Grape mite: methods of fighting

Grapes are susceptible to various bacterial, viral and fungal diseases. In addition, it is damaged by various pests. On average, the annual loss of grapes due to diseases and pests is about 30%, and in case of poor or untimely carrying out of the necessary protective measures - and more than 40-50%. In this article, we will talk about pests such as mites.

Grape felt felt tick: general information

On grape plants can parasitize up to 70 different species of mites, but the most common of these is the grape itch. It is practically impossible to distinguish it with the naked eye. Felted grapes of zygom refers to one of the representatives of the four-legged mites. You can meet it almost everywhere, where grapes are cultivated. Lives mainly on leaves, rarely on inflorescences.

Morphology

The body of an adult female is a worm-like cylindrical form. Color - milky white or yellowish. The length is 0.17-0.21 mm. The male is slightly smaller - up to 0.14 mm. The pest shield is triangular with a set of longitudinal lines. There are several setae on the posterior part of the scute. On the abdomen there are many rings with microscopic thorns.

Biology

The females hibernate, hiding in the cracks of the bark, under the scales of the kidneys, in the fallen leaves. In one kidney, about 1,000 ticks can sometimes be found. In the spring, when the opening of the eyes begins, they come into activity and migrate. Pests are carried by the wind, birds and insects.

During the growth of shoots, the mites move to the opening leaves, stick to them from the lower side and begin to actively feed. The substances present in the saliva of the grape pest cause active cell division and deformation of the leaves tissues. Under the influence of enzymes that emit the itch, in the foci of their most active feeding on the leaves there are concave oval areas covered with a white thick felt layer. Accordingly, on the upper side of the sheet one can observe convexities.

In the case of mass reproduction, the grape mite affects a significant part of the leaves on the bush, which change color and become red-brown. The growth of leaves is disturbed, photosynthesis is reduced, some of them wither and die, while the development of the bush of grapes as a whole is oppressed. If the infestation affects the inflorescence, the petals become denser, begin to turn red and crumble.

If you do not actively fight with grape itching, then it can lead to a strong decline in yield. To give preference to grape varieties that are more resistant to felt felt.

Zuchin on grapes: measures of struggle

In the case of finding single nests of ticks on 1 or 2 leaves, they can simply be torn off and carried for the territory of the vineyard. With the defeat of a large number of leaves without a purposeful and active struggle with these pests simply can not do. Do not cut off all the affected grape leaves, as this can cause much more damage to the bush than it is caused by ticks.

Inexperienced viticulturists often try to fight pests with such a universal means as the Bordeaux mixture, but the result of such measures is zero, because it is a fungicide, capable of coping well only with plant diseases.

What to do if there is an itch on the grapes? Control measures in it are as follows:

• After the fall foliage, it is recommended that the head, sleeves and vine of each bush be carefully sprinkled with 5% calcareous decoction. In case this is not done in the autumn period, in the spring, before bud blossoming, the vineyard is sprayed with 7% emulsion of carbolenium.
• In early spring, until the buds are blossoming, a good result can be sprayed with a solution of "Dnok".
• When shoots reach 5 cm, you can use such a means from a grape tick, like colloidal sulfur.
• In the case of a massive outbreak of ticks (more than 5 individuals per sheet) in summer, pest control is performed by insecticacaricides and acaricides.
• During the vegetation period, the struggle with grape mites can be carried out with the help of "Phosphamide", "Fozalon", "Plytkrana", "Omita", "Talstar", "Mitaka", "Apollo", "Ortus", etc.

When processing grape leaves, one thing should be considered. The drug should be applied to the leaves only from the bottom. This is done as follows: the atomizer nozzle is placed at the very surface of the earth and gradually lifted up, treating the inside of the affected leaves. Only in this way you can get to the pest. Top-processing is ineffective. The effectiveness of spraying can be judged by the absence of damage on new leaves. Sometimes it is sufficient to carry out one treatment, but as a rule 2-3 are necessary to finally kill the tick on the grape leaves.

In the traditional literature, organophosphorus pesticides are recommended. However, many grape mites have already developed immunity to this group of chemicals. If you increase the dose, it will have a bad effect on the plant and on the suitability for eating the crop.
A good alternative is the drug "Envidor" based on spirodiclofen. It is not so toxic to humans and yet effective against ticks.
In addition, it is possible to use avermectin group preparations, especially when no more than 20-30 days are left before harvesting.

Agrotechnical methods of struggle

When a tick of a felt grape appeared on the plant, agrotechnical measures should be applied: timely remove the scraps of vines and old leaves, clean the stems and sleeves from the old bark.

Web Grape Clamp

This grape tick is more dangerous than the itch, as when it appears, leaves die quickly. He settles on the underside of the leaf, punctures his skin and sucks the juice. First, yellow spots appear at the points of punctures, which, expanding, merge into large spots. On the upper side, the leaf turns yellow or brown, depending on the type of grapes. With a massive population of mites in early July, the leaves gradually begin to die, which largely affects the yield.

A spider mite secretes saliva, which turns into a thin web. In it are eggs laid by females, and young larvae. Hibernation pests under the bark of perennial sleeves of grapes. Lay eggs and eat when they start budding. Spider webs multiply massively and quickly enough. One female can postpone up to 100 eggs in 10 days. With pest-friendly weather, it is possible to develop up to 7 or 8 generations during the growing season.

Due to the small size and weight, the tick can be carried by the wind. The fight against the pest is very difficult because of the protective web. In addition, the processing of grapes is inconvenient because of the location of the mites on the underside of the leaf.

Methods of fighting a spider mite

The methods of fighting are the same as in the case of a felt mite, but more frequent spraying intervals are needed. In addition, it is not recommended to plant ornamental flowers next to the grapes , because spider mites often settle on them, which will necessarily pass to the vine.

Grape kidney mite

It can be found in almost every zone of viticulture. Females hibernate in the ocelli at the base of the scales, on the rudimentary leaves of the main and replacing kidneys. The time of activation and the beginning of feeding of ticks is during the spring sap move, when the average daily air temperature is 7-8 degrees Celsius. The appearance of eggs occurs in the first half of May.

Leaf tick

This grape tick is most often found in the southern areas of viticulture. Females hibernate in the cracks of the cortex and under the scales of the kidneys. Activated at an average air temperature of 7-8 degrees and migrate to young leaves. For vegetation can develop from 5 to 11 generations.