In the citrus orchard in spring, a quiet crisis is quietly heating up. A species of bug, nicknamed "stink bugs" because of its stinky glands, is gradually making its mark. This is what people call bugs, which were once a secondary pest in citrus orchards, but now they have become a serious threat to citrus spoilage. This article will take an in-depth look at the characteristics and occurrence of bugs, as well as scientific and comprehensive prevention and control methods to help you effectively defend against this threat during the citrus growing season.
The "notoriety" and dangers of bugs
Bugs are nicknamed "stink bugs" because their stink glands are stimulated to secrete odorous fluid, giving people a strong sense of odor. However, this comical appearance can't hide their potential harm to citrus.
In the past, bugs were just secondary pests in citrus orchards, obscure. However, with the change of vegetation conditions and the change of control strategies in orange orchards, they gradually rose to become a major problem for citrus orchard owners. At this time, it is the peak season of bugs, and if timely and effective prevention and control measures are not taken, the new shoots of citrus will be damaged and the young fruits may fall off. Due to the long life span of bugs, the damage period is relatively long-lasting, and it may even affect near-ripe citrus fruits in the later stage, resulting in damage to the fruit surface and affecting sales.
Hazard characteristics of bugs
Bugs are mainly infested by nymphs and adults sucking the juice of citrus leaves, shoots and fruits, and unlike other stinging and sucking pests, the damage caused by their larger size is more severe. The affected shoots and young leaves will turn brown and wilt in a short period of time, as if they were suffering from acute anthrax or seedling blight. After the fruit is damaged, the insect spots will shrink and become woody, and the green color will turn yellow from the center to the periphery, and in severe cases, the fruit will fall off in large quantities.
Although the damaged fruit looks intact on the outside, when it is dissected, it will be found that the inner fruit is shriveled, and compared with normal citrus fruits, the sugar and water content are reduced, and it chews like dry residue, losing its original flavor. This has a direct impact on the quality and taste of the citrus.
The law of occurrence of bugs
There are many species of bugs, mainly including many families such as the family of net bugs, the family of marginal bugs, the family of shield bugs, the family of bugs, and the family of bugs. They overwinter in the form of adults in winter, hiding in crevices of rocks, weeds, dense canopies. In April of the following year, it began to feed and mate, mainly harming spring shoots. Adults lay their eggs on leaves, and the first instar nymphs gather at the hatching site and begin feeding after 2 instars. 2
3rd instar nymphs often develop together,4
Solo activity after 5 years of age. 7
August is the time when the number of bug nymphs is the highest, and it is also the time when the damage is the most serious, and it is most likely to cause fruit shedding. 9
The peak occurred again in October, mainly harming autumn shoots and fruits.
The damage of bugs is closely related to meteorological conditions, and drought and lack of rainfall, drought and autumn drought are more likely to lead to aggravation of the damage. In addition, the fruit has a strong attraction to bugs after being covered with sugar, especially the fruit with thinner and smoother skin is more susceptible to damage.
Comprehensive prevention and control methods
In order to effectively prevent and control the harm of bugs, agricultural control needs to take a series of scientific and comprehensive measures:
The garden is cleared in winter
: Reduce the density of the insect population and prevent the adult from overwintering.
Moderate pruning
: Moderate pruning is carried out during the growth period to ventilate the canopy and reduce insect infestation.
Proper fertilization
: Through proper fertilization, the tree will be strengthened and the resistance of citrus will be improved.
Protect predators
: Huangjing ants, praying mantises, flat-bellied wasps, jumping wasps, etc. are natural enemies of bugs, and protecting them helps to maintain ecological balance.
Remove the injured part in a timely manner
: When egg leaves or hatching larvae are found during the garden inspection, they should be removed in time to prevent the spread of harm.
Manual capture
: Taking advantage of the inactivity of adults when resting, they are manually captured in the early morning and evening.
Pharmaceutical prevention and control
: In the spring, summer, autumn shoot stage and the near-ripe stage of the fruit, seize the peak period of nymphs for spraying control. The agent is cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, avermectin, etc.
In general, the integrated control method is a scientific and environmentally friendly approach in agricultural production, which can not only effectively control the population of bugs and other pests, but also help maintain the ecological balance and protect the sustainability of agricultural production.
Maintain ecological balance and work together to defend against the threat of bugs.
Bugs are not simply beneficial insects or pests in nature, and the bugs in citrus orchards are one of the bugs that can prey on other pests and reduce their damage to citrus. Therefore, in the process of prevention and control, we should not apply a one-size-fits-all approach, but should maintain biodiversity and let the ecological balance of nature play a better role.