Berries dry on grapes what to do. Reasons why grape berries dry

To grow a vineyard on your plot is, perhaps, many gardeners dream about. But you will need to work hard, since this plant must be treated in a timely manner from various infections and pests. Nevertheless, brown spots on the bunches of grapes are not uncommon, even taking into account the timely replenishment. Why grape berries rot and dry, and how to prevent it - this is what you need to understand before starting your vineyard.

Main reasons

If dark spots appear on the grapes, then the key factor that caused this result is not always the same. For example, if your vineyard has been affected by infectious diseases, the pathogens may be fungi, viruses or pests. Much also depends on the characteristics of your care.

Frequent mistakes can become, if not the key cause of an illness, then at least contribute to it. We must not forget about possible mechanical damage to the branches and foliage of the plant, as well as about the climatic conditions in your particular region. All this as a whole can cause the development of certain ailments. If dots or specks appear on the berries, it's time to figure out what exactly you are dealing with this time.

Infectious diseases

When pathogenic microorganisms get on the foliage or grapes, the disease begins to develop rapidly. Soon you will notice how small spots on the fruits increase in diameter, and the berries become lethargic, turn black and dry out. Interestingly, there can be several ways to infect shrubs. Spores are not necessarily transferred from a diseased plant to a healthy plant.

Sometimes fungi and other harmful microorganisms get on grapes with the help of animals, human clothing or water. If the green fruits of the grapes turn black, be sure to consider the most common ailments of an infectious nature:

  • mildew or downy mildew. These microorganisms can easily overwinter on plant debris, and with the onset of spring, their spores are carried by the wind. This disease primarily causes serious harm to the grapes. They soon begin to darken, and the foliage curls and can dry out;
  • anthracnose. With the development of this disease, absolutely all parts of the bush wither and dry out. Initially, the foliage and shoots of the plant are covered with brown spots with a dark border. If the stem of the bush has suffered from anthracnose, it is recommended to cut and burn all the affected areas as soon as possible. If this is not done, the plant will lose up to 70% of its foliage;
  • black spot. If the grapes turn black soon after the rain, it is obvious that this ailment was the cause. In the future, it will spread to foliage and shoots. You can correct the situation with Bordeaux liquid. Shrubs are sprayed with it.

Knowing what to do if dark spots appear on the grapes, and the leaves change color or dry out, you can save your plants from death.

Non-communicable diseases

Let's say the grapes began to turn black and dry. The cause is not always an infectious disease. Sometimes it turns out to be the mistakes you made in caring for the plants. For example, excessively bending the ridges of a shrub will help them dry out. The lack of moisture affects the grapes not in the best way. That is why watering the plant during the growing season is mandatory.

The unfavorable factors also include heavy soils. If yellowish spots appear on the leaves of the grapes, it is quite possible that this is non-infectious chlorosis. You will be able to eliminate the problem if you timely apply mineral fertilizers to the soil.

Grape cure

When the reasons for the drying up of the vineyards have been clearly identified by you, it's time to start treating the ailment. The optimality of a particular method will depend on the disease itself. For example, if your shrubs have been infected with mildew, they must be uprooted and then burned without fail. Otherwise, the disease will spread to healthy grape bushes.

Let's say your vineyard is affected by black spot. In this situation, it is much easier and cheaper to start prophylactic treatment of the plant in a timely manner. For this, special fungicides are used, with which the grapes are sprayed at least twice a season. So that black spot does not become your problem anymore, it is worth adhering to the key recommendation: unnecessary or damaged plant shoots are immediately removed, and the cut sites are treated with a special tool.

Anthracnose is difficult to get rid of, so prevention is the best solution for you.

It is recommended to spray the bushes twice during the growing season (before the beginning of the flowering phase and in the process of fruit ripening). Do not forget that the treatment will be effective if you apply medicine after rains. When it is time to harvest, it is better to postpone the spraying of the bushes. But if the problem has not been completely eliminated, it is recommended to continue treatment in the autumn period.

Prophylaxis

Blackened bunches of grapes are far from the most desirable result for any grower. However, if an infectious disease already affects the entire shrub, it is difficult to cure it. Therefore, experts, as a rule, recommend timely preventive treatment. For this, special preparations or Bordeaux liquid are used.

Monitor the condition of your vineyard from the very beginning of the growing season. Examine the bunches and foliage of the plant regularly for blackheads, spots, or dried parts. If you devote enough time to this, then you will not need to look for ways to treat infectious or non-infectious ailments. Save the grapes from rot, and you can enjoy their taste.

Video "Diseases of grapes and the fight against them"

In this video, you will learn about grape diseases and how to treat them.

Video: Diseases and pests of grapes. Fighting them. Grapes 2016

Disease and pest infestation in the vineyard often causes serious damage to the vine. If the leaves dry on the grapes, the shoots wither and die off, this becomes a heavy loss for the grower. It is twice as big a misfortune when the brushes suffer, the berries dry up and a significant part of the harvest is lost. Moreover, the drying process can begin both immediately after setting the berries, and already during their ripening, accompanied by symptoms inherent in cultural diseases, and proceed for no apparent reason.

Video: Grape berry. Sunburn. Grapes 2015

Why do berries dry on grapes? There are many reasons for the loss of bunches. Most often, growers identify diseases caused by pathogenic fungi.

Downy mildew is in the first place in terms of harmfulness, affecting not only the ridges and clusters of grapes, but also the green mass, new and perennial shoots. The fungus, penetrating into the tissues of the plant, prevents the flow of food and moisture. Infected parts of the vines, including brushes and ripening berries, dry out and die.




- this is not the only problem that threatens the loss of the harvest. There are other diseases of grape berries, photos with the effect of which on the vine clearly prove the degree of danger and the need to combat them. Insect pests can cause serious damage to the crop, there is a risk of loss of berries and in case of insufficient vineyard care.

Dry-handed grapes

Called by the fungus Eutypa lata the disease of the vine is widespread in all wine-growing regions, where winters cannot be called mild, and is especially damaging in seasons with high rainfall.

Video: Grapes Sunburn on Berries

Since the pathogenic fungus is able to penetrate the tissues of not only grapes, but also many other horticultural and fruit crops, this complicates the fight against the manifestations of the disease and its spread. The disease affects not only shoots and berries, changes in the wood caused by the fungus are clearly visible in the photo of the grape disease. The disease especially affects adult grape bushes, aged from 8 years, and the symptoms of dry-handedness become evident when the plant at the beginning of summer gives an increase of 20-25 cm in length.

Shoots and leaves are stunted, oh, the size and color are different from healthy ones. The leaves dry on the grapes, and then necrosis affects the affected shoots. The set berries dry up or stop growing, and remain small until the end of the growing season.

Spotted anthracnose grape

One of the reasons why grapes dry out may be anthracnose. The peak of infection with this serious disease occurs during wet periods, and the pest is active not only in warm weather, but in the range of 2-30 ° C.

Manifestations of anthracnose are often mistaken for mechanical damage to berries and shoots caused by hail. But the weather has nothing to do with it.

Rounded necrotic spots with a brown-black border are the zones of penetration of harmful fungi. Such spots can merge, the dried-up affected tissues inside them are destroyed, and the young leaves drying on the grapes seem to be burnt.

Many gardeners grow grapes in their area, which is a real treasure for the content of useful vitamins and minerals that our body needs so much. They are not even stopped by the many difficulties they have to face, including the manifestation of various diseases. As a result, the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off. In this regard, it is important to understand why grapes dry up and determine the main reasons before it is too late.

When breeding grapes, it is necessary to take into account many factors and characteristics for its normal development and growth. To preserve the crop, it is necessary to determine the reasons why the cuttings and leaves of the plant dry and what to do in this case. This can be influenced by many factors. In this regard, the methods of struggle can also be different.

Causes

In order to choose the right method for treating grapes, it is necessary to understand the reason why its leaves and cuttings dry. Depending on this, it will become clear what to do next. The berry culture does not tolerate low temperatures, so those who live in the northern regions are most often faced with grape diseases.

Many gardeners cover the bushes for the winter to protect them from the cold. But in some cases, it can do more harm than good. Under such protection, the air usually stagnates, and this leads to an increase in the level of humidity. In such favorable conditions, with poor ventilation, various fungi begin to appear and actively multiply.

A berry can catch an infection if basic rules are not followed:
wrong soil composition;

  • insufficient watering;
  • little light;
  • lack of heat.

This leads not only to the dropping of leaves and fruits, but also the plant itself is significantly weakened.

A diseased plant can pose a serious threat to still healthy bushes, as fungi, viruses and bacteria are carried by the wind. In some cases, the problem is solved by replacing the affected plants with more resistant varieties. If you do not take any action, you can lose the entire vineyard. The most common fungal and viral diseases are, and others.

Low nitrogen

Another most common reason why vine cuttings dry out is due to insufficient nitrogen in the soil. This is manifested as follows - the leaves begin to gradually brighten, and then dry completely. The way out of this situation will be the introduction. You can use special compounds purchased from a store or fertilize the land with cow, chicken manure.

Pests

Uninvited small guests can also be the reason why grape leaves and cuttings dry out. Other insects can be noted among the most frequent visitors. Some of them are so small that they can only be seen under a magnifying glass. If these pests are found, it is necessary to immediately treat the plant with insecticides. If ticks are found, they need to be dealt with with acaricides. They can be recognized by their yellow-red hue, and their habitats mainly fall on the lower part of the leaves.

Some of the most dangerous diseases

The reasons why grape cuttings and leaves dry up lie not only in improper care. This can be due to diseases, among which there are the most dangerous.

Chlorosis

In addition to poor climatic conditions, grape cuttings with leaves can dry out due to damage to the plant by some disease. The most dangerous of them is considered. It appears when the soil is rich in carbonate compounds. The disease manifests itself in the form of yellowing of the soft parts of the leaves, which fall off over time. And if new leaves grow in their place, then they are much smaller and very thin. In advanced cases, the disease has a bad effect on the fruits themselves - they become noticeably smaller. Chlorosis affects not only cuttings and leaves, the plant suffers completely.

The peak of the disease occurs in the spring or in the second half of the summer. As a good prevention of the disease, a regular procedure for loosening the soil is necessary. This helps to evaporate excess moisture and improve air exchange in the soil.

Spring Fever

The most common fungal disease is, which is found in almost any region where grapes are grown. Infection occurs in spring, and the reason why the leaves turn yellow and dry is the fungus Botrytis cinerea. A warm and humid environment is favorable for its occurrence.
First of all, the disease affects the cuttings and leaves, on which you can see a gray fluffy bloom. If you shake them off slightly, it crumbles. As a result, the fungus quickly spreads to healthy parts of the plant. It is especially hard for grapes that are just beginning to ripen or are already ripe.

Under the influence of the fungus, the berries acquire a brown hue and quickly rot. And such fruits are no longer suitable for consumption.
Fighting the disease is easy. To do this, it is necessary to cut off and burn all the affected parts of the plant. Then the bush should be sprayed with a solution of baking soda at the rate of a teaspoon per liter of water. Liquid green soap works too. But the best solution would be to purchase seedlings resistant to this disease, which are already available.

Despite the danger, the fungus can be beneficial.

When the fungus infects a berry on the eve of harvest, it allows the production of elite class dessert wines (Tokay, Sauternes). Due to the action of the fungus, the skin of the grapes quickly collapses. This contributes to an increase in the sugar level in the fruit juice. Therefore, in some cases, the fungus is applied to the bunches intentionally.

The most dangerous fungus

One more a dangerous fungal disease is named - known about but to anyone who grows grapes. The affected plant is visible immediately - spots can be seen on the leaves, which acquire a pale yellow or light green tint. Over time, these spots increase, and their color
it changes from light and green to red. At the same time, a powdery white bloom can be seen on the underside of the leaves.

The fungus "moves" very quickly, rapidly forming new spores, and infects neighboring plants. In addition to leaves, berries, stems and roots are at risk.
Fight with such a disease should be even before the first signs of infection appear, in order to avoid loss of labor. First of all, the grapes must be planted in suitable conditions. That is, the place should be well ventilated and located away from the lowlands, where moisture usually accumulates. Regular watering, groundbait, loosening the soil, mulching are good prevention against this disease. It will also not hurt to carry out chemical treatment of the plant. Planting dill around grapes also helps.

If the plant is already infected, then it can be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture (1%) or Ridomil-gold. Spraying should be stopped only 30 days before harvesting. In general, if frequent cases of mildew damage to plants are noticed in the area of ​​residence, choose plant varieties that are resistant to this disease.

Red disease

Rubella has been known since the time when grapes were grown. It is usually non-infectious and usually occurs in hot weather, more commonly in July. The leaves take on a bright red hue, which indicates a lack of potassium. The situation can be corrected by the timely introduction of potassium nitrate (1%). If nothing is done, the grapes will die, and then there can be no question of any harvest.

Rubella of an infectious nature is acquired due to the influence of the marsupial fungus ascomycete. You can fight infection chemically using fungicides. The main thing is that the harmful effects of these drugs are safe for humans and animals. Some remedies affect only the affected parts of the plant themselves (Rovral, Omite). Others affect the entire plant as a whole (Quadris, Bayleton, Fundazol). And there are those that differ in the combined combination of the first two types of drugs (Karbis Top, Gold, Reed).

Biological agents are not toxic, but have a short-term effect. For this reason, they are good only at the initial stage of fungal attack. Among many biological products, Gaupsin has proven itself well, the effectiveness of which is 90% and is effective for two weeks. Moreover, it is completely safe for both humans and all animals and insects.
Along with these methods, timely removal and burning of damaged plant parts, cutting off excess branches and leaves, and other preventive measures help.

Preventive measures

It will not be possible to completely protect grapes from the occurrence of diseases, but all risks can be minimized. So what should you do? First of all, it is worth buying shoots only in specialized stores where healthy seedlings are sold. This will prevent disease during the first 2-3 years.

Grapes do not tolerate careless handling, they need regular and proper care, which includes regular watering and loosening of the soil. This contributes to normal air exchange in the ground.

Fertilization is also a prerequisite. It is not at all necessary to purchase expensive formulations, it is enough to use natural fertilizers (cow or chicken manure).

It is necessary to regularly inspect the plant and, if insects are found, to carry out processing with special compounds in a timely manner.

During the inspection, you can cut off excess branches and leaves, which also improves air exchange and protects against fungi.

Conclusion

As you can understand, there are many reasons why grapes dry out. This mainly happens due to the defeat of some kind of disease. Therefore, before starting to cultivate this garden crop, you should take a closer look at resistant varieties of plants, which will avoid the harmful effects of various fungi and bacteria. Nowadays, in almost any city, such varieties are bred in sufficient quantities. Therefore, there will be no problems with the purchase of seedlings or seeds.

But if you regularly take care of the grapes and take timely measures, then no diseases are terrible for him. In this case, a good harvest will be all year round.

If the grapes are affected by any disease, their yield is significantly reduced. Damage and death of plant shoots is a serious damage to the vine. The pathological process can begin during the ripening of the fruit or before and proceed without visible signs.

Causes of blackening of grapes

All plant diseases can be divided into two types: infectious and non-infectious.

Infectious pathologies - when grapes become infected from other diseased crops with fungal, bacterial or viral pathogens. In the presence of favorable conditions, pathogenic microorganisms rapidly invade healthy bushes. Infectious diseases lead to depletion and a decrease in the fertility of the bushes, in severe cases - to the death of the entire vineyard.

Non-infectious diseases - when there is no transmission of the pathological process from diseased cultures to healthy ones. The main causes of these types of pathologies are unfavorable environmental factors (hail, hurricane, frost, heavy rains), unsuitable soil and improper plant care. Signs of infection of bushes with an ailment of a non-infectious nature:

Non-communicable diseases also negatively affect crop fertility and crop quality.

Infectious diseases

Most often, grapes turn black due to infectious diseases. Some of the most common ailments include:


Waste products of pathogenic microorganisms can be transferred not only from an infected culture to a healthy one, but also with the help of animals, human clothing and water. Infectious agents cause the death of the entire vineyard.

It is important to know the causes and symptoms of pathologies in order to timely determine the disease and begin to fight it.

Mildew

Mildew is the most common vineyard disease. European varieties of culture are especially susceptible to the disease. The causative agent of mildew is a powdery mildew mushroom. It develops in fallen leaves throughout the winter. The spores of the fungus penetrate the leaves of healthy plants through soil and water. Fungi are resistant to frost and damp because they have thick walls.

The speed of propagation of mildew depends on temperature conditions. If the ambient temperature is about 25 degrees, then the spores leave the shell and after 5 hours penetrate the foliage. The incubation period of the disease depends on the time of year:


Spores that have penetrated the leaves of the plant cause stains on them. Even an inexperienced gardener is able to notice pathological changes. Initially, the affected parts of the grapes have light, shiny spots. The size of the formations increases in size over time, and under the spots, on the back of the leaves, a light bloom forms - mycelium.

Oidium

The second most common grape ailment is caused by the fungus Uncinula necator Burr. The primary symptoms of infection are invisible to the naked eye. Then a white bloom appears on the leaves of the grapes. Fungi do not need moisture for reproduction, the main condition is a suitable ambient temperature - from 5 to 30 degrees. Therefore, the disease progresses during the dry season or after the end of a warm winter.


You can understand that a grape is infected with a fungus by the appearance of its leaves. On top of them, a raid of a pale gray hue appears. When the plaque is erased, the plant will begin to spread a putrid odor. It should be noted that only young vineyards suffer from the disease. Bushes, on which fruits have already formed, are resistant to powdery mildew.

The incubation period of the fungi Uncinula necator Burr lasts from 1 to 2 weeks. The higher the air temperature, the faster they progress. Mold spreads especially quickly in those areas of grapes that are not sufficiently ventilated.

Fungi of the pathogen actively spread in the spring, when the air temperature warms up to 8 degrees.

During this time, they carry their spores with the wind, insects and raindrops. Spores caught on a plant can germinate into its cells only under certain conditions:


The leaves of the plant are affected by black rot mainly in June. Young bushes are especially susceptible to the disease. Their green parts are rapidly covered with black blotches of a rounded shape. The edges of the affected areas harden, resembling scabs in appearance. Gradually, symptoms of infection appear on the crests of the plant, its inflorescences and fruits.

Anthracnose

Another reason for the blackening of grapes is the fungal disease anthracnose. It spreads with heavy rains, hail, actively multiplying in a humid environment. The increased activity of fungi is observed at temperatures from 2 to 30 degrees. In one season, anthracnose can give up to 30 generations.

Young leaves of grapes are affected by the disease through mechanical damage. Anthracnose has its own distinctive features:


Gardeners often confuse these symptoms with hail damage. The main difference is that when a disease occurs, the edges of the black spots rise.

Bacterial cancer

This ailment is feared by gardeners around the world. Since the disease affects almost all grape varieties, leading to their blackening and death. Bacterial cancer is especially common in cooler regions. The culprit of the disease is the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

There are many reasons why a plant becomes infected with bacterial cancer:


Cutting the outgrowths with subsequent processing does not work. Spreading bacterial cancer cannot be cured by any means. The best solution in this case is to uproot the affected bush and burn it.

No other crops should be planted in place of an infected plant for 5 years.

Non-communicable diseases

Non-infectious pathologies are manifested most often due to non-compliance with the rules for caring for crops. Diseases of a non-infectious nature arise from:


All these factors negatively affect the life of the grape bushes. But unlike infectious diseases, they are easily eliminated without the use of means for processing and disinfecting plants.

Bending and drying of ridges

Some types of grapes with large varieties of berries are prone to this state - hybrids. It is easy to avoid creases if you provide the bush with support on an arch or a gazebo. So the hanging bunches can develop well, and the load on the branches will be evenly distributed.


If the plant does not show signs of infection by fungi or bacteria, but still turns black, you can suspect drying out of its ridges. Drying of the ridges does not extend to neighboring crops and is most often associated with insufficient moisture ingress to ripening fruits.

Covering bushes in winter can lead to drying of the ridges. Under the cover, the plant is poorly supplied with oxygen and is constantly in conditions of high humidity.

Non-infectious chlorosis

The disease occurs due to a lack of iron in the soil. Sometimes the element is present in sufficient quantities in the soil, but it is poorly absorbed by crops. Frequent feeding provoke an excess of potassium in the soil and it begins to displace other useful trace elements - magnesium and calcium.


The reaction of iron and excess calcium makes the former indigestible for crops.

The disease also provokes the accumulation of hydrogen sulfide in the soil. Most often, vineyards located on heavy soils, which poorly receive oxygen, suffer from the disease. Impaired air exchange causes weakening of the bushes. The berries on it begin to peas without ripening. Such bushes die in the winter. Untimely measures lead to the death of the entire crop, because the composition of the soil is the same throughout the entire crop planting area.

Treatment methods

Grapes turn black quickly, and you need to know what to do to prevent the putrefactive process. Culture treatment interventions will depend on the type of disease.

Mildew treatment


For the purpose of prevention, healthy bushes are treated with drugs:

  • Cuproskat;
  • Strobe;
  • Antrakol.

To prevent mildew from damaging the vineyard, the soil is fertilized with potassium and phosphorus. Stepchildren are removed from the grape vine, so that all its strength is spent on ripening the fruit.

Oidium treatment

This type of fungus can no longer tolerate a constant supply of fresh air. Therefore, simple agrotechnical methods will help to remove oidium:


When treating oidium, grapes are sprayed with drugs: Thanos, Horus, Topaz. This reduces the spread of fungi.

Black spot treatment

In order to prevent the development of the disease, preventive spraying is carried out in early spring. For the procedure, fungicides are used. The procedure is repeated 2 times during the season, combining it with the treatment of powdery mildew and mildew.

The basic rule for the prevention of black spot is the timely removal of shoots.

The cut sites are treated with solutions so that in the future they do not become vulnerable to the fungus.

Anthracnose treatment

The disease is difficult to treat. But with regular treatments, the likelihood of its development decreases. For spraying bushes use:


Processing is carried out after heavy rains. Twice the grapes are treated with fungicides - before flowering and during fruit ripening.

The general treatment regimen is as follows:

  • before the appearance of buds, the grapes are sprayed with preparations containing copper;
  • before flowering vines, plants are treated with Topaz or Strobi preparations to protect against mildew and iodium;
  • after a few weeks, the bushes are sprayed from insect pests with Quadris or Bi 58;
  • unripe fruits are treated with fungicides;
  • during the dyeing of the berries, they refuse chemical treatments of the plant.

If there is an unfavorable infectious background, the treatment of crops is continued after the harvest.

Disease and pest infestation in the vineyard often causes serious damage to the vine. If the leaves dry on the grapes, the shoots wither and die off, this becomes a heavy loss for the grower. It is twice as big a misfortune when the brushes suffer, the berries dry up and a significant part of the harvest is lost. Moreover, the drying process can begin both immediately after setting the berries, and already during their ripening, accompanied by symptoms inherent in cultural diseases, and proceed for no apparent reason.

Why do berries dry on grapes? There are many reasons for the loss of bunches. Most often, growers identify diseases caused by pathogenic fungi.

Downy mildew is in the first place in terms of harmfulness, affecting not only the ridges and clusters of grapes, but also the green mass, new and perennial shoots. The fungus, penetrating into the tissues of the plant, prevents the flow of food and moisture. Infected parts of the vines, including brushes and ripening berries, dry out and die.

Mildew is not the only crop loss problem. There are other diseases of grape berries, photos with the effect of which on the vine clearly prove the degree of danger and the need to combat them. Insect pests can cause serious damage to the crop, there is a risk of loss of berries and in case of insufficient vineyard care.

Dry-handed grapes

Called by the fungus Eutypa lata the disease of the vine is widespread in all wine-growing regions, where winters cannot be called mild, and is especially damaging in seasons with high rainfall.

Since the pathogenic fungus is able to penetrate the tissues of not only grapes, but also many other horticultural and fruit crops, this complicates the fight against the manifestations of the disease and its spread. The disease affects not only shoots and berries, changes in the wood caused by the fungus are clearly visible in the photo of the grape disease. The disease especially affects adult grape bushes, aged from 8 years, and the symptoms of dry-handedness become evident when the plant at the beginning of summer gives an increase of 20-25 cm in length.

Shoots and leaves are stunted, oh, the size and color are different from healthy ones. The leaves dry on the grapes, and then necrosis affects the affected shoots. The set berries dry up or stop growing, and remain small until the end of the growing season.

Spotted anthracnose grape

One of the reasons why grapes dry out may be anthracnose. The peak of infection with this serious disease occurs during wet periods, and the pest is active not only in warm weather, but in the range of 2-30 ° C.

Manifestations of anthracnose are often mistaken for mechanical damage to berries and shoots caused by hail. But the weather has nothing to do with it.

Rounded necrotic spots with a brown-black border are the zones of penetration of harmful fungi. Such spots can merge, the dried-up affected tissues inside them are destroyed, and the young leaves drying on the grapes seem to be burnt.

The disease infects all aboveground green plant organs, including the brushes. The grape disease, in the photo, presents the greatest danger to berries before flowering, when the whole brush is affected, as well as before the harvest ripens. As the disease progresses, spots characteristic of the disease form on the ovaries and ridges, after the growth of which the brush withers all or partly.

Verticillary wilting of the vine

Verticillium, namely the causative agent of this disease, the pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae, penetrates the roots through the soil and, multiplying, disrupts the supply of moisture to the shoots and clusters of grapes. The disease of grape berries, as in the photo, more often and more strongly affects young plants, and its external manifestations can become visually noticeable only a year or two after infection.

The vineyard suffers the most severe damage when the bushes are under high stress. This is more often observed with a lack of moisture, elevated air temperature and the beginning of ripening of berries. First, leaves that look like burnt dry on the grapes, then it is the turn of shoots and bunches. The clusters located in the lower tiers of the affected shoots dry, individual berries on the grapes dry, mummify and remain in this form on the bunches.

Buffalo leafhopper, which increasingly attacks vineyards, can inflict no less harm than pathogenic fungi.

An insect that feeds on plant juices makes characteristic ring-shaped lesions on the shoots and ridges, up to a centimeter long, as a result of which the grapes, which are not receiving enough nutrition, dry up, the shoots wither and die off.

The pest gives one generation per season. In the stage, leafhoppers larvae live and feed on grassy plants under vine bushes, and then adult insects climb the vine and begin their harmful activity.

The spread of the pest is facilitated by the abundance of vegetation near the grape bushes. A measure of the fight against a dangerous insect is a two-fold treatment of plants with benzophosphate. Such spraying should be carried out in June, and, in addition, removing weeds and planting beds with onions and garlic near the vineyard, which repels leafhoppers, will be a good prevention.


Bending of the ridges during berry ripening

An explanation of why berries dry on grapes can be the ripening bunches themselves, under whose weight the bunches bend, the supply of moisture and nutrients is disturbed and the fruits wither.

The risk of loss of yield for this reason is greatest for varieties and hybrids that form heavy large clusters.

You can avoid breaking the ridges and shoots bearing brushes if you grow a bush based on an arch or a gazebo. The brushes hanging down are not constrained and develop well, and the branches experience an even load and do not bend.

Drying grape ridges

If no apparent reasons, for example, symptoms of diseases of grape berries, as in the photo, are identified, and the brushes are not poured, and the berries are mummified, perhaps we should talk about drying out of the ridges.

This phenomenon, first noticed a little more than a century ago, has not yet been sufficiently studied; it has only been found out that a kind of paralysis, leading to a slowdown or arrest of the development of bunches, is associated with metabolic disorders and is of a local nature. The disease is not of an infectious nature, is not transmitted to other plants and may be associated with a violation of the ingress of moisture through the vessels of the ridge to the ripening berries. Indeed, it is in dry periods that paralysis, leading to the drying out of grapes, is most often manifested.

Symptoms preceding drying, in the form of brown dark spots at the branches of the ridge, become noticeable during the ripening period, when the berries accumulate from 7 to 12% sugar.

The tissues under the spots are affected to the depth of several layers of cells, and the lack of moisture aggravates the picture and necrosis covers all new areas. If the spot on the ridge loops back, the flow of moisture to the brush located below stops, and the isolated grapes dry out, wrinkle and lose their taste and marketability.

Drying of the grape ridges is dangerous not only with the loss of harvest, but also with the fact that mold and disease-causing fungi often settle in the affected areas, causing secondary infection of the culture.

No direct relationship was found between the frequency of drying of the ridges, the region of growth and the grape variety. But empirically, it was possible to determine that self-rooted bushes are less likely to be affected by this disease of grape berries, as in the photo, than grafted plants, especially on vigorous rootstocks.

Treatment of paralyzed bushes with fungicides or other plant protection products is ineffective. In some cases, when the grapes dry out, spraying the plantings with a 0.75 percent solution of magnesium chloride or 3 percent magnesium sulfate helps. Prophylaxis begins about a month before the onset of the probable onset of paralysis, and then two more sprays are carried out with an interval of 10 days.

As an effective prevention, when the berries begin to take on color and gain juice, the bunches and the surrounding area are treated with a 5% solution of magnesium sulfate.

However, the main means of combating the drying out of grape ridges, gardeners consider compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. Only with proper shaping and pruning of vines, the use of balanced fertilizing, including magnesium and a moderate amount of nitrogen, as well as with sufficient watering of the vineyard in combination with chemical treatment, can we talk about eliminating paralysis of the ridges and saving the crop.