eChapters

The fi rst symptom of disease appears in early spring soon after leaves come out of buds. Affected leaves become distorted and fold over as tips directed backwards. The whole lamina puckered except tip and blistered. In some leaves, part of leaf show distortion. Blistered portions are thicker, softer than the normal leaf blade. The affected areas remain green for a while and gradually become yellow and fi nally turn reddish-purple in colour. 

It is known by different names such as Ramularia leaf spot, rust, bird’s eye spot, grey spots, and white spot. It mostly attacks leaves but can also attack fruit stalks and also fruits.

The following special terms are used in grape cultivation:

1. Training: Consists chiefly in giving a shape to the vine to the various forms of support.
2. Pruning: Consists in removing canes, shoots, leaves diseased, unproductive and other vegetative parts of the vine.
3. Thinning: Thinning is the removal of flower cluster, immature fruit cluster or parts of cluster.
4. Shoots: Shoots are the current season’s top vegetative (succulent) growth arising from a bud after pruning.
5. Canes: Canes are the woody matured shoots.

The symptom appears as numerous, circular, light yellow to dark yellow spots on both the surfaces of leaves but is more prominent on the upper surface. The spot may coalesce to form large, irregular patches and soon entire leaf turns yellow and dries. Affected leaves appear as reddish-brown in colour. Excessive spotting destroys green tissues and becomes weak and yield reduced drastically

The disease appears as tumour like swelling or galls on leaf veins, leaf stalks, peduncles, stems and on fruits. The galls on the vein give a swollen and hanging appearance to the leaves. These are elongated, looks glossy in beginning but later rupture to become rough and corky. When stems remain succulent, numerous tumours may form on them. In severe case, the plant may kill prematurely.

In tomato seed extraction is the very important operation. Tomato seed can be extracted by following way.

1. Fermentation methods: Red ripe fruits should be picked and crushed in non metallic pots. Profuse foam formation indicates that fermentation is completed. Fermentation of seed material should not be prolonged beyond 72hr to get seed of high germination. Preferably the seed should be washed free of pulp after 48hr require temperature uses.
2. Acid treatment methods: In case of urgency seed may be washed by using 1.0 to 1.5 liters of 35 to 38% concentrated HCL/g tomato fruit pulp. Fermentation is completed in about 30 minutes. Clean seed are obtained by stirring and washing procedure are quickly as possible.
3. Alkali treatment methods: In case Alkalie 10% sodium bicarbonate is mixed in equal volume of pulp or 300 g washing soda dissolve in 4 liter of boiling water is sufficient for 4 liter fruit pulp.
4. Mechanical methods: It is used for large scale operations put the ripe fruits into the mechanical seed extractor for crushing and separation of the seed and gel from the pulp. By acid 0.8% solution of acetic acid for 24hr at or below 21⁰C (1kg seed/10 liter of acetic acid).

Purpose- One of the important operation for horticulture crops is raising of seedlings (vegetable, fruit trees, shrubs and flowering annuals). Seedlings are either directly planted as in the case of some vegetables, flowering annuals, shrubs and trees or may used as root stock as in the case of mango, citrus etc. For healthy and good stand of seedlings proper preparation of nursery beds is essential. Since large number of seedlings are raised in a consideration. The protection of seedlings from pest, diseases, strong sun and wind is very important. These factor will vary if seedlings are raised under Low Tunnel Polyhouse.

This crop is gaining importance as a main ingredient in Indian diet due to its medicinal properties. Large areas are under its cultivation and the larger fruited varieties have become very popular. It is one of the prime constituents in ayurvedic preparations
Bark-eating caterpillars - Indarbela quadrinotata, I. tertraonis: Metarbelidae
The larvae of this species make zigzag galleries and feed on the bark under silken ribbon- shaped webs. They are stout and dirty brown in colour.
Fruit- borer : Deudorix Isocrates : Lycaenidae: The larvae of this beautiful butterfly cause considerable damage (up to 42%) to fruits.  They start feeding while the fruit is tender, and growing. During severe infestations, chemical control may be warranted. This can be done by spraying contact insecticides like malathion, or dichlorvos or  fenvalerate or other synthetic pyrethroids.

Restricted pesticides for use

1. Aluminium phosphide Captafol
2. Carbaryl
3. Dieldrin
4. Methyl bromide
5. Ethylene dibromide (EDB)
6. Sodium cyanide
7. Lindane
8. Methyl parathion
9. Monocrotophos
10. Chlorbenzilate

Purpose: This test is conducted to determine the boldness and soundness of the seeds. The weight of a given number of seeds of different varieties or kinds will vary. This variation is due to boldness and soundness of the seeds. The seeds will vary according to the soil fertility, variety and other environmental conditions. Higher the weight of a variety per thousand seeds, better is the variety for cultivation.

Materials and equipments: Scale, balance and seeds.

Improved production technology is an integral part of hybrid seed production technology, which is a very high venture practice. This is because like several factors (climate, availability of parental lines and technical labour etc), success of hybrid seed production also depends on the success of crop management in the hybrid seed production field

Mealy bugs: Ferrisia virgata, Planococcous lilacinus, P. pacificus, Maconellicoccus hirsutus, Perisopneumon ferox: Pseudococcidae

The fruit is seen covered with a mealy coating due to colonies of small reddish-white mealy bugs. They also infest leaves, shoots and buds. Due to sucking of sap by nymphs and adult female mealy bugs, fruits remain small in size and become shrivelled. Large number of mealy bugs is seen in the tip of the petiole abd also on the grooves of fruits epicarp. The fruit also becomes blackish due to the development of sooty mould.

A. Concentrated Organic Manures

Stem-borer: Batocera rufomaculata, B. rubus, Olenecamptus bilobus:Cerambycidae

These are large dark brown adult beetles that lay eggs in loose bark.  Grubs bore into the trunk and make tunnels in branches and main trunks.  This causes drying and wilting of the branches. Adults of O. bilobus are pale whitish with long serrate antenna.
 
When bark is suspected to have the grubs, try mechanical removal of them. Paste the tree trunk with mud paste containing insecticides like chlorpyriphos or carbaryl. In endemic areas, spray the bark with Carbaryl 4gm /l, Malathion one ml/l, or Chlorpyriphos 2.5ml/l

Problem- Calculate the amount of farm yard manure, urea, single super phosphate and murate of potash for one hectare tomato crop which require 100, 60, 60 kg ha N, P, K respectively. 1/3 quantity of nitrogen should be given through farm yard manure and rest through chemical fertilizers

Important nurseries and seed merchants of Uttar Pradesh

1. Azad Nurseries, Laxmi Gate, Saharanpur.
2. American Seed Store, Ayodhya.
3. Ashoka Seed Farm (Regd.) Darwaja Road, Ayodhya
4. Beiz Nursery, Azmatgarh Palace, Varanasi.
5. Ganesh Bagh Nursery, Kamachchha, Varanasi.
6. Ram Das & Co. Kamachchha, Varanasi.

Shoot and fruit borer : Diaphania (Margaronia) caesalis :  Pyraustidae

The shoot-and fruit-borer D.caesalis is a major pest of jackfruit in India. The larvae are reddish brown with pale brown head and thin hairs from black warts. The caterpillars bore into the shoots, buds and fruits.  Affected shoots wilt or dry up and the fruits rot and drop. The adult is brown with grey elliptical patterns on the wings.

Fruit borers : Criptophlebia illepida, Rapala varuna, Deudorix epijarbas, D. Isocrates : Lycaenidae

Of the four species, C.illepida is more damaging to litchi fruits. The larvae bore into developing fruits and seeds, filling the bore-holes with excreta and the infested fruits start rotting.

Fruit –fly : Bactrocera dorsalis :Tephritidae

The process of egg laying and ovipunctures makes the fruits deformed. Feeding of maggots in the pulp induces rotting and fruit drop.

Bark-eating caterpillar : Indarbela quadrinotata

Severe damage on loquat due to I. quadrinotata was observed during October- November in Uttar Pradesh. There are some cultivars like  Thames Pride which are less susceptible.

Olive-scale: Metacernema japonica: Black scale: Saissetia oleae: Coccidae

Olive scales are tiny pale-greyish insects which settle on branches, leaves and fruits and are active during April-November. S. oleae are round greenish brown scales. Nymphs and adults of both the species suck the sap from the tender shoots, and leaf petioles. Sooty-mould appears on leaves and branches of infested plants as a consequence of honeydew secre-tion. Shoots get dried up and fruits remain undersized.