Major pests of Peach are:-
1.San jose scale: Qudraspidiotus perniciosus
Symptoms of damage:
- San Jose scales cause injury by feeding on twigs, branches, and fruit; they may also inject salivary toxins while feeding.
- Heavy populations on the bark can cause gumming and kill twigs, branches, and entire trees if left uncontrolled.
- A characteristic, red halolike discoloration often forms around the insect on small twigs or infested fruit.
- Fruit with haloes will be culled because of its unsightly appearance.
Identification of pest:
- Female scale is yellowish orange, round, slightly convex and raised a little at the center with a black pustule
- Males are small and more linear shape
Management:
- Select nursery stock free from scale infestation
- Spray application of systemic insecticides like phosalone 0.05% and methyl demeton 0.025%
- Field release of coccinellid predators like Chilocorus nigritus and parasitoid, Encarsia perniosi
2.Green peach aphid: Myzus persicae
Symptoms of damage:
- Nymph and adults suck the sap from leaves, new shoots, fruits and flower buds
- Infested leaves become pitted and curled
- Young fruits are shriveled and drop prematurely
- Fruit setting affected in severe infestation
- Its transmits plum pox virus
Identification of pest:
- Adults are pale yellowish-green or pink with three dark lines on the back of an abdomen
Management:
- Remove and destroy the damaged plant parts along with nymphs and adults
- Encourage parasitoid, Aphelinus mali and predators, Coccinella septumpunctata and Bacillus eucharis
- Spray dimethoate 0.03% or methyl demeton 0.025%
3.Peach borer: Sphenoptera lafertei
Symptoms of damage:
- Beetle feed on leaves
- Young grubs bore into and feed on bark and make irregular galleries
- Gum globules appear at the points of entrance on bark
Management:
- Collect and destroy the damaged shoots and branches
- Swab trunk with carbaryl 50 WP at 0.2%
- Spray malathion 0.1% .
- Field release of some natural enemies like gray field ant, Formica aerata, chalcid wasps, Copidosoma(=Paralitomastix) varicornis and Hyperteles lividus,
- Spray application of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) products have been effective if applied when larvae are first noticed and before they tunnel into twigs, buds or fruit.
- Spray application of following insecticides
| Timing | Product |
| pink (peach) | Azinphos-methyl (Guthion or Sniper 50WP) or phosmet (Imidan 50%WP) |
| petal-fall (peach and apricot) | Thiodan, Guthion, Sniper, Imidan |
| petal-fall (peach only) | Deltamethrin (Decis 5 EC) |
| husk-fall (apricot) | Thiodan,Guthion, Sniper or Imidan |
| summer (apricot and peach) | Thiodan,Guthion, Sniper, or Imidan |
Source-
- TamilNadu Agritech Portal
