Tips To Protect Crops From Diseases
Damage to crops is a nightmare for the farmers be it caused by any reason, such as weeds, insects or diseases. As per experts, pests damage 35% of total crops every year in India. Saving crops from diseases is one of the major challenges that a farmer faces.
There are several reasons behind the different crop diseases. It can be a weather change, poor soil quality or excessive growth of weeds around the field. Diseases should be treated consciously after the expert consultation. However, some tips can prevent the disease. These tips can save seasonal crops from disease.
Soil Health
Soil is the base of farming, and whatever the soil condition, it will reflect upon the crops. Having a regular check on soil health is always preferred. Nutrition for soil is essential for high and healthy crop yield. To make soil healthy enough for any crop and prevent disease, you need to check the quality of soil, moisture, porosity, etc.
Organic Fertilizer
Try to use organic fertilizers to ensure your soil is getting all the nutrition naturally. Using animal waste or plant-based fertilizer is an excellent thing to do. There will be no side effects on soil health.
Avoid Chemicals
Chemicals give quick results in disease control and fertilization, but they are not suitable for the soil in the long term. Chemicals can damage the soil and impact its fertilization, making it incapable of absorbing nutrition organically.
Make Use of Residue
Crop residue management is one of the complex tasks, but with modern-day machinery, it has become easy for farmers. Burning the residue of previous crops is not good as it damages the soil health, which can make your farm prone to more diseases. Try to use agricultural implements that mulch, mix the residue within the soil, and let it act as a fertilizer. Doing this can boost soil health and prevent any disease.
Keep It Weed Free
Weed around the field is a gateway for malnutrition and diseases. Keeping your field free from weed is always preferred, as weed eats a big part of the crop’s nutrition. You must keep weeds away to avoid any nutritional deficiency in your produce.
Crop Rotation
Crops with a suitable rotational pattern as per the soil and weather are always healthy and away from diseases. Not following a suitable crop pattern is like developing challenging circumstances for soil health. To make it capable enough to fight against the disease, you need to consult an expert and follow the proper crop rotation pattern.
Pathogen Free Seeds
Not only soil, weed or weather, but seeds can also cause crop diseases. Choosing healthy seeds for your crops is crucial as it will decide how healthy your crop will be. To harvest a high yield, it is essential to have healthy and pathogen-free seeds before you sow them in the field. Many seedling infections cause damage to crops, so be sure that seeds are treated with fungicides to avoid any risks.
Conclusion
Diseases damage a significant portion of the total crop yield. Changing weather, infectious seeds, improper irrigation, excessive weed growth, and unconscious chemical use lead to crop diseases. These factors damage soil health resulting in crops being attacked by diseases. Organic fertilizers, remedies, healthy seeds and many other tricks can save crops from diseases.
