Tomatoes grow well during warmer weather , and that is expected since they are subtropical plant native to westerly South America and Central America . In nerveless to temperate climates tomatoes are grown as annuals , since they start to decline as temperature drop in late autumn to early winter .
Often in mid to late summer , even if the plants are quite healthy , it ’s often observe that the lower leaf icteric and curl , then the leave discharge . The leafage loss tardily creeps upwards until the plant life is altogether defoliated , and with no leaves the plant quickly dies off .
This decline is not temperature related , it ’s because of a flyspeck pest , the tomato russet mite , which can be halt . By eliminating this pest , the productive time of year of tomato plants can be extend well into the cooler seasons , until they finally succumb to the moth-eaten weather .
Tomato Russet Mite
Thetomato russet mite(Aculops lycopersici ) , a member of theEriophyidaefamily of speck , is a tiny sap - sucking pest approximately 0.15 - 0.2 mm long and 0.05 millimeter wide . They are so little they are not visible to the unaided heart , and a handwriting lens or jeweller loupe is needed to see these mites .
They reproduce very quickly , and their populations can grow quite large in act before any damage is noticed . They do not grow the obtrusive mulct webbing which identifies the presence of red wanderer mite .
Plants Affected by Tomato Russet Mite
These pests snipe tomato , chilli and capsicum plants .
Symptoms
Tomato russet mites attack the scurvy leaves first , which yellow and curl , then dry and light off . The stems also discolour ( bronze ) from the pest attack . These mites move upwards to give as their population increases , and leaf deprivation cover moving upwards as a result .
As the sap is sucked from the plant , the green increment is weakened , florescence is reduced , and the industrial plant ’s overall wellness and vigour decline . If allow for untreated , the pestis will finally suck all the cosh from the entire plant and kill it .
Favourable Factors
The tomato plant russet soupcon populations spring up more rapidly under ardent , teetotal , windless conditions , making infestations worse . They prefer placement on target plants which provide them with adequate protection and humidity .
How the Pest Spreads
Due to their small size , tomato russet soupcon are spread by the wind , and are also persuade on clothing , in removed garden dust , on tool and machinery , and even on other pest dirt ball such as whitefly and aphids .
Management of Tomato Russet Mite
Tomato russet mite can be make out with both cultural control and constitutional - gardening approved chemical ascendance . Combining both increases the effectuality of pest control measure .
Cultural Controls
Cultural controls areintegrated pest management ( IPM)practices which cut off the environs of the disease , reducing establishment , replication , diffusion , and survival . These cultural practices are the most effective method acting presently useable for control of snowy foliage spot in constitutional farming systems .
The follow ethnic controls can be used to reduce tomato plant russet mite :
Chemical Controls
The tomato russet mite , and other pest tinge can be in effect controlled by usingwettable sulphur , a miticide which is approve for usance in organic horticulture .
Wettable sulphur is a colloidal shape of elementary sulphur that is designed to be sprayed . It is used to eradicate pest speck and is also used as a fungicide . It ’s a fine yellow-bellied - brown pulverisation which dissolves in water and is very effective at controlling this pestilence . From my own experience , after spraying , the leave fall ceases and the plant take on a healthier , green colour if they had a mottled dark-green colour previously .
How to Use Wettable Sulphur to Control Mites
Know the Difference Between Sulphur Garden Products
mention thatwettable sulphuris notthe same aslime sulphur , a liquid antifungal and pesticide which is used to spray fruit tree in winter .
farinaceous sulphuroragricultural sulphuris elemental S which is shuffle into the soil to reduce thesoil pHand make it more acidic . It ’s insoluble in water ( ca n’t be dissolved in water ) , and therefore can not be used for spraying . It ’s a grime amendment product and ca n’t be used to process tomato russet mite .
More article onGarden Pests , Diseases and Problems
Wettable sulphur fungicide and miticide
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Wettable sulphur is tan brown in appearance, and not bright yellow like elemental sulphur
