Pests of Grapes

The most important pests of Grapes  farming in India are:-

1.Stem grilder: Sthenias grisator

Symptoms of damage:

• Wilting of branches and then the entire vine.

Identification of pest:

• Grub – Head is dark brown colour, a pair of strong mandibles.
• Adult – Medium sized, grey coloured with a white spot in the centre of each elytra.

Management:

• Remove loose bark at the time of pruning to prevent egg laying

• Collect and destroy damaged plant parts

• Swab trunk with carbaryl 50 WP 2g/ lit

• Spray application of and following insecticides

  • phosalone 35 EC 0.07%
  • quinalphos 25 EC 0.05%
  • carbaryl 50 WP  0.1%, first round immediately after pruning and repeat it 2-3 times

   

2.Flea beetle: Scelodonta strigicollis 

Symptoms of damage:

• Caused two type of damages
• Larvae and adults feed on the upper and lower leaf surfaces – leaf injury
• Adult feed on swollen grape buds
• Chew holes in the sides of the newly developing grape buds
• Small holes on tender leaves by adult
• Root damage by grub

Identification of pest:

• Adult – Reddish brown, shiny with six spots on elytra
• Grub – brown in colour and black colour head

Management:

• Remove the loose bark at the time of pruning  to prevent egg laying
• Shake vines to dislodge adult beetles
• Collect into trays containing kerosenated water and destroy them
• Insecticide: phosalone 35 EC 0.07%  after pruning

 

3.Thrips

Symptoms of damage:

• The presence of silvery white scorchy patches on the leaves.
• Veins without fruits
• Premature fruit drop

Identification of pest:

• Nymphs – yellowish brown colour and red colour abdomen
• Adult – Black, brownish abdomen and yellowish wings

Management:

• Collect and destroy damaged leaves, fruits and flowers
• Insecticides: methyl demeton 25 EC  0.05% or Dimethoate 30 EC 0.06%

 

4.Mealy bug: Ferrisia virgata

 

Symptoms of damage:

• Premature dropping of fruit.

Identification of pest:

• Nymph – Yellowish to pale white.
• Adult – long, slender covered with white waxy secretions

Management:

• Debark vines and branches and apply methyl parathion paste
• Collect damaged bark, leaves, twigs and stems
• Use sticky traps  on fruit – bearing shoots at a length of 5 cm
• Use dichlorvos 76 WSC 0.15% in combination with fish oil rosin soap (25g/lit)
• Insecticides
  • Dimethoate 30 EC plus kerosene oil at 150 ml plus 250 ml in 100 ml of water
  • Apply quinalphos dust in the soil at 25 kg/ ha to kill ants
  • Release exotic predator, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri @ ten beetles/vine
  • Field release of parasitoids – Anagrus dactylopii, Gyanusoidea mirzai

 

5.Mealy bug: Maconellicoccus hirsutus

Symptoms of damage:

• Nymphs and adults suck the sap from leaves, shoots, and fruits
• Honeydew – development of sooty mould on leaves, shoots and branches
• Crinkling and yellowing of leaves
• Rotting of berries

Identification of pest:

• Nymph – pinkish in colour.
• Adult – pink colour and covered with white wax

Management:

• Apply quinalphos dust in the soil @ 20 kg/ha to kill the ants.
• Spray methyl demeton 25 EC or monocrotophos 36 WSC at the rate of 2 ml/lit of water
• Spray dichlorvos 76 WSC at the rate of 1 ml/lit with fish oil rosin soap at 25 g/lit.
• Release Coccinellid beetle, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri at the rate of 10 per vine.

 

6.Berry plume moth: Oxyptilus regulus 

Symptoms of damage:

• Early instar larvae web the flower buds
• Matured larvae attack bunch of fruit
• Caterpillar bore into green berry fruit and tunneling
• Feeds on internal content
• Affected berries – known as “stung berries.”

Identification of pest:

• Larva – Small, pale green or pink with the median red line.
• Adult – Small moth.

Management:

• Collect and destroy the infested leaves and buried with soil
• Summer ploughing – kill the pupae
• Use pheromone trap to attract male and kill the adult
• Spot application of bubrofezin and acetemprid for effective manage this pest

 

Source-

• TamilNadu Agritech Portal.