IPM Stratergies for Peach

Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Peach Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Magnesium Sulphur Iron Manganese IPM for Peach ...

Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Peach

1. Nitrogen
2. Phosphorus
3. Potassium
4. Magnesium
5. Sulphur
6. Iron
7. Manganese
8. IPM for Peach

Nitrogen

Stunted growth of plants with pale green to light yellow color (chlorosis) appearing first on older leaves. Depending on the severity of deficiency, the chlorosis results in the drying and dropping of the older leaves.

Correction Measure: Foliar spray of Urea @ 1-2 % at fortnightly intervals.

Phosphorus

Symptoms appear on older leaves. The leaves are small and narrow with purplish or bronze discolouration. Leaves develop necrotic areas and fall off.

Correction Measure: Foliar spray of DAP @ 2%

Potassium

Chlorosis along the edges of leaves (leaf margin scorching) occurs first in older leaves. Plants deficient in K will have weak stems with slow and stunted growth. The size and quality of fruits produces are poor which leading to reduced yield.

Correction Measure: Foliar spray of KCl @1-2%.

Magnesium

Yellowish blotch near the base of leaf, midrib and the outer edge. The leaves become entirely yellow and defoliate.

Correction Measure: Foliar spray of MgSO₄ @ 1-2%.

Sulphur

Younger leaves are chlorotic with evenly, light coloured veins. Plant growth is retarded and maturity is delayed. Plant stems are stiff, thin and woody. Symptoms may be similar to N deficiency and are most often found in sandy soils.

Correction Measure: Soil application of gypsum @100kg/ acre.

Iron

Thin and smaller younger leaves with interveinal chlorosis. Green tinge at the base of mid rib. Later the leaves become pale or whitish and shed, older leaves remain green, fruits coarse light coloured.

Correction Measure: Foliar spray of FeSO₄ @ 0.5%.

Manganese

Symptoms first appear as chlorosis in young tissues. Unlike iron chlorosis symptoms, Mn chlorosis shows up as tiny yellow spots.

Correction Measure: Foliar spray of MnSO₄ @ 1% at fortnightly interval.

IPM for Peach

To know the IPM practices for Peach, click here.

Source: NIPHM, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

 

3.04   

 

46 ratings and

Peach Beneficial Insects

1. Parasitoids
1. Egg parasitoids
2. Egg-larval parasitoid
3. Larval parasitoids
4. Pupal parasitoid
5. Nymphal larval and adult parasitoids
2. Predators
3. IPM for Peach

Natural Enemies of Peach Insect Pests

Parasitoids

Egg parasitoids

Egg-larval parasitoid

Larval parasitoids

Pupal parasitoid

Nymphal larval and adult parasitoids

Predators

IPM for Peach

To know the IPM practices for Peach, click here.

Source: NIPHM, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

 

2.9   

 

31 ratings and

Peach Crop Stage Wise IPM

1. Pre- planting
2. Planting
3. Vegetative stage
4. Flowering stage
5. Fruiting stage

Management	Activity
Pre- planting
	Common cultural practices: Deep ploughing of fields during summer. Field sanitation, rogueing Use resistant/tolerant varieties. Grow the attractant, repellent plants around the field bunds. Apply manures and fertilizers as per soil test recommendations
Nutrients	Nutrient should be applied on the basis of soil test report and recommendation for the particular agro-climatic zone. Prepare land by ploughing and harrowing. The pits are dug in summer about a fortnight before planting and left undisturbed for solarization. Pits of about 1m x 1m x 1m size are dug at a distance of 4 to 5 meter in square system of planting. Under high density planting pits may be dug at a spacing of 4m x 1m.
Weeds	Ploughing, harrowing, leveling and removing the weeds before planting.
Termite	Cultural control: Digging of termatoria and destroy the queen. Mechanical control: Locate and destroy the termite colony. Collect and destroy the termite affected setts from the field.
Planting
	Common cultural practices: Use healthy and certified plants Grow resistant/tolerant varieties Plant early maturing cultivars i.e, Prabhat, Partap, Florda Prince, Early Grande, Flordasun and Shan-e-Punjab for fruit fly. Irrigation should be done by ring method to reduce possibility of collar rot Avoid plating in low-lying areas and flooding. Do not delay irrigation until the crop exhibits moisture stress symptoms. Common mechanical practices: Remove and destroy the diseased orchard.
Nutrients	Planting is done in pits already filled with top soil and organic manure during the months of December- January. Mycorrhiza culture should be applied at the time of planting or a basket of soil taken from old peach orchard is added to each pit to ensure mycorrhizal association with peach roots. At the time of planting, manures and fertilizers are applied @ 50 Kg FYM or compost, 20 g N + 15 g P + 15 g K per plant.
Weeds	Use weed free seedlings for planting. Remove existing weeds in and around the pits at the time of planting. During the initial 2-4 years, grow the intercrop like pea, bean, soybean, and cowpea.
Soil borne diseases and nematodes	Resistant varieties Use healthy infestation-free plants. Application of neem cake @ 80 Kg/acre for nematode control.
Application of Trichoderma harzianum / viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens for treatment of seed/seedling/planting materials in the nurseries and field application (if commercial products are used, check for label claim. However, biopesticides produced by farmers for own consumption in their fields, registration is not required).
Vegetative stage
	Common cultural practices: Deep summer ploughing between the rows. Timely irrigation Avoid water logging Enhance parasitic activity by avoiding chemical spray, when 1- 2 larval parasitoids are observed Common mechanical practices: Remove and destroy alternate wild hosts and weeds Remove and destroy the dead hearts along with larvae Installation of light trap @ 1/ acre Prune and burn all attacked shoot and branches. Common biological practices: Conserve natural enemies through ecological engineering Augmentative release of natural enemies
Nutrients	Apply fertilizers according to the age of plant @ 20 g N + 15 g P + 15 g K per plant in first year and doubling the dose each year till a stabilised dose is reached at 6th years. Apply manures @ 50kg per plant in Dec.- January every year along with full dose of P and K. The fertilizers should be applied in 20-30 cm deep and 30cms wide trench along the drip line of the tree.
Weeds	Deep ploughing during the first year to check weed growth. Tool weeding on regular basis especially around the plants. Frequent tilling/ploughing up to 10 cm depth during winter. To suppress the weeds between rows, leguminous crops and vegetables can be grown as intercrops in the initial years. Use slashing and moving between the rows to control the weeds.
Stem borer	Cultural control: Keep orchard clean and healthy. Clean hole and insert cotton wool soaked in emulsion of kerosene or petrol in each hole and plug them with mud. Mechanical control: Follow common mechanical practices as stated above
Peach tree borer	Mechanical control: Follow common mechanical control
Defoliating beetles	Mechanical control: Use of plastic-lined trenches, propane flamers and vacuums.
Hairy caterpillar	Cultural control: Irrigate once to avoid prolonged mid-season drought. Mechanical control: Dig the pit of 1 inch depth between the fields & dust to kill the larvae in pits.
Peach Leaf curl, aphid	Cultural control: In the early stages, wash away the aphids with a sharp spray of water from a hose pipe. Put on a pair of gloves and crush them between your fingers. Prune curled leaves and destroy them. Biological control: Sprays based on natural pyrethrum/pyrethrins Conserve predators such as lacewing and ladybird beetle. Companion Planting - Plant yellow/orange nasturtium around the base of fruit trees to attract aphids and lure them away, or alternatively repel aphids by planting strong smelling herbs such as chives, garlic, marigold, and tansy under your trees. Chemical control: Spray oxydemeton – methyl 25% EC @13320 gm/acre Spray carbofuran 3% CG @600-800ml diluted in 600-800 l of water/acre
Apricot brown scale	Biological Control: Conserve parasites such as Coccophagus, Encyrtus, and Metaphycus spp. Parasitized nymphs are almost black and have convex covers; unparasitized nymphs are flat.
San Jose scale	Cultural control: Grow attractant plants for natural enemies: viz., sunflower family, carrot family plants and buckwheat Mechanical control: See the common mechanical control Biological control: Parasitoids such as Encarsia perniciosi and Aphytis diaspidis cause effective parasitization. Coccinellid predators such as Chilocorus infernalis, Chilocorus rubidus, Pharoscymnus flexibilis
Green peach aphid & Peach black aphid	Cultural control: Abiotic factors such as rain and wind reduce aphid infestations. Prune curled leaves or new shoots and dispose them. Adopt the ecological engineering strategy by planting the attractant and repellent plants. Biological control: Conserve the natural enemies such as Aphidius spp., Aphelinus sp., Syrphid flies, rove beetle, aphid midge, predatory thrips, damsel bug, green lace wing, ladybird beetle and Braconid wasp.
Tent Caterpillar	Mechanical control: Egg mass covered with yellowish hair are collected and destroyed (between August-March). Put a burlap at the base of tree trunk to destroy the larvae underneath the burlap
Leaf roller	Cultural control: Delay dormant treatments and bloom time applications for other pests help keep leaf roller populations under control. Regular monitoring each season is important so that prompt action can be taken. Biological control Conserve parasites such as Macrocentrus, Apanteles and Exochus attack leaf roller larvae. Conserve predators such as lacewings, assassin bugs, and minute pirate bugs.
Green capsid	Mechanical control: Grow rootstock suckers, especially at the edges of orchards where the pest is removed.
	Cultural control: See the common cultural practices Mechanical control: See the common mechanical practices
Root borer, Consperse sting bug	Follow common cultural and mechanical practices.
Blossom thrips	Cultural control: See common cultural practices Biological control: Conserve coccinellids, anthocorids, lygaeid, predatory thrips etc. for controlling blossom thrips
Chaffer beetle	Mechanical control: Removing the rose chafer beetle from the plants mechanically Place them in a bucket of soap water to kill them once removed from the plant. Drench the soil with insect parasitic nematodes to kill the larvae.
Plum lake worm	Mechanical control: The young caterpillars can be manually killed as they collect on the underside of leaves or crawl down on the tree trunks at night. Kill these caterpillars before sunrise early in the morning
Frosty mildew	Cultural control: Spraying at full bloom needs to be avoided. Alkathene bands cleaned at regular interval Mechanical control: Prune diseased leaves and malformed panicles harbouring the pathogen to reduce primary inoculum load.
Leaf curl	Mechanical control: To maintain tree vigor by thinning more fruit than normal, reducing drought stress with irrigation. Chemical control: Spray lime sulphur @ 0.8 - 2 lit/acre
Leaf spot	Cultural control: Proper irrigation with drip or micro sprinklers Improved tree nutrition [nitrogen, etc.) reduce the disease incidence. Avoid heavy tree pruning during the dormant period Sandy soils and in some heavy soils, control has been achieved with pre-plant fumigation.
Shot hole	Cultural control: Buds can be protected from shot hole during the dormant season (mid-November to mid-December) by a fungicide application before the long winter rains begin.
Powdery mildew	Cultural control: Spraying at full bloom needs to be avoided. Alkathene bands cleaned at regular interval Mechanical control: Prune diseased leaves and malformed panicles harbouring the pathogen to reduce primary inoculum load. Chemical control: Spray lime sulphur @ 0.8 - 2 lit/acre
Silver canker	Cultural control: Pruning is carried out during periods of dry weather between harvest and leaf fall. Before pruning it is good orchard practice to clean up any dead wood which may be lying around the orchard environment.
White root rot	Remove and destroy white root infested plants. All roots, litter and debris from infected plants must also be removed and destroyed. Creating a trench with a shovel around infected areas prevent water runoff from distributing the fungal pathogen to nearby plants. Preparing the soil before planting with soil solarisation.
Peach rust	Cultural control: Angle sprinklers and drip irrigation reduces disease incidence.
Collar rot	Cultural control: Pruning diseased wood, removing fruit mummies facilitates light penetration and air circulation. Good soil drainage and more frequent but shorter irrigations reduce root and crown rot. Biological control Use of biopesticides like Trichoderma spp., Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis
Bacterial canker and gummosis	Before the commencement of rains apply Mashobra Paint after clearing the wound. Repeat the treatment on the new lesions in the following months.
Brown rot	Cultural control: Avoid injury during picking Select healthy unbruised fruits for marketing Mechanical control: Collect and destroy the fruit mummies by burning or burying them in the soil. The infected twigs and cankers should be cut out and burnt. Chemical control: Spray lime sulphur @ 0.8 - 2 lit/acre
Flowering stage
Nutrients	Nitrogen is applied in 2 splits, first half at 2-3 weeks before flowering and the remaining half a month later. The fertilizers should be applied in 20-30 cm deep and 30cms wide trench along the drip line of the tree.
Weeds	Same as vegetative stage
Flat headed borer	Cultural control: Wrap or paint the tree trunk above and 1 inch below the soil line with white, water-based paint or whitewash to protect the trunk from sunburn and flat headed borer invasions. Prune infested wood and burn or remove it from the orchard
Hairy caterpillar, Peach leaf curl aphid, Apricot brown scale, San jose scale and Tent caterpillar	Same as mentioned in the above vegetative stage
Peach twig borer	Mechanical control: Mating disruption is most effective in orchards with low moth populations that are not close (a mile) to other untreated peach twig borer hosts or almond orchards. Install pheromone traps in orchards Biological control: Conserve natural enemies such asgray field ant, Formica aerata,
Root borer, Consperse sting bug, Blossom Thrips, Chaffer beetle, Frosty mildew, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Silver canker, White root rot, Peach rust and Collar rot	Same as mentioned in the above vegetative stage
Fruiting stage
Nutrient Management	For mature trees, a mixture of 40 kg farmyard manure, 500g N, 250 g P2O5 and 200 g K is recommended. The farmyard manure should be applied during December-January along with full dose of P and K. Nitrogen is applied in 2 parts, first half at 2-3 weeks before flowering and the remaining half a month later. The band application of nitrogenous fertilizers should be preferred over broadcasting. Under rainfed conditions, apply N through 1 or 2 foliar sprays of urea (0.5%) after fruit set. Apply recommended micronutrients, if symptoms are observed. Fruits are deformed under boron deficiency. To avoid boron deficiency, apply H2BO3 (0.1%) as foliar spray.
Weed Management	Remove weeds around the plants. Use straw or black polyethylene Mulch to avoid weed growth and to maintain soil moisture for longer period. Mulching tree basins with 10-15 cm thick dry grass also checks weed growth.
Flat headed borer, Hairy caterpillar, San jose scale, Root borer and Tent caterpillar	Same as mentioned in the above flowering stage
Peach fruit fly	Cultural control: Harvest the ripening fruits and do not allow the ripe fruits on the tree. Regular removal of fallen fruits from the ground and bury the infested fruits atleast at 60cm depth. Shallow ploughing with cultivator immediately after harvest is effective in exposing and killing the pupating larvae/pupae, which are mostly present at 4-6 cm depth. If infestation is high, use bait splash on the trunk only once or twice at weekly interval. To prepare bait splash, mix 100 gm of jaggery in one litre of water Mechanical control: Hot water treatment of fruit at 48 ± 1 ºC for 60 min. Collect and destroy the adult flies Use pheromone traps@4-5/acre Biological control: Release of parasitoids such as Opius longicaudatus, O. vandenboschiand O. oophilus.
Peach twig borer and Chaffer beetle	Same as mentioned in the earlier stage
Oriental fruit moth	Mechanical control: Set up pheromone traps@4-5/acre Biological control: The parasite Macrocentrus ancylivorus is a common parasite of oriental fruit moth larvae Planting of attractant plants such as sunflower
Frosty mildew, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew and Silver canker	Same as mentioned in the above vegetative stage
Whisker rot	Mechanical control: Preventing skin cuts and punctures during harvest and packing is of prime importance in controlling rhizopus rot. Clean containers and good housekeeping in the packing shed and storage reduce the rot. Store fruit at or below 39°F, the fungus does not grow at temperatures below 40°F.
Peach rust and Collar rot	Same as mentioned in the above vegetative stage

Source: NIPHM, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

 

3   

 

32 ratings

Peach Insect Pests

1. Flat headed borers
2. Hairy caterpillar
3. Natural enemies of hairy caterpillar
4. Defoliating beetles
5. Peach leaf curl aphid
6. Apricot brown scale
7. San Jose-scale
8. Tent caterpillar
9. Blossom thrips
10. Root-knot nematode
11. IPM for Peach

Flat headed borers

Biology

Flat headed borers overwinter as larvae inside the tree, and emerge as adult beetles in June-August (India). Adults lay eggs on bark crevices and the newly hatched larvae immediately bore through the bark to feed in the phloem layer.

Life cycle:

Damage symptoms:

• Flat headed borers are attracted to diseased or injured limbs of trees, such as those affected by sunburn, scale insects, bacterial canker, or major pruning cuts.
• The beetles lay eggs in the injured area. Eggs hatch and the larvae excavate large caverns just beneath the bark and bore tunnels deep into the heartwood of the tree.
• Excavations are usually filled with finely powdered sawdust. Injury by this borer will cause the sap to flow, and the affected area will appear as a wet spot on the bark. Later, these areas may crack and expose the mines.
• Feeding by flat headed borers may cause a portion of the bark on older trees to die, or it may girdle and kill young trees. This borer can be particularly damaging to new grafts in established orchards

Hairy caterpillar

Hairy caterpillar populations will go through cycles in which the populations will increase for several years then decline, and then increase again. Area-wide outbreaks can occur for up to ten years, but generally population densities in localized areas remain high for two to three years.

Biology:

• Egg: The eggs are covered with a dense mass of tan or buff-colored hairs. The egg mass is approximately 1.5 inches long and 0.75 inches wide. The eggs are the overwintering stage of the insect. Eggs are attached to trees, houses, or any outdoor objects. The eggs hatch in spring (April) into caterpillars.
• Larva: Hairy caterpillars are easy to identify, because they possess characteristics not found on other leaf-feeding caterpillars. They have five pairs of blue dots followed by six pairs of red dots lining on the back side. In addition, they are dark-colored and covered with hairs. Young caterpillars primarily feed during the day whereas the older caterpillars feed at night. When present in large numbers, the older caterpillars feed day and night. Young caterpillars spread to new locations by crawling to the tops of trees, where they spin a silken thread and are caught on wind currents. Older caterpillars are approximately 1.5 to 2.0 inches long. Larval period 66- 100 days.
• Pupa: In early summer (June to early July), hairy caterpillars enter a pupal or transitional stage. The pupae are dark brown, shell-like cases approximately two inches long and covered with hairs. They are primarily located in sheltered areas such as tree bark crevices or leaf litter.
• Adult: Adult moths emerge from the pupae in 10 to 14 days. Females have white to creamcolored wings, a tan body, and a two-inch wingspan. Female moths cannot fly. Females lay between 500 to1000 eggs in sheltered areas such as underneath the bark of trees. Males, which are smaller than females, with a 1.5-inch wingspan, are dark-brown and have feathery antennae. Both the adult female and male can be identified by the inverted V-shape that points to a dot on the wings. Moth has only one generation per year.

Damage symptoms:

• Caterpillars are gregarious and voracious feeders.
• They eat voraciously on leaves at night time.
• Under heavy infestation entire leaf is eaten sparing only hard vein.
• Defoliation of host completely results in failure of fruit formation.

Natural enemies of hairy caterpillar

Parasitoids:Telenomus sp, Cotesia melanoscela, Glyptapantelos sp, Tachinid (Pales sp), Brachymeria sp

Defoliating beetles

Biology:

• Egg: Females lay eggs (app. 60) in August and the eggs develop into larvae after 12 days and are especially attracted to compost and manure piles. The eggs are whitish in appearance and be easily found over the soil.
• Larva: They have head and legs. They live on soil surface and have a length of 2 inches. Their life includes three instars of which first and second get completed by autumn and the final in the spring season of second year. At rest they curl into C shape. When the larvae get matured they become 2 inches long and become cream coloured. The body of larvae is stiff with brown hairs at the back of the thorax. These hairs are used for locomotion. They form hollow cells in the soil and pupate there.
• Pupa: After a few days it reaches a size of 12-50 mm. They develop by June- July. Its duration extends from 25-27 days. The pupae are of size 15 X 25 mm. They are whitish at initial stages and further change to cream coloured as that of larvae stage. At the maturing stages they slightly shift the colour to green.
• Adult: They develop by June- November. They lay their eggs in soil. They are white coloured and large sized approximately range about 12-50 mm in size. They feed on organic matter in soil surfaces. Adults are velvet green in colour. They occupy brownish bands around the edge of the wings and a bright metallic green at the ventral side. Adult females are 17 X 25 mm and adult males are 13 X 22 mm size. At the head portion they are equipped with horn like projections for penetrating into the fruit skin. Adults are tremendous fliers.

Damage symptoms:

• The plant part affected mainly includes flower parts like pollen, nectar and petals, fruit and larvae damage roots.

Peach leaf curl aphid

Biology:

• Both winged and wingless forms breed parthenogenetically.
• The nymphal period lasts for 7-9 days.
• Adults live for 2-3 weeks and produce 8-22 nymphs per day.
• Entire life cycle takes 22-25 days.
• It has 12-14 generations per year.

Damage symptoms:

• Damage is severe because the aphid colonizes young shoots, buds, grafts and young plants.
• Nymphs and adults suck the sap from leaves, shoots and fruits
• Yellowing of leaves
• Wilting of terminal shoots

Favourable conditions: Spring-time attacks are the most deleterious.

Natural enemies of leaf curling aphid :

Predators: Scymnus, Chilomenes sexmaculatus, Chrysoperla zastrow sillemi and other coccinellids, Preyingmantids, ladybird beetles, Predatory mite and parasitic wasps

Apricot brown scale

Biology:

• Egg: The eggs are pink to dark red and they are laid under the adult female scale’s wax covering.
• Nymph: The first instars are called crawlers. Crawlers are pink and as soon as they hatch, the first instars disperse, find a suitable feeding place and settle. The wax scale females develop through the second and third instars before becoming adults. The wax covering secreted around them gives them a star-like appearance. Nymphs are found on the leaves and twigs.
• Adult: The adult scales are elliptical, reddish brown with short anal process. The adult female is coated with a thick layer of pinkish-white wax. Inside the wax, the body of the adult female is reddish. Adults are mostly found on twigs and branches. The size of the female is about 2 to 4 mm in length and 1 to 3.5 mm in width. Males are not known in this species.

Damage symptoms:

The direct damage is caused by insertion of stylets into during feeding by the nymphs, which can cause premature leaf drop and twig dieback. High populations can cause host death. Severe infestations may result in shoot or branch dieback When large populations of scale occur, sooty mold may become a problem due to the mold’s growth on the large quantities of honeydew excreted by these scales

Natural enemies of apricot brown scale:

Predator: ladybugs, lacewings and mites

San Jose-scale

Pest of 700 different species of fruits, shrubs and ornamental plants. Pest is active from March to December. Passes winter black cap stage in tree bark.

Biology:

• Nymph: Female San Jose scales give birth to living young ones that emerge from under the edge of the scale covering. Each female gives birth to 200-400 nymphs. These tiny yellow crawlers wander in a random fashion until they find a suitable place to settle. Immediately upon settling, the crawlers insert their mouthparts into the host plant and begin feeding and secreting a white waxy material (white capstage); eventually the waxy covering turns black and is known as the black cap stage. Later the covers turn various shades from gray to black.
• Adult: Immature male and female scales are indistinguishable until the first molt. At this time, the male scale covering begins to elongate, while the females remain circular. Males molt a total of four times. Following the final molt, adult male scales emerge from the scale covering as tiny, yellow winged insects. They mate with the females who remain under the scale covering. Female insect body covered with grey scales. Yellow lemon coloured female is visible when covering is lifted. Female scales are very prolific and over a 6-week period can produce approximately 400 young. San Jose scale produce living young ones called crawlers; most other scales produce eggs. Crawlers move around for a short period in search of a suitable place to settle. It takes 25 days for males to mature and 31 days for females Five to six generations in a year.

Life cycle:

Damage symptom:

• Nymph and female scales attack all above ground parts.
• Feeding site turns into a characteristic purplish red colour.
• Initially growth of plant is checked but as scale increases in number plant may die.
• Fruits will have distinct “measles” like spots on the surface.

Natural enemies of San Jose scale:

• Parasitoids: Encarsia perniciosi, Aphytis diaspidis
• Predators: Coccinellid, Pharoscymnus flexibilis & Chilocorus bijugus

Tent caterpillar

Biology:

• Egg: In late spring or early summer, female moths deposit an egg mass encircling small twigs or on tree trunks. Egg masses are present on trees during most of the summer, fall and winter. The adult moth uses a sticky, frothy substance called spumaline as an adhesive to attach eggs to bark or twigs. Spumaline is used as a hard protective covering around the egg mass. Pest inactive from March – May, passes 9 month of year in egg stage. Female lays the eggs in broad bands consisting of 200 to 400 eggs.
• Larva: Caterpillars hatch from the eggs in early spring about the time host plants leaf out. The tent caterpillar feed on new leaves, forming small webs within a few days after hatching and enlarging the webs as they grow. The web or tent is most often in a crotch of small limbs, and serves as a refuge for the larvae during the night and during rainy spells. Larvae move from the tents to feed on leaves, so damage can be found for some distance around the web. Tent caterpillars feed in groups, and thus concentrate their defoliation. The tent caterpillars form conspicuous, large webs that are easily recognized. Molting, or skin shedding, occurs several times as the larvae grow. The larvae do not live in these small webs at other times.
• Pupa: During the last stage of larval development, which occurs in late spring, larvae wander considerable distances and may feed on a variety of tree, shrubs and even herbs before finding a site for pupation, or cocoon spinning. Cocoons are formed in the web, under bark, in dead plant material on the ground, or inside a rolled leaf. Cocoons are loosely constructed of silk and have a white or yellowish crystalline substance scattered throughout the mass. Cocoons should not be handled since the crystalline substance may cause skin irritation, especially to people with allergies.
• Adult: Adult tent caterpillars are brown and yellowish moths with two diagonal markings on the front wings. Caterpillar is progeny of a light reddish brown moth with two whitish stripes running across each of the forewings. Their wingspread is about 1 inch. They are attracted to lights and can occasionally be very abundant. The moths live for only a few days, during which they mate and lay eggs. Adults do not feed. There is only one generation of tent caterpillars per year. Males are short lived and female may survive for 2 to 5 days.

Damage symptoms:

• Caterpillars during the night rest at their nest and the day feeding on leaves.
• In severe infestation, the entire plant may be defoliated and subsequently the caterpillar may feed on bark of twigs.
• When severe infestation, 40 -50 per cent plants in orchard may be defoliated producing a poor harvest.

Natural enemies of tent caterpillar:

Parasitoid: Tachnid fly, Pales sp

Blossom thrips

Biology:

• Egg: The eggs of thrips are deposited within plant tissues singly. Larva and pupa: Larvae have two stages, which feed on plant tissues. The second instar larvae, when mature, fall to ground, where they molt to prepupae and pupae in the soil.
• Adult: After emergence, the adults move to the growing parts of the plants such as young leaves, flowers, or young fruits, where they feed and lay eggs (about 200 eggs per female). Adults are usually found on young leaves, while larvae are found on lower or older leaves. At 25°C, the life cycle is completed in approximately 17 days. Adults are winged sucking rasping insects ranging from 5-14 mm in length. Their slender bodies are shiny pale or black with silver stripes.
• Life cycle completed in 11-43 days. Produce many generations in a year heaviest damage occur in spring. In colder region, life cycle is longer with fewer generations.

Life cycle:

Damage symptoms:

• Most species of plant feeding thrips, have piercing and sucking mouthparts.
• Both nymphs & adults lacerate all floral parts and delicate and unfolding of leaves of vegetative buds. Consequently brown spots develops
• The surface of the leaf develops a crinkled silvery appearance as a result of damage to cells below the surface.
• Lightly-infested plants show silvery feeding scars on the under surface of leaves, especially alongside the mid rib and veins.
• Heavily-infested plants show silvering and browning of leaves, stunting of young leaves and terminal growth, with fruit scarred and deformed.
• Developing leaves become distorced in the growing tips.
• Heavily infested flowers bears sticky and faded appearance with indication of early senescence.

Natural enemies of blossom thrips:

Predators: Coccinellid, Predatory thrips, Anthocorid bug, Tropidothorax leucopterus (Lygaeid bug)

Root-knot nematode

• Most species of plant parasitic nematodes have a relatively simple life cycle consisting of the egg, four larval stages and the adult male and female. They are microscopic in size.
• Development of the first stage larvae occurs within the egg where the first moult occurs. Second stage larvae hatch from eggs to find and infect plant roots or in some cases foliar tissues.
• Under suitable environmental conditions, the eggs hatch and new larvae emerge to complete the life cycle within 4 to 8 weeks depending on temperature.
• Nematode development is generally most rapid within an optimal soil temperature range of 70 to 80°F.

Life cycle: Life stages are microscopic in size

Damage symptoms:

• Infected plants in patches in the field
• Formation of galls on host root system is the primary symptom
• Roots branch profusely starting from the gall tissue causing a ‘beard root’ symptom
• Infected roots become knobby and knotty
• In severely infected plants the root system is reduced and the rootlets are almost completely absent. The roots are seriously hampered in their function of uptake and transport of water and nutrients
• Plants wilt during the hot part of day, especially under dry conditions and are often stunted
• Seedlings infected in nursery do not normally survive transplanting and those surviving have reduced flowering and fruit production
• Nematode infection predisposes plants to fungal and bacterial root pathogens

Survival and spread:

• Primary: Egg masses in infected plant debris and soil or collateral and other hosts like Solonaceous, Malvaceous and Leguminaceous plants act as sources of inoculum.
• Secondary: Autonomous second stage juveniles that may also be water dispersed

Favourable conditions: Loamy light soils

IPM for Peach

To know the IPM practices for Peach, click here.

Source: NIPHM, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

 

3   

 

32 ratings and

Peach Pests

1. Pests of National Significance
1. Insect pest
2. Diseases
2. Pest of Regional Significance
1. Insect pests
3. Weeds
4. IPM for Peach

Pests of National Significance

Insect pest

• Stem borer: Aeolesthes sarta Solsky (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
• Flat headed borers: Chrysobothris mali Eschscholtz (Coleoptera: Buprestide) &Capnodis tenebrionis Linne (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)
• Peach tree borer: Synanthedon exitiosa Say (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae)
• Defoliating beetle: Protactia neglecta & Adoretus sp. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
• Hairy caterpillar: Lymantria obfuscata Walker (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae)
• San Jose-scale: Quadraspidiotus perniciosus Comstock (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)
• Apricot brown scale: Lecanium corni (Bouché) (Hemiptera: Coccidae)
• Peach leaf curl aphid: Brachycaudus helichrysi Kaltenbach (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Diseases

• Frosty mildew: Cercosporella persica (Sacc.) Sacc
• Peach leaf curl: Taphrina deformans (Berk.) Tul
• Leaf spot: Phyllosticta cerasicola Speg.
• Powdery mildew: Sphaerotheca pannosa (Wallr.) Lév, Podosphaera leucotricha(Ellis &Everh.) E.S. Salmon
• Coryneum blight/shot hole: Wilsonomyces carpophilus (Lév.) M.B. Ellis
• Silver leaf and canker: Chondrostereum purpureum (Pers.) Pouzar 2.7 White root rot: Dematophora necatrix Berl. exPrill
• Whisker rot: Rhizopus stolonifer Ehrenb
• Peach rust: Tranzschelia discolour (Fuckel) Tranz.
• Collar rot: Phytophthora sp. & Pythium sp
• Bacterial canker and gummosis: Pseudomonas syringae pv. Morsprunorum (Wormald) Yong
• Brown rot: Sclerotina fructicola (G. Winter) Rehm & S. fructigena (J.Schröt.) Norton

Pest of Regional Significance

Insect pests

• Green peach aphid: Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
• Tent caterpillar: Malacosoma indica Walker (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae)
• Leaf rollers: Archips argyrospilus & subsidiaria sp Walker (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
• Peach twig borer/Apricot fruit borer: Anarsia lineatella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
• Root borer: Dorysthenes hugelli Ridt (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
• Consperse sting bug: Euschistis conpersus Uhler (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
• Peach fruit fly: Bactrocera zonata (Saunders), B. ciliates & B. dorsali Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae)
• Green capsid: Lygus pabulinus Franz and Wagner (Hemiptera: Miridae)
• Blue beetle: Haltica semipicens (Coleoptera)
• Blossom thrips: Taeniothrips spp, Frankliniella dampfi Priesner (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
• Rose chaffer beetle: Macrodactyplus subspinosus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
• Oriental fruit moth: Grapholitha molester Busck (Lepidoptera:Tortricidae)
• Peach stem aphid/ Brown Peach aphid/Peach black aphid: Pterochlorus persicae Cholodkovsky (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
• Chaffer beetle: Adoretus spp (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
• Plum lakeworm: Cremastopsychae pendula de Joannis
• Codling moth: Cydia pomonella Li (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
• Mealy plum aphid: Hyalopterus pruni Geoffroy (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Weeds

Broad leaf weeds

• Tropical spiderwort: Commelina benghalensis L. Commelinaceae
• Creeping wood sorrel: Oxalis corniculata L. Oxalidaceae
• Goat weed: Ageratum conyzoides L. Asteraceae
• Sowthistles: Sonchus spp. Asteraceae
• Congress grass: Parthenium hysterophorus L. Asteraceae
• Pig weed: Amaranthus viridis L (Amaranthaceae)
• Lambs Quarter: Chenopodium album (Chenopodiaceae)
• Spurge: Euphorbia hirta L (Euphorbiaceae)
• Sorrel: Rumex dentatus L (Polygonaceae)
• Creeping thistle: Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Asteraceae)

Grassy weeds

• Bermuda grass: Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. Poaceae
• Cogon grass: Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeusch.Poaceae
• Blanket grass: Axonopus compressus (Sw.) Beauv. Poaceae
• Large crabgrass: Digitaria sanguinalis L. (Scop.) Poaceae
• Knot grass: Paspalum distichum L. Poaceae
• Cannary grass: Phalaris miner Retz. Poaceae
• Crow foot grass: Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd. Poaceae

Sedges

• Purple nut sedge: Cyperus rotundus L. Cyperaceae
• Flat Sedge: Cyperus iria L. Cyperaceae

IPM for Peach

To know the IPM practices for Peach, click here.

Source: NIPHM; Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

 

2.93