Protect your Buds, Preserve your Crop
Have you ever experienced disappointment due to the dropping of the buds and flowers of your plants? If so, this article is your key to preserve your produce and avoid the falling of flowers. What are the reasons behind stunted plant growth and how to prevent it?
Causes of Bud Drop
1– Zinc deficiency
As it enters in the composition of the enzymes that synthesize auxins in the plant, preventing the flowering of the latter.
2-Severe deficiency of boron
Boron is an extremely important element for the growth of the pollen tube for flowers and the completion of the process of pollination, fertilization and seed formation.
Noting that the cucumber plant is one plant with allergenic properties meaning that it is sensitive to boron in the soil solution.
Therefore, its concentration should not exceed 0.1 ppm. So, the procedure should be done, taking into account, when spraying it on the plant, that enough quantity goes in the soil, and that is why fertilization is boosted with calcium to reduce its quantity.
3-Increased nitrogen fertilization and increased irrigation water volume
As these elements increase, so does vegetative growth at the expense of flower growth, in addition, the relative increase in humidity pushes the stomata to close, thus reducing the water withdrawal flow which is loaded with nutrients.
4-Significant temperature differences between day and night
In regard to the tomato plant (tomato): a decrease in temperature to less than 12 C or a rise to more than 30 C causes the pollination process to fail, due to the immaturity of the pollen grains (pollen) at low temperatures and the rapid growth and elongation of the stigmas, which become at a higher level than other reproductive parts of the flower, and that occurring, before the completion of the self-pollination process. Not to forget, the decrease in the secretion of the floral buds of the auxin and gibberellins hormones that help to stabilize the flowers and the nodes.
- Cold weather affects new blooms more than anything else and always prevents pollinators from carrying out their task.
- Frequent spraying of plants with pesticides and chemical fertilizers harms the ovaries of flowers and fruit setting, which leads to wilting and yellowing of a large part of them.
- Breeding and improper pruning of plants, which leads to vegetative growth of the plant at the expense of flowering, thus reducing the needed nutrients for flowers.
If the temperatures in your area are moderate, but the soil is not fertile or does not contain enough nutrients to support new blooms, they will simply fall off.
7-High concentration of salts in the soil solution
8– The lack of abidance by the recommended level in matters related to fertilization rates with macro and micro nutrients, and thus the weakened ability of the plant to hold a large percentage of flowers.
9– Insect infestation and plant diseases
Thrips are pests that affect new buds and feeds on the petals. They are hard to see with the naked eye, however the clear marks of their spots and the plant chipping will enable the farmer to see them.
The above applies to cucumber plants that are grown in the field. As for the cucumbers grown in greenhouses, other factors are added, including:
• Cucumber plants grown in greenhouses are gynoecious with the ability to grow fruits without pollen, and are intended for greenhouse cultivation and do not need pollination and fertilization, and the occurrence of this phenomenon is due to:
- The hybrid variety that is not highly gynoecious, which is a rare case, or is due to the cultivation of varieties intended for field cultivation.
- Poor lighting weakens plant growth.
- Lack of proper ventilation.
- Increased humidity exceeding 75% causing stomata to close.
- The delay in harvesting the fruits, leading to the reduction of the requirement amount of nutrients needs for the new flower nodes.
Pheromone Treatment
1- Adopting a moderate approach when using nitrogen fertilization and using a balanced formula for the fertilization of the plant.
2- Resorting to organic fertilization, organic acid compounds and calcium sulfate compounds.
3- Adopting moderate irrigation.
4- Taking into account the good ventilation methods of the plants.
5- Paying attention to the process of breeding and pruning plants.
6- Monitoring temperature fluctuations: Any temperature above 29°C or less than 12°C will cause the flower to fall.
7- Using a plastic (Mulch) film for the soil when planting vegetable plants outside their growing season (cold weather) helps to warm the roots and increase the capacity of the roots in absorbing nutrients from the soil, especially the phosphorus element, which is less absorbed at low temperatures.
8- Keeping the plastic cover of the greenhouse protected from dust and clean to make sure proper lighting goes through.
9- Preventing delay in the harvesting of the fruits.
10- Limiting the use of pesticides, especially from mid-morning till mid-afternoon when bees are outside.
11- At the beginning of flowering, spraying with compounds containing seaweed (600 Alga) because they contain auxins and cytokinins that prevent flower drop.
by Eng. Farhan El Rahim
