On this page, we will list all the possible pathologies that affect our chili plants, including pests and diseases, photos, descriptions, and how to solve the problem. From the leaves, we can understand the general state of our plants and then go check in detail as subsequently written:

(N.B. This information has been extrapolated from a British magazine, it will soon be reviewed by the staff of DiavoloPiccante.it)

• YELLOW LEAVES: Lack of light or excessive watering.

• BURNT LEAVES: Incorrect acclimation to incorrect sun exposure.

• FADED LEAVES: Lack of nutrients in the soil.

• SHRIVELED LEAVES: Too dry soil, excessive sun exposure (too hot) or parasites.

ALL THE PARASITES AND DISEASES OF CHILLIES:

PARASITES:

MITES | Back to top!

These parasites generally settle on the upper part of the leaves and are so small that it is impossible to see them with the naked eye, except for the red spider, visible because of its color that stands out against the leaf. The attack by mites is manifested in a loss of vigor of the plant and you can see the leaves discolor and fall, and if the plant is attacked by the eriophids it causes all the plant's leaves to fall.

Prevention: Mineral oil in November, January, and February.

Natural remedies: Phytoseiulus tetranychum.

Chemical remedies: All miticides are good.

BEETLES | Back to top!

Beetles can settle on several plants, especially in cracks and in areas that are not exposed to the sun.

Symptoms are sticky leaves, waxy shields, or formations that look like cotton wool under which parasites are found. If the infection is not serious it is possible to remove the parasite manually by disinfecting the leaves with alcohol, if it is severe, use white oil activated with a pyrethroid or with malathion. For a better result, treat the plants at the beginning of the spring or in the fall - winter with an anticoccidials, thus destroying the remaining eggs.

Prevention: mineral oils, copper, prospaltella berlesei (predators).

Natural remedies: Vegetable oils, predators.

Chemical remedies: anticoccidials at the first sighting.

APHIDS | Back to top!

The term aphids refers to a set of fidomious insects (commonly called lice). We immediately notice the sticky leaves and the ants present on the plant (because they eat the substance produced by the aphids, the honeydew).

Prevention: A lavender bush every 5 square meters, 3 squeezed garlic cloves and the juice diluted with 1 liter of water to apply to the leaves, natural predators that eat aphids in nature (ex: ladybugs, hoverflies, green lacewings etc).

Natural remedies: Pyrethrum, neem oil etc.

Chemical remedies: Any aphicide (we recommend the systemic one to give only at the first sighting).

EELWORMS | Back to top!

Eelworms are microscopic worms that live in the sick tissues of plants, are toxic, and if not eliminated promptly lead to the death of the plant. Symptoms are dark spots bounded by the veining. Wet leaves promote contagion.

Prevention: Arthrobotrys superba, Bioact WG (organic).

Natural remedies: Solarization, bringing the ground to a temperature of 45/50 C° for 3 hours and Bioact WG (organic).

Chemical remedies: Fumigants (dazomet and metam sodium), Non-fumigants, Carbamates (aldicarb, carbofuran, oxamyl), Phosphorganics (cadusafos, ethoprophos, fenamiphos, fosthiazate).

WHITEFLIES | Back to top!

They nest in and feed on the lower part of the plant, causing yellowing of the leaves and a weakening of the whole plant, in the event of serious attacks the plant can also lose all the leaves and die. These parasites produce a lot of honeydew that causes the presence of ants on the plant and can, in turn, develop sooty mold.

Natural remedies: Yellow and/or pheromone chromotropic traps.

Chemical remedies: Perform treatments very close to each other, one every week for one month, using products based on pyrethrum, acephalo, dimethoate + endosulfan, or with imidacloprid, repeating the treatment once a month.

THRIPS | Back to top!

Thrips are small insects visible on the leaves and are generally blackish in color.

Prevention: Yellow and/or pheromone chromotropic traps.

Natural remedies: Treatments with antagonist insects (ex: olius leavigator is a predator of the thrips), pyrethrum and blue roll-gard (blue chromosopic traps).

Chemical remedies: Treat with specific products one every 10 days following the instructions on the labels and the advice of the shopkeeper.

LEAF MINERS | Back to top!

After the eggs hatch, the larvae penetrate the mesophile causing the leaves to fall prematurely.

Prevention: Yellow and/or pheromone chromotropic traps.

Natural remedies: Lepinox plus, yellow chromotropic traps, biological control techniques such as Hymenoptera Eulofida Diglyphus isaea, parasiticide, ectophagus of the larvae of Liriomyza trifolii.

Chemical remedies: Larvicides with endotherapic action.

SHIELD BUGS | Back to top!

The bug feeds on the sap of the plant. To reach the tissues it damages the plant, weakening it and making it easier for fungi and bacteria to attack it. On the leaves, necroses are more or less evident, on the fruits they cause typical chlorotic punctuations in the phase of maturation which later become very nuanced localized necrosis.

Prevention: Chromotropic traps.

Natural remedies: pyrethrum.

Chemical remedies: pyrethroid insecticides.

SNAILS | Back to top!

Snails or slugs ruin the leaves. The presence of snails is easily detectable: the leaves, especially the more tender ones, have holes with blackish traces of excrement.

Prevention: Lumachicides.

Natural remedies: Manual elimination to be carried out at dawn and in the evening.

Chemical remedies: Lumachicides.

CUTWORMS | Back to top!

Cutworms are larvae that attack all the aerial organs of the plant, the damage occurs on the leaves, flowers, and fruits. On the leaves and on the flowers the larva causes atypical erosions, on the fruits it digs inside in the pulva, passing from one fruit to the other causing very serious damage.

Prevention: Yellow and/or pheromone chromotropic traps.

Natural remedies: Solution of water or soap or minced garlic.

Chemical remedies: Confidor, Decis Jet, Provado, Skorpio.

CITRUS FLATID PLANTHOPPER| Back to top!

Citrus flatid planthoppers feed on the nymph taken by host plants. The hatching of the eggs begins around the first half of May starting to appear in early July, are 7-8 mm long with gray wings, produce metala (presence of ants on the plant that feed on this substance and sooty mold). The damage is caused by the loss of sap, by the production of honeydew and a whitish wax that smears leaves, shoots, and clusters.

Prevention: Chromotropic traps.

Natural remedies: Yellow chromotropic traps, Neodryinus typhlocybae (predatory insect).

Chemical remedies: Chlor pyrifos and Fenitrothion (active ingredients).

WEEVILS | Back to top!

It is the larva of a beetle that when an adult is brownish/blackish, 10mm long, similar to a maybug, goes back at night to the plants and feeds on the leaves.

Prevention: Pershing, Provado in April and October

Natural remedies: Larvanem - Nemasys L

Chemical remedies: Microgranular pershing in the ground during the months of October and January

LEAF-ROLLING SAWFLIES | Back to top!

Small black-headed hymenoptera with a black body dotted with black spots. It feeds on the leaf blade leaving only the ribs and also causing the death of the plant. that to protect itself, rolls the leaves.

Prevention: Pershing, Provado in April and October

Natural remedies: Adina 10, Naturalis, Pyrethrum

Chemical remedies: Decis Jet - Confidor

LEAF ROLLERS | Back to top!

The larvae are light green in color, 5 to 10 mm in length. They cause crumpling of leaves and create a protective lint that prevents plant protection products from adhering to the plant. Appearance of circular holes on leaves and flowers

Prevention: Pershing, Provado in April and October

Natural remedies: Adina 10, Naturalis, Pyrethrum

Chemical remedies: Decis Jet - Confidor

DISEASES:

GRAY MOLD | Back to top!

It can attack all the organs of the plants creating leaf spots, rotting of the buds and of the flowers. Easily identifiable as the mold is formed on the affected organs.

Prevention: Avoid moisture on the leaves

Natural remedies: Dodina, Index, Copper

Chemical remedies: Pomarsol - Folicur SE

MILDEW | Back to top!

It can be found on the leaves and has a white, powdery appearance emitting a typical mushroom smell.

Prevention: Sulfur, Sodium bicarbonate 200 g per 1.00 liters of water

Natural remedies: Sulfur, Sodium bicarbonate

Chemical remedies: Folicur SE - Proclaim Combi

NEONETRIA DITISSIMA | Back to top!

Neonetria ditissima is a sporogenous fungus that settles on the branches, on the stem, and on the leaves.

It presents with small ulcers that tend to gradually grow, in fact on the woody tissues one can notice brownish lesions that over the years assume a characteristic appearance to target with callous scar area.

Prevention: disinfect scissors and knives, prune and burn the affected branches

Natural remedies: Dodina, Index, Copper

Chemical remedies: Proclaim Combi - Folicur SE

SCABS OR BLACK STAINS | Back to top!

Cryptogamic disease, caused on ornamental plants by fungi belonging to the genus diplocarpon or marssonina. The disease affects the leaves, stems, and fruits in particular.

Prevention: Concentrated copper in October, November, and January

Natural remedies: Dodina, Index, Copper

Chemical remedies: Pomarsol - Folicur SE

PERONOSPORA | Back to top!

On the leaves, it appears as spots, first pale then they darken and dry; in concert with these, on the bottom, they appear white. On the stems, there are similar spots with loss of turgescence until the stem breaks. In the fruits, irregular brown spots with a leathery and irregular surface. The rot leads to the total breakup of the berry.

Prevention: Concentrated copper in October, November, and January

Natural remedies: Dodina, Index, Copper

Chemical remedies: Folicur SE - Proclaim Combi

PHYLLOSTICTA OPUNTIAE | Back to top!

This pathogen appears in spring and reaches its height during June. It manifests itself by the formation of small yellow spots on the upper side of the leaf, while on the lower part it is possible to see some yellow powdery substances (spores). With the passing of days, these spots become darker and darker until they become blackish. This disease, if strongly present on a plant, causes a vegetative stasis and yellowing. It almost never causes, however, the immediate death of the plant, which perishes slowly, completing the vegetative cycle.

Prevention: Concentrated copper in October, November, and January

Natural remedies: Sulfur, Sodium bicarbonate

Chemical remedies: Folicur SE, Proclaim Combi dithianon or thiophanate methyl.

SOOTY MOLD | Back to top!

The term "sooty mold" refers to a group of saprophytic mushrooms, which do not attack the plant but feed on sticky substances (honeydew) that are produced by various insects, such as cochineal aphids and metcalpha. It appears as dark and sooty structures, which are composed of intertwined micelles. The more these filaments are compact and numerous the more the plant is deprived of the light needed to live. With prolonged attacks, the plant, after a long period of weakening, can die. There are different types of sooty molds: from dry and crusty ones to more soggy and oily ones. This fungus generally has a brownish blackish color, which gives the plant it's attached to an aesthetically unpleasant appearance.

Prevention: Elimination of the main honeydew producers and the removal of them from

the leaves

Natural remedies: Dodina, Index, Copper

Chemical remedies: Folicur SE - Proclaim Combi

ROOT ROT | Back to top!

The main cause of root rot is a fungus, the armillaria mellea. Generally, the plants affected by root rot show stunted growth, chlorotic leaves, weak branches, and other symptoms, which often could initially be attributed to other diseases. To avoid the onset of this disease it is therefore important to avoid stagnant water (especially in periods of rest of the plant). If the plant has already been affected in a minor way, in the marginal parts remove and burn the affected branches and disinfect the collar of the trunk with copper-based products. If instead the roots and the trunk are already severely compromised it will be necessary to eradicate completely the plant to prevent the disease from spreading on nearby plants. Disinfect carefully the soil with sulfur-based products.

Prevention: avoid water stagnation

Natural remedies: sulfur

Chemical remedies: Folicur SE - Proclaim Combi

COLLAR ROT | Back to top!

Inoculum sources consist of both fallen fruits and contaminated plant residues that remain in the ground. Penetration is direct or through wounds. The affected plants present a general deterioration, chlorotic leaves, withered and early fall, until arriving, in more serious cases, at the death of the whole plant. At the level of the collar, there is a spongy thickening and flaking of cortical tissues browning of the cortex and large necrotic areas of the central cylinder. The fruits are subject to rotting.

Prevention: avoid water stagnation, avoid injury, respect depth in planting

and do not place the drips near the stem

Natural remedies: permitted copper compounds

Chemical remedies: copper, phosetylaluminium and Bordeaux mixture

ANTRACNOSIS | Back to top!

Small necrotic spots on leaves, petioles, and fruits with a rounded shape and well-defined margins.

Remedies: Bordeaux mixture

ASCOCHYTA | Back to top!

Kind of Deuteromycetes fungus, Spherioidaceous family, with 400 species, mostly saprophytes and maculicole. Some produce more or less corroded spots on the leaves of various Solanaceae, on artichokes, on asparagus etc.

Remedies: Remove and burn affected parts.

ALTERNARIA | Back to top!

On the leaves, it presents with small translucent spots surrounded by a reddish margin that enlarging necrotize and tend to merge and in the fruits with circular necrotic spots outlined by mold.

Remedies: Copper oxychlorides

FUSARIUM | Back to top!

The fungus causes the yellowing of the leaf which then darkens and dries, extending quickly to the whole plant that soon dies.

Remedies: Bordeaux mixture

MYROTHECIUM | Back to top!

On the leaves, brown circular spots form with fruiting bodies of the fungus in the center. It is always good to eliminate the attached part as prevention is the best cure.

Remedies: Copper oxychlorides

CIRCULAR MOLD | Back to top!

On the branches form depressed notches, elongated or round, which soon crack longitudinally, with the formation of cancers that lead to the rapid death of the distal portion of the affected organ, sometimes so quickly that the leaves and the flowers have no time to detach themselves. The attached flowers brown and dry, the inflorescences disarticulate and fall. On the fruits, you can have brown rot, black rot, and rot of the heart. Brown rot manifests with a roundish area, often centered on a brown wound, on which yellow-ocher bearings are differentiated, in concentric circles (circular mold). The fruit disintegrates quickly or is mummified, dehydrating and acquiring woody appearance. This Black rot occurs when the infection remains in a larval form and does not form mold outside. In heart rot the infection is localized around the seeds: the fruits are colored more rapidly and fall.

Prevention: nothing

Natural remedies: elimination of the affected areas and treatments with copper (ambienta zapi)

Chemical remedies: copper fungicides

CORINEUS | Back to top!

On the leaves, there are initial red-violet notches, surrounded by a chlorotic halo subsequently becomes reddish. The notches then become circular, with diameters of some mm, dry and fall, causing the characteristic "balling". On the growing fruits, it has the formation of small craters ("pock marks"), while small ones are formed on the ripe fruit as reddish spots covered with gummy encrustations.

Prevention: nothing

Natural remedies: elimination of the affected areas and treatments with copper (ambienta zapi)

Chemical remedies: copper fungicides

DASHEED MOSAIC VIRUS | Back to top!

Viruses that cause changes in the shape and color of infested plant leaves, these can be transmitted by plant-parasitic insects. This pathogen does not cause the death of the plant but only aesthetic damage.

Remedies: Remove and burn affected parts.