By Umar Nsubuga
If you are a commercial farmer and want to grow healthy cabbages, there are several cabbage diseases you need to avoid.
Muhammad Malinga, an agronomist in Soi Kapchorwa says there are several diseases which affect the crop.
Downy Mildew: Its symptoms are yellowing of leaves and white or grayish mold on the underside of leaves.
To prevent this, he says use resistant varieties, improve air circulation, avoid overhead watering, and apply fungicides if necessary.
Powdery mildew: It’s symptoms are white, powdery spots on leaves, which may eventually turn yellow or brown.
He says use resistant varieties, ensure good air circulation, avoid overcrowding, and apply fungicides if needed.
Black rot: It’s symptoms are V-shaped lesions on leaves, yellowing, and blackening of leaf margins.
To prevent this, he advises farmers to use disease-resistant varieties, practice crop rotation, and avoid overhead watering. Remove and destroy infected plants.
Clubroot: Malinga says it’s symptoms are swelling and distortion of roots, stunted growth, wilting, and poor head development.
“Use resistant varieties, practice crop rotation (avoid growing cabbage in the same area for at least 3-4 years), and improve soil drainage”, he explains.
Cabbage worms: symptoms for this are holes in leaves, and caterpillars feeding on foliage. Use row covers to protect plants, handpick worms, and apply organic insecticides like neem oil if needed to get rid of the worms.
Alternaria leaf spot: symptoms are dark, circular spots with concentric rings on leaves.
Malinga says to prevent, this, use resistant varieties, practice crop rotation, and apply fungicides if needed. Ensure proper plant spacing for good air circulation.
Sclerotinia Rot (White Mold): the symptoms are white, fluffy mould on infected heads, usually accompanied by a watery rot.
“Use resistant varieties, practice good sanitation, avoid high humidity, and improve air circulation around plants,” he says.
Bacterial soft rot: It’s symptoms are soft, watery, and foul-smelling tissue in heads.
He says to prevent this disease, a farmer should avoid overhead watering, ensure good drainage, and practice good hygiene by removing and destroying infected plants.
Cabbage aphids
According to Malinga, aphids can transmit diseases and cause leaf curling and distortion.
You can prevent this by using insecticidal soap or neem oil, introducing natural predators like ladybugs, and maintaining good plant hygiene.
