A kidney tick is dangerous for currants. Insects feed on the juice of the buds, winter in them, infecting plants in the spring again.
Pest Description
Tick length about 0.2 mm. Up to 3-8 thousand insects can be in one kidney. In early spring, pests lay eggs inside the kidneys. The intra-egg development of the larva lasts 6-12 days. After the appearance of flower brushes, the parasites are on the outside. The likelihood of infection of other plants increases significantly.
Pest Signs
At different times of the year, seasonal signs of infection can be recognized in the currant.
In spring and summer
The leaves of the annual processes acquire light shades, their surface becomes coarser, and at the top they become smaller and curl. The growth of shoots stops. Multiple thin shoots of a reddish color appear, similar in shape to a broom, which do not bloom, do not bear fruit, but consume a lot of nutrients and gradually deplete the plant. In the etiology of this pathological process lies a fungal or viral invasion.
The disease is incurable, as a result, the currant bush dies. Just a carrier of pathogenic microflora is a currant tick.
Fall
Tick-affected kidneys increase in volume, as if swelling, and look like a ragged cabbage. There are thousands of females in them, ready to lay eggs with the onset of spring.
The danger of kidney currant tick
The pest is a threat due to:
- direct effect on shoots - ticks feed on plant juices;
- spread of fungus and viral diseases dangerous for currants.
Kidney tick control measures
To get rid of the pest, the diseased kidneys are removed from the bush, the plants are processed, and the rules of agricultural technology are also observed. Control measures to increase their effectiveness may be combined.
Removal of buds and shoots
In early spring (in the middle or in the second half of April), when an enlarged kidney is found, infected shoots are cut and burned. After the destruction of the affected part of the plant, the bush gives a new healthy shoot. There are no pests in the land.
Bushes processing
Plant treatment involves the use of folk remedies, biological and chemical preparations, among which organophosphorus compounds are distinguished because of their high toxicity.
Folk remedies
Before the buds begin to bloom on the bushes, the plant can be treated with hot water. The optimum temperature is +80 ° C. One adult bush consumes one bucket of water. This is one of the most affordable and safe ways to deal with pest.
Currants are treated during flowering (second half of May) and after it with a lime-sulfur solution or a solution of a suspension of colloidal sulfur, for which 75 g of the suspension is dissolved in 10 l of water.
Common folk remedies for treating plants are infusions (the ingredients are mixed with 10 liters of water):
Name of infusion | Ingredients | The time of infusion, hours |
Garlic | 200 g chopped garlic | 3 |
Mustard | 200 g mustard powder | 8 |
Dandelion | 200 g of roots and 50 g of leaves, chopped in a meat grinder | 2 (mixing) |
Before use, the infusions are filtered.
Chemicals
Acaricides or insectoacaricides can be used (Apollo, Kontos). Spraying is carried out with an interval of 10 days two or three times. The air temperature should be above +5 ° C with low humidity and calm. Last in the period of budding.
Organophosphorus Compounds
Organophosphorus agents (Phosphamide, Nitrafen) are allowed to be used only after harvesting.
Biological preparations
Biological agents (Fitoverm, Aktofit) are effective at temperatures above +19 ° C in dry air and calm. Three treatments are recommended at seven-day intervals. It is useful to alternate and combine biological products with biofungicides.
In autumn, the bushes are sprayed with any acaricides.
Tick-borne Prevention
To avoid or minimize damage from a tick, you should follow simple rules:
- Plant seedlings in accordance with the recommended distance for them, avoiding thickening.
- Avoid proximity to gooseberries, which are also often attacked by ticks.
- Carry out preplant planting of seedlings:
- by soaking in water at a temperature of +45 ° C for 15 minutes;
- Actvertin (10 g per 10 l of water) or Colloidal sulfur (40 g per 10 l of water) for 20 hours.
- Follow the watering and fertilizer schedule.
- Plant garlic or onion next to the currant, volatile which have a repelling insect effect.
- Destroy any weeds, clipped branches, mite-affected buds, fallen leaves and old mulch.
- Use acaricides for prevention.
- To process the tools to exclude tick transfer during the transition to another bush.
Mr. Summer resident recommends: tick-resistant varieties of currants
Breeders resistant to kidney mite varieties of currants:
Title | Ripening time | Description |
Curiosity | Early ripe | It is characterized by high productivity and resistance to frost. Needs frequent watering. The berries are oval, sweet-sour with a dense skin. |
Selechenskaya | Frost and drought resistant. The fruits are large glossy, black, sweet, with a thin skin, weighing up to 5 g. | |
Kipiana | Mid-late | The berries are black, medium in size, sweetish-sour. |
Keen | Late ripening | The fruits are oval, large (weighing up to 8 g), refreshingly acid. Needs systematic pruning. |