Many people involved in vegetable production and management have encountered the phenomenon of premature senescence of vegetables. Premature senescence is characterized by hollow stems, weak seedlings, and yellowing leaves in the early stage. In severe cases, it can lead to hollow fruits and empty fruit cavities. Let's discuss some solutions for premature senescence of vegetables.
1. Scientific Fertilization
Vegetables of the Solanaceae family have a high demand for nutrients and require adequate fertilization to ensure supply. It is especially important to apply base fertilizer to meet nutrient requirements during the seedling stage, flowering stage, fruit maturation, and after the first harvest. Applying a combination of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, and trace elements (calcium, boron, iron, zinc) has a good effect on plant recovery, preventing premature senescence, and increasing the yield of the second batch of fruits. Foliar feeding can also be performed in the mid-to-late stage.
2. Timely Pruning
Solanaceae vegetables often have many lateral branches and strong growth vigor. It is necessary to prune the plants at the peak of growth to promote early maturity. After the first harvest of fruits, timely remove the lateral and apical buds according to plant density to eliminate "apical dominance" and promote balanced plant growth.
3. Removal of Old Leaves
Timely removal of withered, old, and diseased leaves from the lower part of the plant helps prevent field closure. This not only effectively controls the spread of diseases but also reduces nutrient consumption by plants, promotes robust growth, and facilitates field ventilation and light penetration.
4. Pest and Disease Control
In the later stages of growth, serious occurrence of pests and diseases is a significant factor causing premature senescence of Solanaceae vegetables. Strengthening pest and disease management can increase yield and prolong the growth period of Solanaceae vegetables. Common pests and diseases of Solanaceae vegetables include powdery mildew, blight, anthracnose, viral diseases, gray mold, downy mildew, red spider mites, and aphids. Timely and cautious use of pesticides is necessary, avoiding highly toxic and long residual pesticides to ensure human and animal safety. No spraying should be done according to the required days before harvest.
5. Timely Harvest
Solanaceae vegetables grow rapidly and produce high yields. However, excessive fruit setting can lead to flower and fruit drop, resulting in premature senescence in the later stages of growth. Timely harvest can reduce flower and fruit drop and lighten the plant's burden. Peppers and eggplants can be harvested when 80% ripe, red peppers when reddish, and tomatoes when 90% ripe.
Above are the solutions for addressing premature senescence of vegetables. Premature senescence can result in poor quality and low yield of vegetables and, in severe cases, premature wilting and death of plants. It's important to take appropriate measures to address this issue.
