Jinju-si Enhances Stable Fruit Production Capacity Through Thorough Pest and Disease Control

1-Month Temperature Outlook Generally Higher Than Average, Request for Timely Pest and Disease Control

Jinju City is conducting pest and disease control.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Jinju City, Gyeongnam Province, recently announced on the 22nd that due to higher winter temperatures and increasing weather anomalies, effective pest and disease control measures are necessary to prepare for the early occurrence of various overwintering pests.

According to weather forecast data from the Rural Development Administration, although there will be significant temperature changes due to temporary cold air, temperatures are generally expected to be higher than average, and pest and disease occurrence information has been released.

The agents used to control various pests and diseases overwintering during winter include mineral oil emulsions and lime sulfur mixtures. Mineral oil emulsion works by coating the bark of trees to block the respiratory organs of insects, suffocating them, and it is effective to apply after removing the tree bark. Farms that experienced severe infestations of mites, scale insects, and small pear psylla last year must spray to reduce the initial density.

It is recommended to spray mineral oil emulsion from late February to early March. For trees with weak vigor, use a lower concentration to avoid damage, and be careful not to mix it with alkaline agents such as lime sulfur mixture or lime Bordeaux mixture. Lime sulfur mixture is sprayed to reduce the density of pathogens and should be applied 20 days after spraying mineral oil emulsion.

Generally, spraying is done from late March to early April, and the timing of spraying mineral oil emulsion and lime sulfur mixture should be properly adjusted considering the bud break period. Additionally, late March to April, when leaves emerge and flowers bloom, is a period when black rot and red rot frequently occur. Preventive agents should be applied before flowering, and after full bloom, professional agents should be sufficiently sprayed around rainfall.

A city official stated, “Thorough pest and disease control during winter is essential for orchard management after overwintering, and by continuously utilizing pest and disease monitoring information and timely control, stable fruit production can be achieved.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.