A method for integrated pest management of wolfberry diseases and pests

Abstract

This invention discloses an integrated pest management method for wolfberry diseases and pests. Based on the life cycle, damage cycle, and survival characteristics of major local wolfberry pests, this method implements a seven-step integrated control approach according to seasonal sequence: mid-February pruning and cleaning of materials for harmless disposal; early March and late October orchard cleanup followed by spraying lime sulfur to control overwintering pest populations; and targeted spraying of compound pesticide solutions in March, May, June, and August, simultaneously addressing pest and disease control, enhancing plant resistance, and providing nutritional supplementation. Furthermore, the method optimizes pesticide formulation and application, achieving a closed-loop control system. This invention innovatively proposes the addition of plant growth regulators to pesticides to induce increased pest resistance in wolfberry, and the addition of nutrient solutions to enhance pest resistance. This invention is highly targeted, uses less pesticide, effectively improves the overall pest and disease control effect of wolfberry, ensures wolfberry quality meets zero pesticide residue standards, and is suitable for wolfberry cultivation in Jiuquan and similar climatic regions, providing technical support for the high-quality development of the wolfberry industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural pest and disease control technology, and in particular to a method for integrated pest management of wolfberry diseases and pests. Background Technology

[0002] Goji berries are cold-resistant, drought-tolerant, thrive in slightly saline-alkaline and poor soils, prefer fertile soil, but are susceptible to high nitrogen fertilizers, waterlogging, continuous cropping, and pest infestations. Currently, the goji berry industry is the largest specialty forestry and fruit industry in Jiuquan City. In recent years, the Jiuquan City Forestry and Grassland Bureau has continuously implemented the innovation-driven strategy, strengthened project demonstration and guidance, and targeted the technical bottlenecks in the development of the goji berry industry, aiming to promote the high-quality development of the goji berry industry.

[0003] In the control of diseases and pests related to wolfberry, the main targets are psyllids, gall mites, aphids, leaf beetles, and thrips. Since wolfberry is used for both medicinal and edible purposes, the methods employed are primarily agricultural control, supplemented by physical, biological, and chemical methods. However, in practice, the control effects are often unsatisfactory. The reasons for this are as follows: although guiding principles such as reducing food sources, compressing space, and shortening time are relatively mature, and pesticides and plant hormones are commonly used, the lack of a detailed understanding of the occurrence and damage patterns of various pests in the local area, the unclear simultaneous and concurrent damage methods of different pests, and the unclear relationship between their food requirements, living space, lifespan, and damage, leads to poor coordination between various control measures, weak targeting, and low control efficiency. This results in problems such as indiscriminate control, excessive use of pesticides, and a lack of focus on key agricultural control points. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for integrated pest management of wolfberry diseases and pests that can improve the prevention and control effect.

[0005] To address the above problems, the present invention provides an integrated pest management method for wolfberry diseases and pests, comprising: (1) In mid-February, the wolfberry plants were shaped and pruned to ensure that the wolfberry garden as a whole had good ventilation and light. At the same time, weeds, garbage and pruned branches were thoroughly cleaned up in the wolfberry garden and within a 3m radius around it to achieve initial control of pests and diseases. (2) In early March, spray lime sulfur solution at 5 Baume degrees evenly on the surface of wolfberry plants and garden to kill overwintering eggs and adults and reduce the base number of overwintering pests and diseases. (3) In mid-March, during the budding period of wolfberry, spray the wolfberry branches and budding parts with a mixture of 2500-3000 times dilution of spirotetramat and 5000-7000 times dilution of Bihu. (4) In early May, spray the whole plant of wolfberry with a mixture of sodium nitrophenolate 5000 times, abamectin 3000-5000 times, spirotetramat 2500-3000 times and 3‰ urea to kill pests and diseases, enhance plant resistance and supplement nutrition. (5) In early June, spray the whole plant of wolfberry with a mixture of 5000 times dilution of Bihu, 2000-3000 times dilution of flonicamid and 2500 times dilution of abamectin and chlorfenapyr to enhance the plant’s resistance and kill pests such as aphids and psyllids. (6) In early August, spray the whole plant of wolfberry and the surface of the garden with a mixture of sodium nitrophenolate 5000 times, high-efficiency cypermethrin 2000-3000 times, imidacloprid or thiamethoxam 2000-2500 times and 5‰ white sugar to broaden the insecticidal spectrum and improve the efficacy and plant nutrition supply. (7) At the end of October, a comprehensive cleaning of the wolfberry garden was carried out. After removing diseased plant debris and weeds, a 5 Baume degree lime sulfur mixture was sprayed evenly on the wolfberry plants and the surface of the garden to complete the closed loop of pest and disease control before overwintering.

[0006] Preferably, the shaping and pruning in step (1) mainly involves removing diseased, weak, overly dense, and crossing branches to ensure unobstructed ventilation and light penetration within the canopy of the wolfberry tree. The length of the pruned branches is controlled at 5-15cm to facilitate subsequent material collection and processing.

[0007] Preferably, step (1) further includes returning the collected materials to the field after they have been crushed, fermented, treated with high temperature insecticides or burned to kill insects.

[0008] Preferably, the specific conditions for the crushing and fermentation are as follows: crush the collected material to a particle size of 2-5 cm, add 10-15% of the material weight of microbial composting agent, control the fermentation environment temperature to be maintained at 55-65℃, and the fermentation cycle is 7-10 days to ensure that insect eggs and pathogens in the material are completely killed by high temperature.

[0009] Preferably, in step (3), the mixture is applied alternately with flufenoxuron, lambda-cyhalothrin, or chlorantraniliprole to prevent pests from developing resistance.

[0010] Preferably, the alternating application cycle is 7-10 days. The amount of pesticide solution is controlled each time it is sprayed to ensure that the pesticide solution evenly covers the wolfberry branches, the front and back of the leaves and the surface of the garden, without any missed corners.

[0011] Compared with existing technologies, this invention is highly targeted and requires less pesticide, effectively improving the overall control of diseases and pests in wolfberry, ensuring that wolfberry quality meets the zero pesticide residue standard, and is suitable for wolfberry planting in Jiuquan and similar climatic regions. It provides technical support for the high-quality development of the wolfberry industry, specifically including the following advantages: 1. Targeted control based on pest occurrence patterns. This invention systematically studies the overwintering sites, generation cycles, damage periods, and ecological needs of major pests of wolfberry in Jiuquan. It clarifies a control strategy centered on gall mite control, with psyllids and aphids as key areas, breaking away from the traditional misconception of "blindly using pesticides and covering everything." For example, considering the characteristic of gall mites "overwintering on psyllids," pruning and clearing the orchard in mid-February destroys the overwintering carriers. Spraying spirotetramat during the budding period in March inhibits insect development, precisely blocking the gall mite's "unload" damage pathway. For aphids and thrips, which are prevalent from May to October, targeted compound pesticide solutions are selected in May and August to kill all stages of insects—eggs, nymphs, and adults—improving control efficiency by more than 40% compared to traditional methods.

[0012] 2. Integrating multiple prevention and control technologies to create a synergistic effect. This invention integrates agricultural control (pruning, orchard sanitation and weed removal), chemical control (precise pesticide selection, alternating pesticide use), nutrient regulation (urea and sugar supplementation), and stress resistance enhancement (Bihu, sodium nitrophenolate) technologies to construct an integrated "prevention + maintenance" solution. Specifically, the material crushing, fermentation, and return to the field not only eliminates pests, diseases, and weeds but also improves soil fertility; alternating pesticide use (a mixture of spirotetramat and flufenoxuron, etc.) effectively avoids the development of pesticide resistance in pests, extending the duration of pesticide efficacy by 15-20 days compared to single-pesticide application; and innovatively, it proposes a combination of plant growth regulators and pesticides to induce increased insect resistance in goji berries, enhancing plant stress resistance, improving pesticide effectiveness, and reducing pesticide usage by more than 30%.

[0013] 3. Standardized and controllable operation, suitable for large-scale planting. This invention clearly defines the time nodes, pesticide-to-liquid ratios, application methods, and key parameters for each step (such as fermentation temperature of 55-65℃, pruning branch length of 5-15cm, and avoiding high-temperature periods for pesticide spraying), forming a standardized operating procedure to avoid human error. Furthermore, the pesticides, regulators, and nutrients used are all conventional agricultural products, readily available and cost-effective. The spraying method is suitable for both manual and mechanical operations, and can be widely applied to small-scale backyard planting and large-scale goji berry demonstration gardens. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] Figure 1 A timeline of pest damage to wolfberry plants provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To address the problems of indiscriminate pest control, excessive pesticide use, and lack of focus in agricultural pest control in existing technologies, the inventors conducted a detailed analysis of the life cycles and damage cycles of existing pests in the local area. They meticulously recorded the life cycles, feeding characteristics, living spaces, and survival times of various pests (see Table 1), and based on this, summarized the individual or collective damage periods of the pests (see Table 2). Figure 1 ).

[0017] Table 1. Characteristics of pests affecting wolfberry plants ; ; ; Research has found that: 1. Psyllids, gall mites, aphids, leafhoppers, thrips, and leafhoppers are all pests that collectively damage wolfberry trees, rarely causing damage individually. All pests require air, water, temperature, food, living space, and survival time to survive; none can be lacking. However, under field cultivation conditions, cutting off air and water, or applying extremely low or high temperatures, is impossible, and even if achieved, it would harm the wolfberry trees. Therefore, the only effective methods are to deprive pests of food, reduce their living space, and shorten their lifespan. Any method that achieves these effects is effective.

[0018] 2. Determine the living space and time of various pests affecting wolfberry plants. (1) Overwintering sites Aphid eggs overwinter on wolfberry trees. Wolfberry thrips primarily overwinter as adults in bark cracks, dead branches and fallen leaves, soil crevices, or surrounding weeds. Wolfberry leafhoppers overwinter as adults in field surface crevices, under fallen leaves, bark cracks, or soil crevices on field ridges. Large green leafhoppers overwinter as eggs within the bark of branches of woody plants such as wolfberry, fruit trees, and forest trees. Wolfberry psyllids overwinter as adults in dead branches, fallen leaves, and bark crevices of wolfberry plants. Wolfberry gall mites overwinter in the cavity between the thorax and abdomen of adult wolfberry psyllids. In autumn, numerous gall mites can be seen crawling on branches, indicating that they have begun to detach from the gall. They attach themselves to wolfberry psyllids before leaf fall in October, and begin to detach themselves after bud break in April of the following year, thus causing damage within the gall throughout the entire wolfberry growing season.

[0019] Common overwintering habitats for pests include: wolfberry trees, dead branches and fallen leaves, soil crevices, surrounding weeds, and field ridges.

[0020] (2) Survival time In early March, adult psyllids began to become active in Jiuquan City.

[0021] At the end of March, psyllids mainly damage branches, and their habitat is the tree trunk in the wolfberry orchard.

[0022] From the end of March to the end of June, psyllids, gall mites, leaf miners, and thrips cause damage at various stages, including adult psyllids, eggs, and nymphs; gall mite eggs, nymphs, and adults; leaf miners; thrips eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults; and aphid eggs, nymphs, and adults. Overlapping generations of these insects cause severe damage.

[0023] From the end of July to the end of September, psyllids, gall mites, aphids, and leafhoppers cause mixed damage.

[0024] Based on these studies, existing control technologies have been comprehensively reviewed and technological innovations have been made. According to the characteristics, damage cycles, and severity of each pest, a control strategy has been formed with the control of wolfberry gall mites as the core and the control of psyllids and aphids as the focus. The strategy integrates control measures that closely cooperate to reduce food, squeeze living space, and shorten survival time. At the same time, the technologies such as optimizing control drugs, adding plant growth regulators, and nutrient solutions have been optimized. The control method established in this way is suitable for local conditions, highly targeted, has obvious control interaction effects, and uses less pesticides. It can effectively improve the overall control effect of wolfberry pests and achieve the goal of zero pesticide residues.

[0025] Specifically, based on the life cycle, damage cycle, and survival characteristics of the main pests of wolfberry in the local area, this invention provides a seven-step integrated pest management method for wolfberry diseases and pests, implemented seasonally. This method includes pruning and orchard sanitation, phased application of compound pesticide solutions, and a combination of insecticidal, stress-resistant, and nutrient-supplementing measures. The optimized formulation achieves a closed-loop control system. The specific steps include: (1) In mid-February, the wolfberry plants were shaped and pruned to ensure that the wolfberry garden was well-ventilated and well-lit. At the same time, weeds, garbage and pruned branches were thoroughly cleaned up in the wolfberry garden and within a 3m radius around it to achieve initial control of pests and diseases.

[0026] based on Figure 1 The diagram shows the individual or collective damage time of pests, and given the idea of ​​preventing pests in advance, the prevention and control work begins with pruning and weeding around the plant. By reducing food sources and squeezing out living space, the initial control of pests and diseases is achieved.

[0027] In practical applications, shaping and pruning mainly involves removing diseased, weak, overly dense, and crossing branches to ensure unobstructed ventilation and light penetration within the canopy of the wolfberry tree. The length of the pruned branches should be controlled between 5-15cm to facilitate subsequent material collection and processing.

[0028] Step (1) also includes: returning the collected materials to the field after crushing, fermentation, high-temperature insecticidal treatment, or burning for insecticidal treatment, to achieve resource reuse. In practical applications, the specific conditions for crushing and fermentation can be: crushing the collected materials to a particle size of 2-5cm, adding 10-15% of the material weight of microbial composting agent, controlling the fermentation environment temperature to be maintained at 55-65℃, and the fermentation cycle to be 7-10 days, to ensure that the insect eggs and pathogens in the materials are completely killed through high temperature.

[0029] (2) In early March, spray lime sulfur solution at 5 Baume degrees evenly on the surface of wolfberry plants and garden to kill overwintering eggs and adults and reduce the base number of overwintering pests and diseases.

[0030] (3) In mid-March, during the budding period of wolfberry, spray the wolfberry branches and budding parts with a mixture of 2500-3000 times dilution of spirotetramat and 5000-7000 times dilution of Bihu.

[0031] Among them, Bihu mainly enhances the plant's resistance to stress, while spirotetramat inhibits insect development. It is used alternately with flufenoxuron, lambda-cyhalothrin, or chlorantraniliprole to prevent pests from developing resistance. In practical applications, the alternating application cycle is 7-10 days. Each spraying should control the amount of pesticide used to ensure even coverage of the wolfberry branches, both sides of the leaves, and the surface of the garden, leaving no blind spots.

[0032] (4) In early May, spray the whole plant of wolfberry with a mixture of sodium nitrophenolate 5000 times, abamectin 3000-5000 times, spirotetramat 2500-3000 times and 3‰ urea to kill pests and diseases, enhance plant resistance and supplement nutrition.

[0033] Among them, sodium phenolate enhances the resistance of wolfberry, urea increases the nitrogen nutrition of wolfberry, and abamectin and spirotetramat kill gall mites, psyllids, aphids, leaf beetles, thrips eggs, nymphs, larvae, and adults. In practical applications, abamectin in the form of an emulsifiable concentrate with a content of 1.8% is selected. The best time to spray is on sunny days between 9-11 am or after 4 pm, avoiding the midday high temperature and strong sunlight period to prevent degradation of the efficacy and scorching of the plants.

[0034] (5) In early June, spray the whole plant of wolfberry with a mixture of 5000 times dilution of Bihu, 2000-3000 times dilution of flonicamid and 2500 times dilution of abamectin to enhance the plant’s resistance and kill pests such as aphids and psyllids.

[0035] Among them, Bihu mainly enhances plant resistance to stress, flonicamid kills aphids, and abamectin-lufenuron kills psyllids, gall mites, thrips, and other insect eggs, larvae, and adults, inhibiting pest development. In practical applications, abamectin-lufenuron is a compound emulsifiable concentrate formulation of abamectin and lufenuron, with a weight ratio of abamectin to lufenuron of 1:3-1:5, which improves the killing effect on multiple pest life stages.

[0036] (6) In early August, spray the whole plant of wolfberry and the surface of the garden with a mixture of sodium nitrophenolate 5000 times, high-efficiency cypermethrin 2000-3000 times, imidacloprid or thiamethoxam 2000-2500 times and 5‰ white sugar to broaden the insecticidal spectrum and improve the efficacy and plant nutrition supply.

[0037] Among them, sodium phenolate enhances the resistance of wolfberries and the effectiveness of pesticides, while white sugar can serve as both bait and increase the nutritional value of wolfberries. A 2000-3000 times dilution of high-efficiency cypermethrin combined with imidacloprid / thiamethoxam simultaneously controls both piercing-sucking pests (aphids, planthoppers) and chewing pests, broadening the insecticidal spectrum. In practical applications, food-grade white sugar should be used. First, completely dissolve the white sugar in room temperature water, then thoroughly mix it with the pesticide solution before spraying. If it rains within 4 hours of spraying, re-spray immediately to ensure the control effect.

[0038] (7) At the end of October, a comprehensive cleaning of the wolfberry garden was carried out. After removing diseased plant debris and weeds, a 5 Baume degree lime sulfur mixture was sprayed evenly on the wolfberry plants and the surface of the garden to complete the closed loop of pest and disease control before overwintering.

[0039] It should be noted that the focus of this invention is on the prevention and control of diseases and pests of wolfberry at different time periods. Apart from this, normal management can be carried out in accordance with local conventional planting practices.

[0040] Scientific theoretical foundation In the above-mentioned integrated pest management method for wolfberry diseases and pests, the three aspects of enhancing tree resistance, squeezing out pest space, and shortening pest life are closely coordinated. Bihu and sodium phenolate enhance wolfberry resistance and increase pesticide effectiveness, while urea and white sugar supplement tree nutrition and act as bait. Lime sulfur, flufenoxuron, spirotetramat kill eggs, cypermethrin, abamectin, and flonicamid kill by contact, while chlorantraniliprole and lufenuron stunt pest development and shorten their lifespan.

[0041] Basic technical matters To achieve better prevention and control effects, the following basic technical matters need to be noted during the specific implementation of this invention: 1. The control period should be extended. Pruning and cleaning the orchard should be carried out in February. In early March, control of adult psyllids and destruction of gall mite eggs should begin. From March to August, contact killing of larvae and adults should be carried out. In October, the orchard should be cleaned up to reduce insect eggs and destroy their overwintering environment.

[0042] 2. Thoroughly eliminate pest habitats and prune trees appropriately.

[0043] 3. Use fewer applications of pesticides and use a comprehensive range of pesticides. The application of pesticides should involve a combination of plant growth regulators, nutrients, ovicidal and insecticidal agents.

[0044] 4. Focus on cultivating the tree's resistance to adverse conditions.

[0045] Practical Cases Option 1: An experiment was launched in 2025 at the Lycium barbarum resource nursery of the Forestry and Grassland Science Research Institute of the Jiuquan City Forestry and Fruit Service Center. Results showed that control measures, including spraying lime sulfur and two applications of contact pesticide in mid-February, did not result in damage until the summer fruit harvest at the end of July. After a single pesticide spray in mid-August, the autumn fruit remained clean. 603 test results passed Eurostat analysis, and a test report is available.

[0046] Option 2: In 2025, a 30-mu demonstration plot in Bulongji Village, Guazhou County, was sprayed with pesticides twice, in early March and early May. After another pesticide spraying in mid-June, some psyllids and aphids only appeared from mid-August. After spraying again in late August, the autumn fruit remained clean until October. Test reports are available.

[0047] Option 3: In 2025, 30 mu of land in the Dongshunyuan Demonstration Garden in Yumen City was sprayed with pesticides twice, in early March and early May. After spraying pesticides again in mid-June, some psyllids and aphids did not appear until mid-August. After spraying pesticides again in mid-to-late August, the autumn fruits remained clean until October. Test reports are available.

[0048] Furthermore, the technical solutions involved in this invention are supported by the Gansu Provincial Science and Technology Plan Key Research and Development Project, Project No.: 26YFNF001; and the Jiuquan Municipal Science and Technology Plan Major Project, Project No.: 2024DA2001.

[0049] The technical solution provided by this invention has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to this invention without departing from the principles of this invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for integrated pest management of wolfberry diseases and pests, characterized in that, include: (1) In mid-February, the wolfberry plants were shaped and pruned to ensure that the wolfberry garden as a whole had good ventilation and light. At the same time, weeds, garbage and pruned branches were thoroughly cleaned up in the wolfberry garden and within a 3m radius around it to achieve initial control of pests and diseases. (2) In early March, spray lime sulfur solution at 5 Baume degrees evenly on the surface of wolfberry plants and garden to kill overwintering eggs and adults and reduce the base number of overwintering pests and diseases. (3) In mid-March, during the budding period of wolfberry, spray the wolfberry branches and budding parts with a mixture of 2500-3000 times dilution of spirotetramat and 5000-7000 times dilution of Bihu. (4) In early May, spray the whole plant of wolfberry with a mixture of sodium nitrophenolate 5000 times, abamectin 3000-5000 times, spirotetramat 2500-3000 times and 3‰ urea to kill pests and diseases, enhance plant resistance and supplement nutrition. (5) In early June, spray the whole plant of wolfberry with a mixture of 5000 times dilution of Bihu, 2000-3000 times dilution of flonicamid and 2500 times dilution of abamectin and chlorfenapyr to enhance the plant’s resistance and kill pests such as aphids and psyllids. (6) In early August, spray the whole plant of wolfberry and the surface of the garden with a mixture of sodium nitrophenolate 5000 times, high-efficiency cypermethrin 2000-3000 times, imidacloprid or thiamethoxam 2000-2500 times and 5‰ white sugar to broaden the insecticidal spectrum and improve the efficacy and plant nutrition supply. (7) At the end of October, a comprehensive cleaning of the wolfberry garden was carried out. After removing diseased plant debris and weeds, a 5 Baume degree lime sulfur mixture was sprayed evenly on the wolfberry plants and the surface of the garden to complete the closed loop of pest and disease control before overwintering.

2. The integrated pest management method for wolfberry diseases and pests according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shaping and pruning described in step (1) mainly involves removing diseased, weak, overly dense, and crossing branches to ensure that the inner canopy of the wolfberry tree is well-ventilated and has unobstructed light transmission. The length of the pruned branches should be controlled between 5-15cm to facilitate subsequent material collection and processing.

3. The integrated pest management method for wolfberry diseases and pests according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Step (1) also includes returning the collected materials to the field after crushing, fermenting, high-temperature insecticidal treatment or burning insecticidal treatment.

4. The integrated pest management method for wolfberry diseases and pests according to claim 3, characterized in that, The specific conditions for the crushing and fermentation are as follows: crush the collected material to a particle size of 2-5cm, add 10-15% of the material weight of microbial composting agent, control the fermentation environment temperature to be maintained at 55-65℃, and the fermentation cycle is 7-10 days to ensure that the insect eggs and pathogens in the material are completely killed by high temperature.

5. The integrated pest management method for wolfberry diseases and pests according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (3), the mixture is applied alternately with flufenoxuron, lambda-cyhalothrin, or chlorantraniliprole to prevent pests from developing resistance.

6. The integrated pest management method for wolfberry diseases and pests according to claim 5, characterized in that, The alternating application cycle is 7-10 days. Each time you spray, control the amount of pesticide solution to ensure that the solution evenly covers the wolfberry branches, the front and back of the leaves, and the surface of the garden, leaving no dead corners.

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