Gangwon Agricultural Technology Institute Urges Farmers on Monitoring and Control of Ginseng Leaf Spot Disease

(Chuncheon=Yonhap News) By Yang Ji-woong = The Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Agricultural Technology Institute recently urged farmers to thoroughly control and monitor major diseases such as leaf spot disease occurring on ginseng above-ground parts due to rapid temperature increases.

The provincial agricultural technology institute judged that due to prolonged unusual low temperatures this year, germination has been delayed, crop growth has been reduced, and resistance to various diseases will be low.

Therefore, they emphasized that special monitoring and preventive pesticide spraying for frequently occurring diseases like leaf spot disease is more important than ever.

Ginseng leaf spot disease is the most common major disease occurring on ginseng above-ground parts, typically emerging in late May in north-central regions and primarily spreading through wind.

Lesions quickly expand on leaves and stems and subsequently cause rapid plant death.

For control, wind-blocking facilities should be installed around ginseng fields to prevent stem damage from wind, and shade facilities must be thoroughly managed to prevent water leakage during the rainy season.

Pesticides include difenoconazole and polyoxin D, and when spraying, a spreader should be added, applied in the morning within permitted concentrations to sufficiently wet leaf surfaces, avoiding consecutive applications of the same system, and alternating pesticides 2-3 times at 5-7 day intervals.

Crop Research Division Director Park Young-sik stated on the 2nd, "Although Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province is a 6-year-old ginseng production area, recent abnormal climate has made cultivation management difficult, so we will continue to monitor major diseases like leaf spot disease and provide on-site support to ensure stable ginseng production."