This article throws light upon the four major diseases found in tulip. The diseases are: 1. Important Disease of Tulip 2. Botrytis Tulipae 3. Virus (Tulip Breaking Mosaic) 4. Zephyranthes sp. (Amaryllidaceae).
Disease # 1. Important Disease of Tulip:
Bulb crown and Root rot (fungi—Penicillium sp., Sclerotium rolfsii; Pythium sp., Fusarium sp., Rhizopus stolonifera, Rhizoctonia solani, Aspergillus sp.). There are various funguses responsible for bulb crown and root rot and displays various symptoms depending upon the severity of infection. Symptoms like poor sprouting, saddening or yellowing of leaves, stunting or death of plants are observed. In severe case rotting of bulb is observed.
Roots may be shiny, soft, dry, hard or powdery in texture. Colour may be dark or light grey, black or brown with mouldy growth on bulb or scales. To control the disease, use disease free planting material and follow proper field sanitation. Removal and destroying of infected plants help rot in controlling the disease. Treatment of bulbs with systemic fungicides like Bavistin (0.2%) has been found useful.
Disease # 2. Botrytis Tulipae:
Minute, yellowish spots, elongated in the direction of leaf veins and surrounded by a darker, water-soaked area appear on leaves. As they enlarge, the regions become more depressed and their colour charges to a whitish grey or brown.
Such regions appear or plant stem and flower. Small black structures the size of pin head often are found on the outer bulb scales. To control this, three to five years rotations are recommended. Chemical like vinclozolin (Ornalin), Chlero thalonil, lpriodion or benomyl or bavistin can be used.
Disease # 3. Virus (Tulip Breaking Mosaic):
Viruses are very common in tulip which spreads by cutting of flowers or by the attack of several species of aphids. To control this disease, destroy the diseased plants when found and control the aphid population by spraying 0.1% Rogor (1 ml/L of water).
Disease # 4. Zephyranthes sp. (Amaryllidaceae):
It is native of South America and is commonly called as Zephyr lily. It is highly suitable on the side of path, under the trees, for rockeries and for mass effect of flowers as ground covers. Plants grow 15-20 cm and leaves are narrow. There are three common species i.e., Z. grandiflora syn. Z. rosea is a native of Mexico and Guatemala.
It has dark green flat leaves and produces pink flowers with the advent of showers i.e., July-August or few flowers after showers in autumn and spring. Z Candida is native of Argentina and has needle like leaves of light green colour and produces white flowers in September-October. Z. sulphurea—It has flat long leaves of light green colour and produces yellow coloured flowers in late rainy season and reappear in February-March with the advent of rains. The bulb production is very rapid in all the three species which can be separated in March-April or October.