Wilt disease spreads, many peanut areas in Nghe An have to be uprooted

These days, farmers in Dien Thinh commune (Dien Chau) are very anxious because the peanut wilt disease is spreading rapidly over a large area. Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai has 4 hectares of peanuts, and the peanuts are currently entering the second branching stage. After visiting the field, she discovered that the peanuts were infected with wilt disease, the peanuts died in patches, in areas, and then quickly spread to the entire area, forcing the family to uproot and destroy them.

Ms. Mai said: “The peanut plants were about to enter the flowering and shoot-out stage when they were infected with black mold and white mold, then the leaves gradually wilted, causing the plants to die. Currently, all 4 hectares of peanuts must be uprooted, destroyed and the land re-cultivated to replace them with other crops such as corn, potatoes, etc.”

In the entire Dong Tam hamlet, Dien Thinh commune, there are about 310 households growing peanuts with an area of ​​about 47 hectares, of which 10 hectares are infected with the disease. Many households have peanut areas with severe disease, and must completely destroy them to plant other crops.

Ms. Cao Thi Giang - Head of Dong Tam hamlet said: “Peanuts are infected with wilt disease, plants are dying in many areas, many households have suffered heavy losses, small households have 1-2 sao, large households have up to 4-5 sao, losing tens of millions of dong. In many areas, wilt disease causes peanuts to die en masse, having to be completely uprooted, causing great losses to farmers. Households with less severe cases are removing dead plants, destroying them and spraying pesticides. This disease spreads very quickly and greatly affects the yield at the end of the season.”

According to initial statistics, the total area of ​​​​Xuan peanuts in Dien Thinh commune is 360 hectares. Currently, the area of ​​​​peanuts affected by wilt disease is estimated at about 10 hectares. Of which, about 2 hectares are severely affected and must be uprooted.

According to local people, the disease initially appears as small reddish-brown spots that appear on the bark of the peanut tree, close to the ground, then gradually spread, covering the entire circumference of the tree and developing down to the roots below the ground, causing the bark to soften and gradually rot. The leaves near the base wither and fall off early, followed by the leaves above. During the day, when the temperature rises, the diseased tree wilts, and in the evening and at night the tree becomes fresh again, but only 2-3 days later it completely withers and dies.

In Dien Chau district, peanut wilt disease has appeared in many localities such as Dien Thanh, Dien An, Dien Phong... in which Dien Thinh commune has the largest area affected. Peanut wilt disease is a disease caused by fungi or bacteria. This disease develops very quickly in humid weather, high temperatures and in peanut fields planted in poorly drained soil or heavy loam, on land where peanuts have been grown continuously for many years or intercropped with other legumes. The disease reduces density due to high mortality, currently many plots have been severely affected up to 60 - 80%. Currently, the locality has grasped the actual situation and instructed people on how to handle diseased peanut fields.

At this time, most of the peanut area is developing strongly in stems and leaves. However, according to forecasts, the weather continues to be unfavorable with high humidity and dense fog in the early morning, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. According to the recommendations of the provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, people need to focus on thoroughly handling areas where pests and diseases have appeared to limit the source of dispersal and widespread spread by uprooting and destroying diseased peanuts. Particularly for areas with mild disease and low rates, diseased plants should be uprooted, lime sprinkled at the base of the trees, and specific pesticides should be sprayed.

At the same time, spray preventively on areas that have not been infected, along with increasing the application of decomposed manure (400-500 kg/sao), balancing nitrogen - phosphorus - potassium; after prolonged rains, high soil moisture, it is necessary to urgently plow and break the crust to make the soil loose, especially the soil near the peanut roots to limit soil moisture; regularly and closely monitor the progression of the disease... At the same time, it is recommended that people limit planting peanuts continuously for many years on the same area to reduce the risk of accumulating pathogens in the soil.