dry out prematurely. In such cases, plants can be helped by covering them with film or agrofibre. Treatment in this case is not required. You need to fertilize the vegetable as usual.

Early diagnosis of the problem will help save not only the crop, but also prevent soil infection. There is no point in delaying treatment, because pests and diseases destroy plants very intensively.

Onions are one of the most important components in cooking. This vegetable is grown in almost every country in the world. But due to a number of obstacles, complete harvesting is not ensured almost anywhere. This is prevented by soil depletion, changing climatic conditions, excessive use of chemicals, and diseases. But the largest percentage of losses is caused by onion pests, and combating them is crucial for obtaining a high-quality harvest.

In order to begin the fight against onion destroyers, you need to learn how to correctly recognize them. In addition to the appearance of the insect, it is necessary to pay attention to the nature of the plant’s lesions.

Onion fly: how to recognize and neutralize?

Every gardener knows that the most dangerous pest for onions is a fly from the hoverfly family. Due to the fact that the insect is very fond of juicy onion fibers, it was nicknamed onion. The pest can be identified at its inception stage. To do this, just inspect the green arrows of the onion. Particular attention should be paid to the area located approximately 2-3 centimeters above the soil.

If white elongated eggs, about 1.5 mm long, are noticed, then it is necessary to remove the affected stalk. This procedure needs to be done at the end of May - beginning of June, otherwise after 2-3 days the eggs will turn into cream-colored larvae. white, about 8 mm long. It is much more difficult to eliminate the larvae, because almost immediately after degeneration, they try to burrow into the soil and penetrate directly into the head of the bulb.

At this stage, the upper stems of the plant look absolutely healthy, so it will not be possible to fight the pest locally. Further, throughout the summer and the warm part of autumn, the larvae will turn into pupae. It is the larvae that cause maximum damage by actively feeding on onion pulp.

From some cocoons flies will appear, which will emerge to the surface in 3-4 weeks, and some pupae will remain overwintering in the soil and will regenerate into flies only at the end of next May. If the soil is not properly tilled during the fall harvest, the cycle will repeat again.

Signs of plant damage by onion fly:

if the bulbs are affected by larvae, the stems first become sluggish and then die off altogether;
if already infected bulbs were planted, the new shoots will initially look yellowish. And the harvest dug up in the fall will turn out to be rotten.

Features of plant damage by onion thrips

Thrips are very small insect pests of onions that are carriers of diseases of many plants. Thrips can be found on cabbage, potatoes, tobacco, cotton, and zucchini. Insects can be identified by the following characteristics:

thrips eggs have white-yellow color, bean-shaped and do not grow more than 0.5 mm;
the larvae look like small pale flies - yellow color, but without wings;
the pupae are very similar to the larvae, but their color changes to dark brown;
adult individuals look like brown, narrow (up to 1 mm) flies. Moreover, males are wingless, and females have long narrow fringed wings.

The life cycle of thrips lasts from 20 to 30 days, depending on the outside temperature. Egg incubation period: 4-5 days; lifespan of larvae: 5-7 days; Pupa development period: 8-10 days, and the life of an adult fly lasts 5-8 days.

Thrips feed by piercing the surface of the plant and sucking out the secreted juices. Pests cause direct damage to both stems and bulbs, and can also provoke the development of various diseases in the plant. Damaged bulbs seem to become infected with ulcers, lose color, and the stems dry out. At the same time, green bow arrows become covered with silver spots. Thrips and leeks attack. Despite the fact that the plant does not have a pronounced bulb, pests happily feed on the white part of the root.

Fighting onion flies and thrips

The methods of controlling the two pests listed above are identical and quite labor-intensive. Firstly, after harvesting, it is necessary to dig up and sift the soil, since pest larvae easily tolerate even the coldest winters. Of course, it is almost impossible to completely get rid of millimeter-sized larvae using this method. Therefore, in the next sowing season, it is recommended to plant corn, carrots, or fragrant herbs in place of the onions. The aromas of these plants are destructive to flies and thrips.

Protecting onions from pests and diseases is impossible without using professional means. Treatment of onion roots before planting in the ground with a mixture of 0.1% carbendazim and 0.025% carbosulfan solution will provide immunity from infection by pest larvae for 30-40 days. Also, after planting (but not earlier than 30 days), it is necessary to apply an insecticidal spray.

Experienced gardeners recommend the use of preparations based on alpha-cypermethrin. You can check the effectiveness of the methods described above in the following way: place ordinary sticky traps of a bright (preferably green) color on the beds. As soon as the strips remain empty for at least a few days, chemical treatment can be stopped.

How to get rid of pests without chemicals?

Those who categorically refuse to work with chemicals can try using neem seed oil. This is a powerful natural insecticide that can disrupt the life cycle of insects at all stages. The oil is biodegradable and non-toxic to pets, birds and people. In addition, it is a natural fungicide that fights mold and fungal infections.

You can purchase the drug at many garden or organic stores. To use neem oil as an insecticide, mix 2 teaspoons of neem oil, 1 teaspoon of soft liquid soap with 1 liter of water. Pour the resulting solution into a bottle and spray on the green arrows. You need to process the onions every day for a week, then take a break. If new larvae appear on the stems, water the plants again.

Another natural insecticide is regular garlic. Its strong smell is unpleasant not only to people, but also to garden pests. In fact, garlic spray will not destroy pests, but it will quite successfully prevent their further reproduction.

In order to prepare a natural insecticidal solution, you need to take two heads of garlic, grind them food processor with a little water. Infuse the resulting mixture overnight, and then mix with 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of mild liquid soap and a liter of water. Spray the resulting solution onto the infected onion. Chili pepper spray has a similar effect.

Attention! The chili pepper solution also affects people, so be sure to wear gloves on your hands and a protective mask on your face.

Root bulb mite

The root onion mite, despite its name, attacks garlic more often than onions. Ticks are translucent, cigar-shaped, microscopic in size (adults do not grow more than 1 mm in length), and almost invisible to the naked eye. The eggs are attached with a thin adhesive tape to the stem of the plant, and after maturation they are moved into the soil.

Signs of damage to onions by microscopic mites are not very obvious. Pests very slowly grind down the roots and pulp of the bulbs. This leads to stunted plant growth, twisting and discoloration of the stems. But small yellow specks appear mainly at the very edge of the arrows, which means that not every gardener will be able to notice such an important sign in time. Mites can also damage healthy bulbs that have already been dug up.

To prevent the occurrence of onion mites, it is necessary to avoid sequentially planting onions and garlic in the same bed for several years. Before the start of the summer season, it is necessary to treat the soil with a solution of sulfur (0.3%) and dimethoate (0.03%) or dicofol (0.05%) in an amount of 2 ml. for 1 liter of water. It is recommended to use preparations based on clofentesine as post-sowing soil prophylaxis.

Gnawing (cotton) bollworm

The gnawing armyworm is dangerous only in the form of a caterpillar. The adult cutworm looks like a large light brown moth. When the wings are folded, a V-shaped spot is formed on the back. The butterfly lays single creamy-white eggs. Larvae emerge from them, which degenerate into brown or greenish caterpillars. It is at this stage of life that the cutting armyworm causes the most problems for gardeners.

The larvae are usually located inside the stem, but subsequently (during the transition to the next life stage), they begin to move closer to the soil. The caterpillar burrows into the soil and begins to chew through the white flesh of the onion. As a result, the green stems dry out completely, and the vegetable itself becomes unsuitable for consumption. To get rid of the gnawing armyworm, you can use the same insecticides that are used against thrips.

Careful cultivation of the topsoil is also recommended. Regular loosening of black soil creates unfavorable conditions for the laying and normal development of eggs. If on summer cottage If only root crops are planted, then you can hang several feeders on the surrounding trees. This is the most natural and inexpensive method of getting rid of pests. Cutworm caterpillars are the best treat for birds.

How dangerous is onion nematode?

The onion nematode is dangerous because it can literally reproduce continuously. The translucent white eggs mature within three days, after which the cycle repeats. An adult nematode looks like a whitish, oval-shaped worm, 2 mm long. Since the life cycle of this pest does not exceed a year, larvae and adults often develop in the same bulb. Ultimately, the dug up vegetable turns out to be hollow inside.

And if an infected onion gets into the warehouse before a clean harvest, then within a few weeks most of the vegetables will begin to rot. Although the nematode is not considered too dangerous, care must be taken to ensure that the pest does not infect any vegetables. Otherwise, the pulp of all the bulbs will very quickly turn into rot. Sometimes infection of vegetables can be caused by mechanical damage or improperly organized storage.

The simplest and natural method To prevent the spread of nematodes is to plant marigolds. Pests cannot stand the smell of these flowers. It is advisable to plant marigolds over several seasons as the effect is cumulative. If worms have already infected vegetables, it is recommended to treat the crop with chitosan-based preparations.

In addition, before planting onions, you can flood the soil with chemicals (but this method will kill not only pests, but also beneficial land fauna). If you don’t want to use chemicals, you can add compost, manure, or any other natural fertilizers to the soil. Organic matter are unlikely to kill pests, but will increase the soil’s ability to retain moisture and nutrients. This means that onions will receive additional sources for fast and healthy growth.

Nematode activity slows when soil temperatures drop. This means that late onion varieties are much less susceptible to pests.
Before planting the bulbs, you must carefully inspect all the roots. If a whitish coating is noticed, the plant should be thrown away rather than trying to be cleaned or treated with a solution.
Sometimes nematodes attack the soil so deeply that the only solution is complete replacement top layer of soil. This is a fairly expensive option, which will provide a guarantee of getting rid of pests for 1-2 years.

Before starting pest control, it is necessary to assess the extent of damage. If you have a whole plantation planted with onions, then it is worth using chemicals. But if only a couple of bulbs grow in the garden homemade salad, you need to try natural remedies.

When growing onions, gardeners and large farms are faced with the emergence of various crop diseases that jeopardize the future harvest. To combat them, it is better to use an integrated approach, which involves treating plantings with special preparations and implementing appropriate agrotechnical practices. Onion diseases in most cases develop on excessively moist clay soils with a high content of mineral fertilizers and rotted manure, as well as a high concentration of nitrogen.

Main diseases of onions

Downy mildew

This onion disease belongs to the category of the most dangerous conditions leading to the death of the plant. Another name is downy mildew, which is transmitted from plant to plant through animals, humans, and by airborne droplets. The fungus becomes active in the spring and begins to germinate intensively in conditions of high humidity and at a temperature of 15-20 degrees Celsius. At low temperatures it does not die, but only stops development.

Onions, leeks, and spring onions are especially susceptible to downy mildew. Infected bulbs experience a change in shape, cessation of growth and development. The leaves turn yellow and begin to die.

Treatment consists of:

application of potash and phosphorus fertilizers. These compositions will increase the crop’s resistance to the pathogen and enhance their protection;
carrying out preventive measures using fungicides;
cessation of soil moistening procedures. It is also impossible to apply nitrogen fertilizers when the first symptoms of the disease are detected.

Cervical rot

Gray rot, as this onion disease is also called, appears at the end of the growing season, but most often it is discovered 1.5-2 months after harvest. Botrytis fungi progress primarily on weakened tissues. Harmful microorganisms, having settled on dying leaves, penetrate the neck of the bulb, and as a result of their vital activity, the vegetable rots.

Infection with gray rot occurs during the process of trimming the feather, when the neck has not yet had time to tighten. Symptoms of the disease are a softened neck, an unpleasant putrid odor, and gray scales in the affected area. To avoid unpleasant consequences, it is recommended to carefully select the planting material before planting it in the ground, leaving only healthy specimens. It is effective to use nitrogen fertilizers at the initial stage of the growing season, and at the end - use potassium and phosphorus.

Fusarium

The source of this onion disease is in the ground; it begins to become active during the growth period of the vegetable. At the beginning of the development of fusarium, brown watery spots appear on the bottom or on the outer scales. The optimal air temperature for the development of fungal disease is 10-20 degrees. In affected plants, in addition to bottom rot, leaves begin to die.

The disease occurs when there is an excess of moisture in the soil, late harvest times, and also when harvesting in rainy weather. For prevention, before planting, it is necessary to treat the soil, for example, with 3% Bordeaux mixture or Baikal.

Crop rotation gives good results. Only healthy bulbs should be used as planting material.

The source of this onion disease is a mold fungus that spreads through the air or through direct contact. Favorable conditions for the pathogen are poor ventilation system And heat in the room where the culture is stored. At the initial stage of development of the disease, the bulbs become soft, the scales dry out, and eventually the vegetable becomes mummified.

Mosaic

Among the main symptoms of a viral disease are the presence of small yellow-white spots on the leaves in the form of clear stripes, which change their appearance over time. appearance, wither and dry up. The affected vegetable, not having reached full maturity in the fall, begins to germinate.

Sources viral disease are nematodes, mites, thrips, small aphids. To save the plantings, it is necessary to take measures to destroy these insects.

Fungal disease mainly observed during culture storage. Initially, watery brown spots are visible on the bottom and outer scales. Later, a white coating forms on them, which subsequently changes color to green or bluish-green. Fungal spores persist in the soil on the remains of vegetation, in places where vegetables are stored. Increases the risk of developing this disease high level air humidity and freezing of onions.

Disease Control Measures

Unfortunately, scientists have not yet found reliable mechanisms to prevent the development of epidemics. They are constantly working to find effective means, capable of suppressing the activity of harmful microorganisms. To improve yields vegetable plantings, farmers are recommended Special attention pay attention to onion diseases and the features of their treatment.

During the growing season, it is recommended to use fungicides at the first signs of infection. The effectiveness of the drug used, as well as the dosage and number of treatments, is influenced by the severity of the disease and the extent of the lesion.

One of the frequently used methods of plant protection is disinfection of seed material.

Many novice gardeners do not know what to do when onions in the garden are sick, and what fungicides should be used for turnips so that the crop can be stored longer. In practice, the following drugs show their activity against powdery mildew pathogens:

Ordan;
Revus;
Quadris;
Alirin-B;
Abiga Peak;
Bravo.

Use the products according to the instructions in the instructions. It is better to fight a disease such as gray cervical rot with the help of fungicides Bravo, Switch, Quadris, Ridomil Gold. Only by knowing how to deal with onion diseases and pests can you count on harvesting a high-quality harvest.

Main pests of onions

Harmful insects, like diseases, cause a lot of trouble for gardeners. To save the plantings, it is recommended to begin taking appropriate measures to combat onion pests as soon as possible, otherwise they can destroy 30-50% of the crop.

Onion fly

shallot aphid

The insect's body is ovoid in shape and brown in color. The larvae are predominantly dark in color. As a result of the invasion of this uninvited guest, the leaves wilt and become deformed. Aphids live on the outside of the leaf.

Onion hoverfly

A stocky fly with a medium-sized bronze-green body appears on plantings in the second half of the growing season. Infected plants are stunted, their leaves turn yellow and then wither. Diseased bulbs acquire an unpleasant odor. If a group of root beetles attacks one plant, it turns into a black putrid mass.

Stem nematode

This thread-like worm can destroy an entire crop if you do not react in time. The pest, using its needle-shaped stylet, sucks the juice from the plants and destroys them. It overwinters in the ground, in seeds and onions themselves. The duration of viability in dried specimens is five years.

Tobacco thrips

Onion moth

The pest has brown forewings, which makes it very noticeable in plantings. The caterpillars are green-yellow in color and covered with short hairs. Seven days pass from the moment the eggs are laid until the larvae mature. They do not touch the outside skin of the leaves, but eat the pulp. Considering that a moth can produce 2-3 generations over the entire season, if it is not destroyed, all plantings are at risk of destruction.

The bug, whose body size does not exceed 3 mm, has a proboscis bent down. The body is black, visible along the suprawing suture white stripe. The female lays eggs in April; after a couple of weeks, the larvae mature, capable of destroying 100% of the leaves of the crop.

The insect first attacks diseased sprouted bulbs remaining on the site after harvesting, and then attacks new plantings. The bug eats the pulp of the vegetable, which leads to the leaves drying out and the plant dying.

Pest Control Methods

Treatment of plantings against onion flies, hoverflies and their larvae is carried out using the drugs Fufanon, Bazudin. Number of procedures – 2. To combat pests such as onion moths a worker will do a solution based on Iskra M. A solution of karbofos is used against caterpillars, secretive proboscis, and its larvae. It is recommended to treat onions with a solution of colloidal sulfur against small pests. It is practically impossible to control them with standard fungicides.

Among the folk remedies for protecting culture, an infusion of tobacco and ground black pepper can be distinguished. It is prepared as follows:

Steam 200 g of tobacco in 3 liters of water.
After three days, add 1 tsp to the resulting infusion. black pepper and 1 tbsp. l. liquid soap.
Add another 10 liters of water to the mixture and filter.
The plants are sprayed.

Prevention of diseases and pest damage

Before planting, onion sets need to be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of product per 1 liter of water). Disinfection of planting material significantly increases the chances of obtaining a rich harvest; it is not affected by bacterial and viral infections and various fungi. It is also recommended to immerse the bulbs in a container with solution for 10 minutes. copper sulfate(1 tsp per 10 liters of water).

The best protection for onions from diseases and pests is to carry out preventive measures. The main thing is to know how to treat the onion before putting it in the ground. In order for the harvested crop to be stored as long as possible and not rot, it is necessary to dry it and store it in a room with good ventilation.

Onions are popular not only among gardeners, summer residents, and farmers, but also among a large horde of pests who are not at all averse to eating this vegetable.

We will try to introduce you to the main pests of onions, methods of combating them, treatment and photos of signs of damage caused by them.

Symptoms

It happens that when harvesting the grown crop, soft bulbs come across. This is a symptom of root mite infestation, which affects many bulbous plants, including onions and garlic.

The tick lives in soil rich in organic matter and loves rotting remains of vegetation and last year's leaves. Survives well in any conditions, loves moist places. It and the larvae of the onion mite infect the roots of the bulbs and penetrate inside through the bottom. The bulb gets sick, becomes soft and eventually becomes covered with unsightly, loose, dark-colored dust. If you notice such a bulb while storing onions, you must immediately sort through the entire crop and warm and dry the surviving onions at a temperature of about 40 °C.

Treatment and prevention

To avoid such phenomena, you need to do simple rules:

Maintain crop rotation, an important condition for all crops. Experienced gardeners never neglect this rule. The best predecessors for onions, these are: radishes, cabbage, tomatoes.
Inspecting onions before planting.
Disinfection of planting material in a solution of colloidal sulfur.

It’s easy to prepare the solution: add 80 g of sulfur to 10 liters of water at 37–40 °C, stir and pour onion sets into the solution for 20 minutes. And drop him off immediately.

During the growth of onions, for prevention, water with a decoction of chamomile.

Advice! To make a chamomile decoction, you can simply pour boiling water over it in the proportion of 200 g of dry herb per 10 liters of water. Let it brew for 12 hours and water the plantings. Chamomile grows in large quantities in the fields; collect and dry it; it repels many pests and is safe for humans and bees.

After harvesting and drying the onions, it is recommended to trim off the dried leaves.
To store onions better, they are heated (fried) for 24 hours at a temperature of 35 °C.
Chalk helps during storage. If you sprinkle it on the bulbs during storage, the root mite dies; it is afraid of dryness.

Conclusion! When storing onions, they absolutely need dry room.

Onion hoverfly

Symptoms

The hoverfly is very similar to the onion fly, only it is slightly darker and larger in size. The hoverfly begins to fly a little later than the onion fly, somewhere in late June, early July, laying eggs between dry onion scales near the ground, 6–10 eggs at a time. They can lay eggs directly in the ground next to the onion head. Two generations of this pest appear per season. Usually, they choose already affected and diseased bulbs.

The larvae actively develop inside, which is why the bulbs rot very quickly, the feather withers and turns yellow, and the bulb dies.

Treatment and prevention

Prevention is the main weapon in gardening.

Treat onion sets in a solution of potassium permanganate against diseases and viruses, the onion will be strong and healthy.
Crop rotation must be observed!
Autumn cleaning of beds from debris and the remains of any root crops.
Plant carrots next to the onions, which repel flies well.
Loosening the soil near the plantings, which will prevent the development of larvae from laid eggs.
Onion plantings sprinkle with dry ash, tobacco, hot pepper or mothballs once a week.
The harvested onions should be properly dried before storage.

Advice! The ideal weather for drying onions is dry, sunny and windy. Spread the onion in the air in a thin layer and stir it constantly so that the onions dry evenly on all sides.

You can't leave it overnight! Put it under the canopy until evening. Repeat drying for a week.

After harvesting the onion, if diseased and damaged plants are noticed, spill the soil with copper sulfate.

If you cannot do without chemicals, then it is permissible to use the drug “bazudin”, but do not forget that it is poison! It is better not to use feathers from such a bed later.

Onion fly

Symptoms

If you suddenly notice yellowed tips of feathers, drooping arrows or curling of onions while planting onions, it means that the onion fly, the most common pest, has settled in the beds.

The onion fly is similar to an ordinary fly, only it gray and 1 cm in length. When the lilac blooms, the fly begins to actively fly and look for a place to lay eggs. The best place Dry onion scales at the very base are used for this purpose. The larvae bite into the bulbs and “gobble up” the juicy pulp for three weeks, eating through extensive passages.

The leaves of the plant wither, turn yellow and then dry out completely, and the bulb emits an unpleasant odor. The larvae go into the ground, where by July they turn into flies, fly out and damage all crops with renewed vigor. In the southern regions, where onions are grown in large volumes, three generations of flies grow in a season.

Treatment and prevention

If you have already observed onion infestation with a fly, then most likely the soil is already contaminated with pupae of this pest. Therefore, digging up the soil in early spring will give a good result: the pupae will be exposed to cold air and most of them will disappear.

What other means are there?

A good proven drug “Zemlin”, which fights many soil-dwelling pests. It is simply scattered on the surface of the soil. It has long been known that the onion fly avoids laying eggs in carrot plantings, so this fact must be used.

Advice! Plant two crops close to each other, at the optimal distance, not forgetting that as they grow, carrots become spreading. Good experience: line method, alternating onions and carrots.

When planting, you can reduce the likelihood of a fly laying eggs in onion scales by deepening the set by 3 cm during planting, hiding the neck in the ground.

Traditional methods of struggle:

From the moment the feather grows 3–5 cm, watering is used saline solution: 200 g of salt per 10 liters of water, watering once every 10 days.
Ammonia solution: 3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water.

Water so that the solutions do not get on the leaves! If you find damaged bulbs, remove them mercilessly!

Onion moth

Symptoms

Onion moths are ubiquitous and love warm, dry weather. It is at this time that its activity increases. Moth larvae are about 11 mm long, very voracious, they eat away feathers inside, leaving the outside intact.

The leaves begin to quickly turn yellow at the end, and then dry out completely. You can see a damaged feather immediately: it will have longitudinal, uneven light stripes.

The moth begins to fly quite early, back in April and May, at night, laying 50–75 eggs! And after a week, caterpillars appear and live for about two weeks, then turning into pupae right on the onion leaves or on the weeds. Within two to three weeks a new generation appears. The horror is that during the season in middle lane three generations are formed!

Treatment and prevention

Treatment and prevention consists of proper care behind the beds, and then behind the plantings.

Mandatory deep digging of the earth in autumn and early spring.
Cleaning up all residues from the beds, burning sick and pest-damaged plants.
Crop rotation helps eliminate many problems with pests and diseases, and this gives a significant increase in yield.

Advice! Crop rotation is a whole science. Once you figure it out, it will be easy to understand what to plant after the previous crop. Garlic will feel great after potatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, peas or beans. The soil can become healthier after sowing green manure, which includes: oats, barley, rye, vetch, mustard, amaranth, buckwheat and beans.

Control weeds throughout the season.
Preventive watering with folk remedies for pests. A solution of ammonia has proven itself well: 3 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of water, as well as infusions of herbs such as tansy, wormwood, red pepper and tomato tops.
If you find more than two caterpillars on one onion, then immediately apply some kind of insecticide. But after this treatment, do not eat the feather!

Onion weevil

The onion weevil or secretive proboscis is the enemy of all bulbous plants. He did not ignore onions, which belong to the onion family.

Symptoms

The weevil can eat the entire plant, but more often it gets by with the green part, so it can be found on the surface. And if you see this pest, then immediately start fighting it.

The beetle lays eggs invisible to the eye, from which larvae emerge, eating the green mass so that you can be left without a feather. And if there is no feather, the bulb will not ripen and will not be stored well.

In addition, the larvae eat the flower stalks, preventing seeds from forming. The beetle produces two offspring per season. Leaves damaged by larvae become striped, turn yellow and die.

The beetle lives in the upper layers of the soil and rises out in the spring. Perhaps you have observed how farms release chickens into the garden in early spring? This The best way pest control: chickens eat both beetles and larvae in the ground.

Advice! In winter, feed the birds on your site: sparrows, tits, and in the spring they will help you with pests.

Treatment and prevention

Crop rotation. Following it will save you from most problems. Diseases and pests of onions may disappear or be reduced several times.
Preparing the soil: digging to a depth of at least 20–25 cm in autumn and early spring so that the larvae and beetles living in it die from frost.
They set traps for the beetle. Affordable, but labor-intensive: cut the packaging cardboard into strips, wrap the strip around each plant, secure it so that it does not straighten out.
Frequent loosening of the soil around plants, this action destroys the “pupae”.
Treat with dry ash and tobacco.
If there is an urgent need, treat with “karbofos” or “azadirachtin” once.

Important! After treatment with poisons, under no circumstances should you use the feather!

Thrips

Thrips include several species of insects of the smallest size. These pests multiply very quickly: they produce several generations per open ground and in greenhouses - up to eight generations, laying more than a hundred eggs per season.

Symptoms

These small invaders feed on plant sap, causing suffering to young shoots. As a result, plants are stunted, deformed and stop developing.

For onions, onion and tobacco thrips, which are difficult to remove, are dangerous.

Bulbs affected by thrips look wrinkled under the scales, and on top they acquire a dark brown color with a silvery tint.

Treatment and prevention

It is believed that thrips can be dealt with by following preventive measures.

Advice! Celandine can be found in large quantities in summer. Collect the above-ground part, fill half the container with the chopped plant, fill it with water, let it brew for two days and spray the plants, repeating every 5 days or after rain.

Frequent spraying is of double benefit, since thrips do not like moisture. You can even knock them off with a stream of water. Keep the garden bed clean, destroying all weeds.

Stem nematode

Stem onion nematode is the most dangerous enemy. She is amazingly resilient. These small worms are capable of hiding in the ground at a depth of up to 1.5 meters and then crawling out to the objects of attack; they are not afraid of frost and can live at a constant temperature of + 2 °C in a vegetable store, continuing to infect bulbs. Without food, nematodes survive for 18 months or go into suspended animation, and can survive up to 20 years, and then continue their activities. The female is capable of laying 400 eggs in her life of 30–40 days.

Symptoms

The first leaf of the affected plants appears at the beginning of the growing season - the feather is slightly thicker and crooked. Subsequently, the leaves droop and turn yellow. Inside the bulb, the scales soften and rot. The bulb is soft to the touch.

Advice! Such bulbs are unsuitable for consumption and storage! Even if you decide to cut off the darkened scales and use the white ones for cooking, don’t do it!

One such bulb can contain up to several thousand worms! You can only see them through a strong magnifying glass if you cut the onion into 3 mm pieces and fill it with water so that the level is no more than 5 mm for an hour while examining the water.

Treatment and prevention

There is still no remedy that would destroy the stem nematode. And all the products are poisonous, and they need to be processed repeatedly. So it all comes down to prevention.

Healthy planting material is very important in the fight against this infection!

Proper storage onions and onion sets.
Crop rotation. No earlier than four years, plant onions and garlic in the same place.
Before planting, add urea to the ground or spill ammonia(3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water).
Planting time also plays an important role. Onion seeds should be planted or sown as early as possible so that the temperature is lower.
Cultivate the land. Add sand and peat under the plantings to make the soil as light as possible, which the worm does not like. And it’s good to add dolomite flour or lime when digging, deoxidizing the soil.
Process planting material. The onion sets need to be carefully sorted, dry scales should be trimmed with scissors, and loose layers should be peeled off.

Advice! You can deoxidize the soil with soda. To do this, dissolve 10 g of soda in a bucket of water and pour over the beds, or pour 100 ml into each hole.

How to treat onions for pests before planting?

Take a container with hot water 45–47 °C, pour the whole seed into it. While it warms up, and this temperature is harmful for many pests, dilute 1 tablespoon of birch tar in 1 liter of water. For this, also pour warm water. Pour this mixture over the sevok. Leave for 4 hours.

This wonderful product with a strong smell will repel many pests, plus the prevention of fungal diseases. After such a bath, the onions are ready to plant!

Aphid

Many will be surprised that we also list aphids as a pest of onions, because onion peels are often used to control pests. But the fact is that onion aphids exist. It affects onions grown for harvest in greenhouses.

Aphids love warm weather, with its onset, it settles in large colonies on plants, drinking juices from them. During the season, aphids breed 50 times!

Symptoms

Aphids not only drink juices, but also secrete a specific poison, infect plants with viruses, dirtying and spoiling decorative look your life activity.

The leaves curl and bend, young shoots are covered with small pests from gray to Green colour.

Treatment and prevention

It is difficult to fight aphids, but it is possible.

Weed removal.
Aphids are afraid of garlic, white mustard, and marigolds, which can be planted nearby.
Sprinkling with dry ash.
Watering with infusion of fermented herbs. To do this, different herbs are infused for a week, then filtered and watered.
Spray the plants with Coca-Cola. Aphids do not like it and die from the acid contained in the drink.

All these methods make it possible not to harm the greens in order to eat them, but they are precisely preventive.

Important! Do not use poisons! If necessary, use the drug "Verticillin", which is safe for feathers, made on the basis of fungi, which, when sprayed, fall on the aphids, germinate in them, and the aphids die. Treat with this drug once a week.

We looked at the main pests of onions. Now that you have received tips on protecting such a necessary vegetable as onions, its harvests should only please you

Video: Onion fly, a simple way to fight

Onions contain a lot of vitamins, phytoncides and essential oils. The presence of useful substances allows it to be used as a preventative against diseases. But this feature does not save the crop itself from the invasion of green onion pests, and the fight against them sometimes lasts a very, very long time.

changes in the color of the leaves or the appearance of spots on them;
drying of feathers;
formation of white, gray or black plaque on the bulbs.

To control pests, not only chemicals are used, but also folk remedies.

Stem nematode

The onion nematode is a small thread-like worm that feeds on plant sap. It is a dangerous insect that can destroy all plantings. The onion stem nematode can survive the winter in the soil, the root crop itself, or the seeds. Begins to be active in humid climates. It penetrates into the plant through feathers or the bottom.

In any phase of development, these worms eat onions. Oviposition is produced in plant tissues.

Symptoms of infection at various stages of crop vegetation:

young plants wither, affected areas become thin;
more developed bushes may look healthy in appearance, sometimes white spots may form, while inner part root crops will be loose, in the area of infection the scales are thinner and covered with whitish and brownish spots.

The affected bulb often cracks, the internal scales protrude outward. When humidity is high, the bushes rot; when humidity is low, they dry out.

It is very difficult to completely eliminate worms on onions. Potent drugs will be harmful to the culture itself. Therefore, the main method of control that allows you to get rid of pests in the garden is prevention:

change the place of cultivation annually;
the seed material should be thoroughly rejected twice: during the harvesting period and after storage;
Before planting, loosen the bed well and add a small amount of contact poisons.

Temperatures above 40 °C are destructive for the worm, so it is advisable to carry out the procedure of soaking the sets in hot water (about 55 °C) for at least a third of an hour.

Onion moth

The crop will not be harmed, but the nematode will probably die.

A small butterfly that has survived the winter on plant debris or walls of premises begins to lay eggs at the beginning of summer. The onion moth does this on the underside of a leaf, root crop or flower shoot.

Soon the larvae appear, which cause the main damage by eating the pulp of the foliage, gnawing out the bulbs and inflorescences. They pupate on plant debris and weeds or in the soil, soon giving birth to a new generation of butterflies.

The pest affects the plant throughout its development, because it can produce 2–3 generations per season.

Treatment is carried out using the following chemicals:
Spark - treated in the summer and at the stage of emergence of larvae.

Summer resident and Metaphos. The drugs are used strictly according to the instructions.

Onion pests are also controlled using folk remedies. For this, the following infusions are used:
ash: pour boiling water into 0.3 kg of ash, leave, strain, stir in 40 g of liquid soap;
garlic: grind the cloves in a meat grinder, mix with water in equal proportions, close tightly and leave for about a week in a warm room. For treatment, add 70 g of product to 10 liters of water; tobacco: in a container with 0.2 kg of tobacco and 1 tbsp. l. pour in soap hot water
, After cooling, strain. Then you can treat the plants and soil using a liter of mixture per 1 m2;

pepper: place a kilogram of red capsicum cut into 2 parts in a bucket of boiling water, boil, strain the cooled liquid and pour into storage containers. Before processing, 130 g are diluted in 10 liters of water along with soap (40 g).

Infusions of wormwood or calendula (they have a repellent odor) will help defeat moths. Also for this purpose, the method of mulching with peat, humus or crushed spruce branches is used.

Tobacco thrips

Onion thrips damages the above-ground and underground parts of plants. A pest infestation can be identified by the following signs:

the juicy scales of the bulb begin to fade and gradually dry out;
the affected leaves are covered with white stripes, black dots are visible - insect feces;
growth stops, the seeds become unsuitable for further sowing;
Severely affected feathers turn pale, bend and dry out.

The thrips larva has 2 stages of development: during the first, it actively feeds, and you can see a yellowish intestine on its belly; with the onset of the second stage, it hides in the ground or hides in the dried onion peel.

It is easy to recognize a lesion; it is much more difficult to fight thrips, since not all means can have a detrimental effect on it. The following drugs have proven themselves:

VDG, Aktara.
MKS, Karate Zeon - 200–300 l per 1 ha.

It is necessary to treat with solutions twice at intervals of a week. Such a small gap is explained by the high resistance of the larvae and eggs to the components of the preparations, as well as by the fact that the solution used could not have affected them.

Onion hoverfly

The insect selects weakened plants, laying eggs on root crops or next to them in the ground. The emerging larvae penetrate inside and thus feed. Because of this, the onion hoverfly received the name “root beetle.”

After about a month, the caterpillars go into the soil and pupate. Insects overwinter inside the root crop.

Damage caused by onion hoverfly larvae negatively affects such characteristics as:

height;
feather development: turn yellow and fade;
condition of the fruit: the bulbs soften and then rot.

Pest control measures involve adding the following drugs to the ground during planting:

Fly eater (50 g per 10 m2).
Medvetox, Zemoin, Muraviin (30 g per 10 m2).

Also during the development period, the bushes are pollinated with tobacco dust in an amount of 3 g per 1 m2.

Onion root mite

Most often it settles in weakened and damaged plants, affecting all areas of them during cultivation or storage. The onion root mite penetrates through the bottom. It is difficult to notice it because it is very small size(no more than 1 mm).

Mite infestation can be determined by the following signs on the bulb:

juicy scales dry out;
the bottom becomes thinner at the edges and falls off as the insects spread;
roots do not form (after storage).

The pest moves with plant remains, soil and equipment. Therefore, the main method of combating it is preventive measures:

thorough cleaning of the storage facility and its fumigation (FAS preparations, Climate);
compliance with the rules of harvesting and preparation for storage;
treatment of bulbs with Actellik solution, beds - BI-58 (before planting).

Onion secretive proboscis (weevil)

Light-colored larvae with a brownish head eat away longitudinal passages in the flesh of the feathers, which are visible through the skin. When the period of their development ends, they move to the ground, where, having gone through the pupation stage, they transform into black beetles.

Adult pests also eat the pulp of the leaves. For the winter they hide under the remaining plants, earthen lumps and stones, and in the spring (when the air warms up to +8°C) they wake up. These insects can be effectively controlled by systematically loosening the soil., during which all possible wintering sites for the weevil will be destroyed.

Onion fly

Wakes up at the end of spring and lays eggs in June. They form larvae that penetrate the bulbs and gnaw them. The lesion can be recognized by the following signs:

damaged bulbs rot and emit an unpleasant odor;
the bush grows slowly;
feathers fade, turn yellow and dry out.

The pestilence continues for about a month, then the larvae burrow into the ground and transform into pupae. Another generation soon emerges from them (in July).

In winter, the larvae penetrate the soil to a depth of about 6 cm, where they wait for spring in the form of pupae. Control measures are similar to those with the hoverfly.

Prevention

To prevent onion pests from ruining the entire harvest, prevention should be carried out, the essence of which is as follows:

Change the planting site every year.
Sow on time.
Dig up the beds in autumn and winter to destroy possible pupae and larvae.
Before planting, disinfect the soil with a solution of copper sulfate.
Observe optimal distance between individual bushes during cultivation.
Remove weeds and plant debris in a timely manner.
During the period of germination and discarding of feathers, treat with biological agents.
Planting material check carefully before disembarking.
Identify affected bushes in a timely manner and destroy them.

Of course, pests can be so small that identifying them is very difficult. The plants themselves will indicate the existence of a problem. You should be very careful about green helpers in order to save most of the future harvest.