The Complete Guide On How To Grow Grapes Successfully At Home

 

The Complete Guide On How To Grow Grapes Successfully At Home

GRAPE

 Botanical name-Vitis vinifera

 Origin: Armenia (near Asia Minor)

 Family - Vitaceae

 Chromosomes - number 2n=38,40

                     

Grapes are an important subtropical fruit worldwide. Their origin is believed to be in Armenia, near the Caspian Sea in Russia. Approximately 80 percent of the world's total grape production is used for winemaking. In addition, they are consumed fresh and dried to make raisins. Grapes contain about 20 percent sugar, along with iron, calcium, and phosphorus.

 

• Major world producers of grapes are Spain, Italy, and France.

 • The genus vitis is subdivided into two subgenera, Muscadinia and Euvitis.  The Muscadina have 40 chromosomes, while those of Euvitis have 38.

 • Vitis vinifera is the most popular species of grapes grown in the world. venifera grapes have forked tendrils and shiny leaves.

 • Vitiis riparia, rupestries, berlandieri, candicans, rufotomentosa, and solanis are popular rootstocks for phylloxera and nematode resistance.

Grape is a subtropical fruit but adapted to tropical conditions. It is a vine spreading on a support, native of Armenia, a district near the Caspian Sea in Russia.  It is one of the most delicious, refreshing, and nourishing fruits.  Fifty percent of the total production of fruits in the world is contributed by grapes.

 Cultivation of grapes is called Viticulture.  There are about 10,000 varieties in the world.

 Grapes are cultivated commercially worldwide because they grow quickly and offer significant economic benefits. Besides being grown on a commercial scale, they can also be planted in home gardens. The fruit is a good source of minerals such as potassium (0.15-0.25%) and calcium (0.004-0.025%), and vitamins like B-complex (391-636 mg/100g). Its juice is a good stimulant for the kidneys, acts as a mild laxative, and is excellent for quenching thirst.

 

USES:  Grapes are used for:

 (1)   Table purpose:

 Table grapes are meant for fresh fruit consumption. These grapes are attractive in appearance and eating quality, and with good shipping and keeping qualities. The important table grape varieties are Muscat Hamburg, Cardinal, Perlette, Thompson seedless (Sultanina), Tokay, Concord, Anab-e-Shahi, Pusa seedless, Delaware, Catawba, Ohanez, Red Malaga, Emperor, Italia, Muscat of Alexandria, etc.

 

 (2)   Raisin making

 These are the grapes intended for making dried grapes. The raisin variety of grapes should have a soft texture, selflessness with good sugar content, marked pleasing flavour, large or very small size, and little tendency to become sticky in storage. The varieties most extensively used in the commercial production of raisins include Thompson seedless (Sultania, Oal Kishmish), Seedless sultana, Red Corinth, Cape Curran, and Black Monukha.

 

 (3)   Juice making

 The varieties of sweet juice grapes produce juice of an acceptable beverage. The juice should retain the natural fresh grape flavour throughout clarification and preservation. In the United States of America, the Concord grapes are generally used for Juice. The varieties White Riesling and Chasslas Dore are used for juice in the Central Europe. The varieties Aramon and Carignan are utilized for sweet juice in France.

 

 (4)   Wine making and canning

 Most of the vineyards in Europe, North Africa, South Africa, and South America, Australia, and the United States of America produce wine grapes. Wines are classified as table wines and dessert wines. Table wines contain less than 14 per cent alcohol, while the dessert wines have more than 14 per cent alcohol, usually 17 to 20 per cent sugar, acid ratio, total acidity, and tannin content, etc., which will determine the wine quality. The varieties such as White Resilin, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tinta Maderi, and Muscat Blanc (Muscat canelli) produce wines of high quality, outstanding in bouquet, flavour, and general balance.

 

(5)   Canning Grapes

 Seedless varieties like Thompson Seedless and canner are generally canned in combination with other fruits.

 Here's how to Grow Your Own Grapes Vine

 Climate

 Grapes are a fruit tree of the subtropical climate, preferring hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. In this type of climate, the vines shed their leaves and enter a dormant state during the colder months. New growth and fruiting occur in the spring, and the fruit ripens in the summer. In North India, rainfall during the ripening period can cause the grapes to split and become less sweet. The optimal temperature for proper plant growth is 28-32° Celsius.

 

Soil

 Grapes can be cultivated in all types of soil, but well-drained loamy soil is considered best. There should be no hardpan within one meter of the soil surface. Sufficient organic matter is essential, and the soil pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5.

 

 Recommended Cultivars

 There are thousands of cultivars of grapes.  Most popular ones are:

 

Coloured seeded grapes: - Bangalore Blue - a cross between V. vinifera x V.  Labrusca- table, juice, wine

 

Table: Characters of Vitis and Muscadinia

Characters	Vitis	Muscadinia
Shoots	Bark is longitudinally striate, fibrous	Tight bark, non-shedding, with prominent lenticels
Pith	Interrupted in nodes by a diaphragm	Without diaphragm
Tendril	Forked	Simple
Flower clusters	Elongated	Short, small
Berries	Adheringtothe cluster at maturity	Detach one by one, and they mature
Seeds	Pyriform with long or short beak	Oblong without a beak

Kishmish charni, Black champa - processing & for hybridization purposes only.

 

Coloured Seedless:  Beauty seedless (blue, black) for mid-season; Krishmish Charni (brick red) for midseason (Sharad seedless); Flame seedless (Purple) - late cultivar.

 

White seeded:  Anab-e-shahi-late; Dilkush-clone of AES; Cheemasahebi (Selection from Pandari sahebi) are late cultivars.

 

White seedless:  Perlette (Scolokertekhirolaynoje x Sultania marble).

 

Pusa Seedless: Superior to Perlette (Mid); Thompson Seedless- midseason, Tas-e-Ganesh, Manik Chaman, Sonaka are clones; Arkavati- BlackChampa x Thompson Seedless-late type; Delight-Sister seedling of Perlette- early type; Homorod- Contariox Sultania.

 

Superior Seedless (2017): Vines are medium in vigour, bunch is loose, medium to large in size. Berry is seedless, large, amber coloured with crisp pulp. Ripe bunches have TSS (17.0%) and acidity (0.51%). It is an early maturing variety which ripens during 1st week of June. Average yield per vine is 23.8 kg on the Y-trellis system of training.

 

MACS Purple (2008): It is rich in anthocyanins, a source of antioxidants, and is suitable for processing into juice, nectar, and ready-to-serve beverages. It contains 60-65% juice with total soluble solids of 17-18% and acidity of 0.50%. It has medium and loose bunches. The berry is seeded, medium in size, and purple at maturity. It ripens in the first week of June. The average yield per vine is 25 kg per vine.

 

Flame Seedless (2000): Bunch is medium and well-filled. Berry seedless, firm, crisp, light purple at maturity.  It also gives a good response to quality improvement treatment. Bunches have berries with 18% TSS.  It ripens during the second week of June. For uniform colour development of Flame seedless grape, retain 75% crop load (80-90 branches/vine) immediately after bunch emergence and spray 400 ppm ethephon (1 ml/litre) at colour break stage. The average yield per vine is 27 kg per vine.

 

Beauty Seedless (1968): It performs well in southwestern districts.  Bunch is medium and well-filled. Berry seedless, medium, bluish black.  Highly responsive to quality improvement treatment.  Treated bunches have oblong berries with 16-18% TSS.  Keeping quality is poor.  Fruit ripens in the first week of June.  Average yield per vine is 25 kg.

 

Perlette (1967): This variety is cultivated on more than 90% of the total acreage of grapes in Punjab.  Bunch is medium to large and compact. Berry is seedless, firm, crisp, juicy, and light amber. It is highly responsive to quality improvement treatment.  Treated bunches have large, round berries, with 16-18% TSS. It ripens during the first week of June.  Average yield per vine is 25 kg.

 Ultimate Guide: How to Grow Your Own Grape Vines

Propagation

 Grapes are propagated by hard stem cuttings. To prepare the cuttings, select a one-year-old branch from a high-yielding, improved variety of grapevine. The ideal time for taking cuttings is January.

For grape propagation, the cuttings should be 30 cm long and of medium thickness. When preparing the cuttings, the lower cut should be made near a bud, and the upper cut 1.25 cm above a bud. The cuttings are then placed in moist sand for a month to allow callus formation. After this, the cuttings are planted in a nursery at a spacing of 30 cm within rows and 90 cm between rows. Dipping the lower ends of the cuttings in a 200-ppm solution of IAA or IBA promotes faster root development. The cuttings become ready for planting in the field the following year. In areas with saline soil and water problems, salt-tolerant rootstocks such as Dogridge should be used, onto which the desired variety can be grafted.

LAND PREPARATION:

1. SOIL SOLARISATION:

 

• Soil solarization of the planned vine row can also significantly reduce weed populations. The soil must be moist, and the width of the solarized area should be at least 6 feet. Bury all sides of the plastic to create a seal on the soil; this also helps to prevent the plastic from being blown away by the wind. Machines that lay down the plastic are available to automate the process.

 • Solarization must be done during summer and should be started at least by the beginning of August to have sufficient time (4 to 6 weeks) to complete the process. Clear plastic or a plastic with a coating that suppresses weed seed germination can be used. Black plastic suppresses weed seed germination but will not heat the soil sufficiently for solarization. Plastic mulches may not be successful in suppressing species like nutsedge.

 How to Grow Your Own Grape Vines

2. MULCHES

 • Mulches can also help with weed control in the vineyard. The mulch blocks light, preventing weeds germination or growth.

• Many materials can be used as mulches, including municipal yard waste, wood chips, straw, hay, sawdust, and newspaper.

• To be effective, mulches need to block all light to the weeds; therefore, different mulch materials vary in the depth necessary to accomplish this.

•  Organic mulches must be maintained in a layer 4 inches or more thick.

• Organic mulches break down with time, and the original thickness is typically reduced by 60% after one year. Cover crops can be grown in the middles; in the spring, "mow-and-throw" the mulch around the base of the vines.

• Weeds that emerge through the mulch can be controlled using an organic contact herbicide or with hand hoeing.

•  Do not plant cover crops under the vine row because excess competition may occur, possibly reducing grape yields.

 

3. WEED MANAGEMENT:

 • It is critical to have minimal or no weed competition at the time of planting new vines, so weed control before planting is important.

• Take measures to deplete the soil weed seed bank. A summer fallow treatment of irrigation followed by tillage and then drying can reduce weed seed numbers in the soil. Repeat this cycle several times to further deplete weed seeds in the soil. Weed seeds located in the surface 4 inches of soil can be buried to depths where they cannot emerge with a soil-inverting plow, such as a Kverneland plow; a moldboard plow will not sufficiently invert the soil to be effective.

 How Long Does A Grape Vine Take To Grow

HERBICIDES

 • Several organic, contact-type herbicide products are registered for use.

• These soap-based (Scythe), clove oil-based (Matran 2), or acetic acid-based (All-Down) products all damage any green vegetation contacted, including the leaves and young stems of grape vines.

•  Apply these products as directed sprays against woody stems and trunks. Because these herbicides only kill contacted tissue, good coverage is essential. Thus, adding an organically acceptable surfactant is recommended. Because these materials lack residual activity, repeat applications will be needed to control new flushes of weeds.

 

Planting

The best time for planting is January. The spacing between plants depends on the soil, climate, variety, and pruning method. In North India, plants are spaced 3 x 3 meters apart. Before planting, pits of 45 x 45 x 45 cm are dug and filled with a mixture of manure and soil. Each pit should receive 10-15 kg of farmyard manure, half a kg of superphosphate, and 50 grams of quinalphos. After filling the pits and planting the saplings, irrigation is essential. In North India, one-year-old vines are planted.

 

Manure and Fertilizers:

The amount of manure and fertilizers to be applied to grapevines annually, according to the age of the plant, should be given in January after pruning, as follows:

S. No.	Age of Plant	FYM	Urea	Superphosphate	Muriate of Potash
1.	One Year	20 Kg	200 gm	250 gm	-
2.	Two Years	40 Kg	400 gm	500 gm	-
3.	Three Years	50 Kg	600 gm	1.000 Kg	200 gm
4.	Four Years	60 Kg	800 gm	1.500 Kg	400 gm
5.	Five Years	70 Kg	1.000 Kg	2.000 Kg	500 gm

 

Irrigation

Irrigation begins in February after pruning. During spring and summer, adequate irrigation is provided at regular intervals. A lack of water during flowering and fruiting can negatively affect the quality and size of the fruit. Similarly, a lack of moisture during fruit ripening can delay the ripening process.

Time	Number
After pruning in the first fortnight of February	One irrigation
First week of March	One irrigation
After fruit set in April till Ist week of May	At 10, a 10-day interval
During the rest of May	Weekly interval
June	3- or 4-day interval
July to October	Irrigate when a prolonged dry spell or rainfall is insufficient.
November to January	One irrigation if the soil gets extremely dry.

INTERCULTURE:

  • Daincha and sun hemp can be grown as intercrops to check weed growth. Paraquat (7.5 l/ha) as post post-emergence application controls weeds effectively.

• Pandal system discourages weed growth to the maximum extent.  Mulching with paddy husk will reduce weed growth, water requirement, and improve the quality of the yield.

• Spraying with CCC at 500ppm at the five-leaf stage after back pruning increases fruitfulness.

• 22-25 days after for pruning, spray with GA3 at 10ppm will elongate the clusters. 

• Dipping of clusters in 60ppm GA3 at bajra grain to red gram-sized berries increases berry size.

• Girding the fruit-bearing shoot also improves berry size.

• For the production of one gram of grape fruit, 16-26 cm2 leaf area is required.

 

Training:

The pruning done to give grapevines a definite shape during the first two to three years after planting is called training. The main objective is to create a specific structure for the grapevines so that they can develop properly and bear the burden of high yields without damage.

The following methods of grapevine training are commonly used:

1. (Pandal System) Bower System:

This method is most commonly used for grapevine training. In this method, wires are stretched in all four directions at a height of 2 meters on poles. This creates a canopy-like structure with the wires. The width of the canopy roof is 9 meters, and the length is kept as needed. Grapevines are planted on both sides of the canopy at a distance of 3 meters. When the vines reach the height of the canopy, their tops are pruned, resulting in 2-4 branches emerging from the main stem. Two of these branches are spread in opposite directions along the wires of the canopy. These branches are called arms. Further pruning of these arms produces secondary and tertiary branches, which should be spread along the wires in such a way that they form a canopy shape. This method involves higher initial costs.

                                  

The advantages of the Pandal system of training are as follows:

• It facilitates harvests of a succession of crops at intervals of 4.5 - 5 months.

•The crop gets enough sunlight uniformly for its proper development.

• Plant protection measures are more effective in this system, especially against mildew.

• The proportion of well-developed shoots to weak ones was higher in the pandal 

• The weight of pruning per acre showed that the vine strength was highest in the pandal system.

• Pandal system produced more than three times as many fruiting canes per vine as the other two systems:

 

2. Trellis Method:

In this method, iron poles are first erected for training the vines. Two wires are stretched parallel to the ground through these poles. The first wire is stretched at a height of 90 cm from the ground. The plants are planted at a distance of 3x3 meters. Initially, the grapevine is trained as a single main stem, and then the main stem is pruned at a height of 1.50 meters. The shoots that sprout from the buds near the wires in the lower part are allowed to grow, and the rest are pruned. Thus, four branches develop on each vine, with two branches growing on one side of the two wires and the remaining two on the other side. In the initial stage, they should be trained by tying them with a thin rope. Long shoots develop on these branches, which then flower and bear fruit.

                                          

3. Cordon method:

This method is similar to the trellis method. In this method, the entire plant is supported and allowed to grow to a total height of 90 cm. After this, it is bent to one side on a parallel wire. In this way, the entire vine is trained as a single branch.

 

4. Head method:

This is the oldest, easiest, and cheapest method of training grapevines. In this method, the plants are trained upright so that the main stem of the plant becomes strong and the upper branches can spread out and bear good fruit. After one year of planting, the growth of the grapevine reaches approximately 90 cm to one meter. In winter, 2-3 buds of such plants are left, and the vine is supported with wood or bamboo. After pruning, 3-4 branches are left, and the rest are cut off. In the following winter, the remaining 3-4 branches are pruned to a height of approximately 30 cm. The growth below the branches emerging from the upper part of the main stem should be cut off. In this way, the plant is supported and trained for 3-4 years, and later it is pruned to a height of 1.5 meters. At this time, the stem of the plant becomes so thick that it can stand without support.

 

5. Telephone method:

In this method, the distance between rows of plants is kept at three meters. For training the plants, the distance between the posts is kept at 4-5 meters. There is a 1.2-meter-long arm at the top of the post. Three parallel wires are tied to this arm, similar to telephone poles. A plant is planted between two posts. The plants are allowed to grow to the height of the wires and then pruned from the top. Subsequently, the branches emerging from the plants are tied with thin ropes in the opposite direction according to the wires and spread out. This method is suitable for Perlette and Thompson Seedless varieties. In addition, the Tatura trellis (Y-system) is a very popular method. It allows for higher yields and is relatively less expensive.

 How to Plant Grapes In Your Backyard Naturally

Pruning

Pruning of grapevines is essential in January because the vines are dormant at this time and the leaves have fallen. For pruning, all pencil-sized branches are cut.

 There are two methods of pruning fruit-bearing plants:

 

Spur Pruning: In this method, branches are cut back to the base, leaving one to three growing buds. New shoots emerge from the cut portion, which then bear fruit.

 

Cane Pruning:

In some grape varieties, fruit is produced on the previous year's growth. In these varieties, half of the plant's branches are only lightly pruned at the top to encourage fruit production. After harvesting the fruit, these branches are pruned using the spur pruning method, and the other branches are lightly pruned at the top. In this way, one-year-old canes are prepared, resulting in good fruit production every year.

Flowering and Fruiting

Time Grapevines begin yielding fruit from the fourth year onwards. In North India, flowering occurs in March-April, and ripe fruits are available from May to July. In North India, there is a high probability of rainfall during the fruit ripening period, which can damage the fruit. Therefore, in such areas, early-maturing varieties should be selected so that harvesting is completed between the last week of May and the first week of June.

 

Rejuvenation and Top Working Technology

The old Perlette vines trained on a bower system can be successfully rejuvenated by heading back the primary arms, leaving behind 1-foot stubs in the month of December-January. Bordeaux paste should be applied after heading back of primary arms.

 

Flame Seedless variety of grapes can be successfully top-worked on Perlette vines. For obtaining maximum success, tongue grafting should be done in the last week of February on one-year-old shoots (canes). This technology advances the maturity of Flame Seedless by 4-5 days and improves fruit quality.

 

Quality Improvement

To get optimum yield and quality, adopt the following package of treatments.

 

1. Thin flower buds one week before flowering by leaving 100120 flower buds/panicle.

2. When berry size is 4mm, girdle the vine by removing a 4mm wide ring of bark from the main stem and dip the clusters in 40 ppm GA3*. While girdling, there should be no injury to the wood, and no piece of bark should remain attached to the wood.

3. One week after the first GA3 treatment, give a second dipping in 40 ppm GA3.

4. The field should have sufficient moisture during girdling and at least 3 weeks after that.

5. Two foliar sprays of potassium sulphate @ 1.5% (15g/liter), first one week after fruit set and second at the color break stage, improve the quality and color of Perlette grapes.

6. Harvest the crop when it attains the requisite TSS content.

Note: For preparing a 40ppm GA3 solution, dissolve one gram of GA3  in 50 ml of ethyl alcohol in a thoroughly dried container and make the volume to 25 liters by adding clean water.   In case of non-availability of ethyl alcohol, use 100 ml of country spirit or methyl alcohol.

 

Maturity and Harvesting

Grapes should be harvested only when they are fully ripe. Grapes need repeated picking to harvest the entire crop because they do not ripen at one time.  Taste is the most valuable indication of the ripeness of the bunch.  If berries near the tip are good to eat, the entire bunch is ripe for picking. Taste of berries supplemented with color, TSS, and sugar-acid ratio gives a fair idea about the time of harvesting.  Ripe grape bunches should be carefully clipped with scissors. The bunch should be picked close to the cane so that there is a long cluster stem for handling of bunches during picking, packing, displaying, and marketing of fruits. During handling, the natural bloom on berries should not be rubbed off.  Harvesting should be done during the cooler part of the day. Bunches should not be exposed directly to the sun after harvesting.

 

 

Post-Harvest Handling and Marketing

Unripe, over-ripe, small, misshapen, sun-burnt, decayed, soft, and bruised berries should be trimmed.  Bunches should be graded according to the fruit maturity and size. Different grades should be packed in different containers.  For nearby markets, mulberry or bamboo baskets can be used, whereas for distant markets C F CFCFB boxes of 2-4 kg capacity should be used.

Grapes cv. Perlette packed in an LDPE bag with a single sheet of Sulphur dioxide-generating pad and kept in Corrugated Fiber Board (CFB) boxes (4 kg) can be stored for 30 days at 0- 2 °C temperature and 90-95% relative humidity with acceptable quality.

The Flame Seedless grapes harvested at optimum maturity with firm berries having light purple color and packed in ventilated CFB boxes (4 kg) lined with polythene film containing one sheet of grape guard can be stored with acceptable quality for 45 days at 0-20 °C and 90-95% R.H.

 

 

Preparation of Red Wine and Vinegar

Red wine with 10.5 percent (v/v) ethanol can be prepared from MACS Purple grapes by alcoholic fermentation of must (juice skin) using indigenous yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae G with a fermentation efficiency of 90.4 percent. With this developed small-scale (5 liters) technology, wine recovery of 62.4 percent (v/v) can be achieved.

Production technology of grape vinegar from Perlette grapes at a 5L scale has been standardized and recommended. This technology will provide an alternative use of Perlette grapes. It is a fruit-based natural vinegar with properties of grapes and vinegar blended together. Grape vinegar has a shelf life of 2 years.

 

 

HARVESTING AND YIELD:

• Grape is a non-climacteric fruit and has to be harvested at the correct stage of maturity.

• Degree days from full bloom give a correct indication of maturity.

• Early cultivars require about 1600–2000-degree days and late cultivars about 3000 or more.

• A cluster having underdeveloped seedless berries known as shot barriers or mummies.  These will be very sweet in taste.

• Treating clusters with AVG (2 Aminoethyl Vinyl Glycine) 50-300 ppm 1-3 weeks before anthesis improves berry set.

• Cluster thinning also helps in improving the quality.  60-70 clusters/ vine spaced 3mx3m is best.

• Girdling the shoot one week after bloom improves berry set, after berry set improves berry size, and before veraison advances ripening and uniform coloration.

• GA (40ppm) Ethrel can also be used for improving yield and quality.  Ethrel (250ppm) can be used for uniform color development (5 weeks after anthesis, 4 weeks after berry set for color).

• Balancing the canopy also plays an important role in improving quality and yield.

• Grape starts yielding from 2-3 years and continues for more than 20-25 years.  Average yield will be about 25-30 tons/ha, but higher yields of 60-75 tons/ha are also possible with good management.

• Grapes are packed in corrugated fiber board boxes having a grape guard (craft paper coated with a layer of mixture of sodium bisulfate and a plastic polymer) improves their storage life.

• Grapes can be stored grape guard or for 7-12 weeks under controlled atmosphere with 15-25% CO2 and at 0-10.

 

 Fruiting areas of different varieties:

 

• Bangalore Blue - 3-5 buds,

• Bhokri - 3to4 buds,

• Anab-e-Shahi - 6-8 buds,

• Cheemasabebi - 5 to 8 buds

• Pusa seedless, Kishmish charmi, and Gulabi-10 to 12 buds.

 

Special Problems

Water berry: It is characterised by the drying of berries usually at the tip of the clusters.  Drying may also be scattered within the cluster during May and June.  The berries look like small cellophane bags, half-filled with sap, and remain hanging from the clusters. This disorder is caused by overbearing, excessive application of nitrogenous fertilizers and excessive irrigation or water stress. Apply judicious irrigation and nitrogenous fertilizers to overcome this problem.

 

Physiological Disorders are:

 

1. A black sunspot develops at the blossom end of the berry, which later on spreads + water suncans and due to ro,t Calcium deficiency.

2. Interveinal chlorosis: Mn, Zn, or Fe deficiency-0.2%.

3. Stalk necrosis:  Calcium deficiency.

4. Bud, flower, and berry drop:  girdling 10 days before full bloom, 500PPM ethrel at ripening, NAA 100PPM at 10 days before ripening, reducing irrigation during bloom, Benzyl adenine 200ppm, 4CPA 20ppm for thinning.

5. Bud killing: Excessive nitrogen.

6. Hen & Chicken - Due to boron deficiency.

The Complete Guide On How To Grow Grapes Successfully At Home

Plant Protection Measures

A. Insect Pests

Pests and symptoms of attack	Control
1. Grapevine thrips (Rhipiphorothrips cruentatus): It is highly polyphagous. The nymphs and adults rasp the ventral surface of tender leaves and flower stalks and suck the oozing cell sap.  As a result of their intensive feeding, the leaves develop silvery white scorchy patches with curly tips, gradually get deformed, and ultimately fall down.  An attack on the flower stalks results in the shedding of flowers. Fruits are also attacked, resulting in scab formation on the berries.  The attack occurs during February-March and again in  September.  The control measures targeted at the early stage (February-March) are more effective compared to the late stage.	---
2. Hopper (Arboridia viniferata): Nymphs and adults of hoppers usually suck the cell sap from the ventral surface of leaves.  The feeding spots on the leaves become pale.  In case of severe infestation, the affected leaves turn yellow, gradually start curling, turn brown, and ultimately fall down.  It is serious after the rainy season. It is also responsible for an indirect loss by producing honeydew dew which serves as a substrate for the growth of sooty mould fungus on foliage and fruits. It affects the production of fruit and also degrades the quality of grapes.	---
3. Leaf roller (Sylepta lunalis):  The eggs are laid on the ventral surface of leaves.  On hatching, the young caterpillars feed on the epidermis of leaves and skeletonize them same. Later, these caterpillars roll the leaves and feed within. The pest is active during the monsoon.	---

 

4. Defoliating beetles (Adoretus sp.): Adult beetles appear with the break of the monsoon and feed on leaves during the night and hide during the day.  In case of a severe attack, fruits are also scraped near the apical end. Eggs are laid in the soil, grubs feed on roots and other organic matter, and sometimes the grubs feeding on roots cause the death of the tree.	---
5. Yellow and red wasps (Polistes hebraeus and Vespa orientalis): They cause much more damage by feeding on ripe berries having thin skin and high sugar content.	Burn or smoke the wasp nests in hedges, on trees, etc., at sunset. On a small scale, the damage by wasps can be avoided by covering the bunches with muslin cloth.
6. Mealybugs (Nipaecoccus viridis and Maconellicoccus hirsutus): They are active in grapevine orchards during July-October. Nipaecoccus viridis,   being the major species, causes damage to twigs, branches, leaves, and fruits,   while Maconellicoccus hirsutus is active on tender shoots.	See under citrus.
7. Chafer beetle: Chafer beetle or white grub, Holotrichia consanguinea, is a key pest of grapes in Punjab. Adult beetles appear with breaks of the monsoon and feed on leaves at night and hide during the day in the soil.  In case of a severe attack, fruits are also scraped near the apical end. Eggs are laid in the soil, grubs feed on roots and other organic matter, and sometimes the grubs feeding on roots cause the death of young trees	(i)              Clean cultivation helps in reducing the beetle population. (ii)             Ploughing around the trees during winter helps to expose and kill the hibernating pupae and adults. Birds also feed on exposed pupae and adults. (iii)            Irrigate the orchard as per the recommended schedule, as it prevents the beetles from egg laying and also kills grubs and adults of the beetle. (iv)            Fix Anisole-based PAU Chafer Beetle Trap @12 traps/acre at ground level during the last week of April for mass trapping of adult Chafer beetles. Recharge the traps if required.

B. Diseases

Disease and symptoms	Control
1. Anthracnose or Die-back (Elsinoe ampelina): Small light brown spots appear on young leaves, which later enlarge, turn dark brown and give a shothole appearance.  In a severe attack, early defoliation occurs.  Dark brown sunken spots with raised margins develop on new shoots/canes, leading to their death from the tip backwards.  Similar spots appear on the laterals of clusters.  Under conditions favourable for the disease, dark brown depressed spots also appear on berries.	(i)              Prune the shoots and canes during January-February and give one dormant spray of Bordeaux mixture after pruning using 125 litres of water/acre. (ii)             Spray with Bordeaux mixture in the last week of March using 250 litres of water/acre. (iii)            Spray Bavistin 50 WP @ 500 g/acre in the last week of April using 500 litres of water. (iv)            Spray Bordeaux mixture in the last week of May in 500 litres of water/acre. (v)             Spray Score 25 EC @500 ml in mid July and Bordeaux mixture in end July using 500 litres of water /acre. (vi)            Spray Score 25 EC @ 500 ml in mid-August and Bordeaux mixture at the end of August in 500 litres of water/acre. (vii)           Spray Score 25 EC @ 500 ml in mid-September and Bordeaux mixture at the end of September using 500 litres of water / acre.
2. Cercospora Leaf Spot (Cercospora spp.): It manifests as a necrotic small area on leaves with straw coloured centre and reddish brown margins.	Spray the fungicides as recommended for Anthracnose.
3. Downy mildew: (Plasmopara viticola): Light yellow oily spots appear on the upper surface of leaves, which on the lower surface are covered with white downy growth of the pathogen. Later, the spots become brown and brittle. Leaves with many active spots drop prematurely.  The disease starts appearing in the nursery and on the grown-up vines in March-April. After the rainy season, i.e., August-September, it may assume serious proportions and continue to appear in humid weather.  It affects tendrils and fresh growth of the shoots also.	Same as for Anthracnose

 

4. Powdery mildew (Uncinula necator): White powdery growth of the fungus on leaves, tender branches, and berries. The disease infects all aerial parts of the vines. On leaves, white powdery patches appear, which enlarge, coalesce, and become dirty white at a later stage. In southwestern Punjab, it appears in the form of yellowish diffused spots on the upper surface of the leaves, and its presence is felt when it appears on the berries as dirty white growth.

Spray the vines with 0.25% Wetable sulphur (1.25 kg) or spray Bayleton @ 200 g or Topas 10EC @ 200 ml in 500 litres of water in mid March, last week of April, and first week of May.

5. Rotting of berries (Black mould rot, blue mould rot, etc.) is caused by various kinds of air-borne fungi, such as Botrytis, Rhizopus, Aspergillus, Penicillium spp., and yeast. Grape berries are attacked when still on the vines. The wasps aid in injuring the berries and releasing the juice which serves as  substrate for the growth of fungi.  In Perlette, which has compact bunches, the growth pressure ruptures some berries, and the released juice flows into other berries where the fungi grow.

(i)              For Perlette, practise the thinning of bunches as recommended under quality improvement. (ii)             Use insecticides or repellants to guard against wasps and other insects causing injuries to berries, as given under recommendations for insect pests