Sukuma Wiki Diseases: Here’s How To Control Them Effectively

Sukuma wiki diseases:

Is your sukuma wiki under disease attack and you do not know what to do?

If that describes your situation you have come to the right place.

Here, I outline some of the kale diseases in Kenya, and what to do about them…

So that they no longer bother you.

Ready to get started?

Continue reading.

Just like in any plant, a number of diseases attack sukuma wiki.

Majority of the kale diseases never cause significant loses as the kale plant has developed some resistance to them.

Other kale diseases cause mild damages.

For that reason, the kale diseases can easily be controled using fungicides.

However, there are 3 diseases that are a sukuma wiki farmer’s worst nightmare.

These diseases are very difficult to control.

Once they attack a kale farm, the loss is very substancial.

They can wipe  your whole kale farm In A MATTER OF DAYS .

So if you want to protect your farm and get consistent income from sukuma wiki, you need to learn the following…

3 Top Sukuma Wiki Diseases

# 1. Powdery mildew

This is the most serious sukuma wiki disease in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Many kale growers have no idea whatsoever on what to do to control the disease.

They try using one fungicide to another only to fail face down.

Majority of the existing fungicides CANNOT control this disease so…

Farmers report up to 70% loss of harvests in severe disease infections.

So if you have a kale farm, PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to this disease.

Whenever you spot the signs and symptoms of the disease…

take the necessary steps  IMMEDIATELY lest it destroys your entire farm!

Powdery mildew symptoms

When this kale disease attacks a plant you will see:

1. Small whitish grey patches.
2. As the disease severity increases, the whitish patches join and cover the entire underside of the plant leaves.
3. When that happens, the kale leaves start paling, and hardening.
4. Pale and hardened leaves are unsightly, and unpalatable hence unmarketable.
5. Eventually, as disease gets to peak levels, the entire plant dries and dies.

One heartbreaking thing about this disease is, “It is prevalent during the dry season.”

Therefore, many kale farmers think its the lack of water that is causing this condition.

That is bad news to farmers as that’s the time for peak sukuma wiki demand.

Any loss of quality and even plant death at this time is a serious dent to farmer’s earnings per acre.

To make the matters worse, the disease is highly resistant to fungicides.

That said what options do farmers have?

How To Control Powdery Mildew

First, to control kale powdery mildew, we have to look at the conditions that favor its development.

Research has shown…

Hot weather during the day coupled with cold temperatures at night favor the development of the disease.

So to effectively control the disease, you need to manipulate the environmental conditions that favor the disease.

You can do this by, “irritating the kale during the evenings and night.”

You can also use broad spectrum fungicides in conjunction with irrigation.

Farmers who have adopted the practice normally report success in controlling the disease.

#2. Pythium Root Rot

This is another deadly sukuma wiki disease.

It often kills young seedlings in the nursery within hours.

If your nursery is unattended in a day or 2, when the disease has set in, it will destroy the entire nursery.

You and I know how important a nursery is to a farmer.

Without having a healthy sukuma wiki nursery you are not in the kale farming business.

That’s why I consider Pythium root rot disease to be a SPECIAL WATCH kale disease.

Pythium Root Rot Disease Symptoms

The seedlings develop water-soaked spots on their tender roots.

With the advancement of the disease, the water-soaked spots shrink and dry leading to the blockage of the root.

The blockage means that the roots can no longer transport water or nutrients to other parts of the seedling.

Consequently, the seedling dies by wilting.

How To Control Pythium Root Rot

The good news is, “It is much easier to control this disease.”

You can do that by applying preventive fungicides sprays and you’ll be good to go.

Another important practice you need to adopt is the daily checking of the nursery.

Doing so will enable you to spot disease development sooner before a lot of damage is done.

# 3. Black Rot

In my opinion, this disease is less severe than the two above.

I’m saying that because the specific condition that favors the development of the disease is having excessive water in the growing field.

If your farm is a on a gentle slope you can create drainage channels to remove excess water from the farm.

However, if your farm is on a flat area where drainage is a problem, then this disease will be a major problem to you.

   Black Rot Kale Disease Symptoms

1. Black spots develop on the stem of the plant.
2. As the disease increases in severity, the spots become bigger and bigger.
3. The spots then become water soaked then rotting starts.
4. The rotting stems and leaf stalks emit a foul smell.
5. During severe infestation, this sukuma wiki disease can destroy a whole farm.

The best and only way to control the disease is to grow your kale in a well drained area.

If that is not possible, you can dig drainage channels to remove excess water from the farm.

If you don’t have any other well drained land, then you can use the flat land to grow sukuma during the dry season when there is no excess water.

Key Takeaway On Sukuma Wiki Diseases:

Never let the existence of this three major sukuma wiki/ kale diseases, discourage you from growing kale.

They are an ordinary challenge that you can get over.

What are your thoughts on THIS?

Related:

Sukuma wiki Growing secrets: How to get consistent income from kale

Yield per acre of Sukuma wiki. Here’s what you need to Know

Sukuma wiki diseases: Here’s how to control them effectively

Free Kale Growing PDF