How to treat konjac disease

As early as 3000 years ago, Konjac has been cultivated and utilized in China. There are abundant Konjac resources in hilly areas of southern China, Qinling Mountains and Daba Mountains, Sichuan Basin, Yungui Plateau, southern Yunnan and Taiwan. So how to cure konjac disease?

1. Soft rot

Soft rot is a bacterial disease, which mainly damages the leaves, petioles and underground bulbs of konjac. This disease may occur during the growth stage and even during the storage period after harvest. The symptoms of soft rot are that the affected area slowly turns yellow, then withers, and finally turns gray or brown, rotting, and has a foul smell.

Control: Oxalic acid solution or agricultural streptomycin, methyl thiophanate solution can be used for control.

II. White silk disease

White silk disease is a fungal disease. It mainly damages the stems, petioles and underground tubers of Konjac. After white silk disease occurs, irregular brown water stains will appear on the affected parts, and with the deterioration of the disease, further softening will eventually lead to lodging of the plants. When there is too much moisture in the field, white mycelium may also appear, and finally infect the underground bulbs, causing the underground bulbs to rot.

Control: Chlorothalonil or carbendazim can be used to control white silk disease.

III. Root rot

Root rot is a fungal disease, which mainly damages the roots of konjac. At the beginning of the disease, mainly the part of the stem close to the underground tuber slowly turns yellow, then the whole plant turns yellow and withers, and finally the underground bulb is affected, which will lead to direct decay of the underground bulb in severe cases.

Control: carbendazim and chlorothalonil can be used for control.

There are six species of konjac with higher utilization value, namely, konjac flower, konjac white, konjac tianyang, konjac ximeng, konjac youle and konjac menghai. Konjac is grown extensively in China and Japan.