• Rhizoctonia solani

  after the formation of an infection cushion. Dispersal is by rain, water, machinery and tools and in soil particles and via movement of plant parts. The fungus [...] but they vary in size and colour and are therefore not a good feature to determine the cause of the disease. Life cycle and appearance of Thanatephorus [...] phytophthora root rot and black leg. Damage symptoms The symptoms caused by Thanatephorus cucumeris depend on the time of infection. In general, the fungus

• Grey mould

  Botrytis cinerea ) is part of the foot rot complex, which causes rotting of the foot and may cause death of the plants. In cucumber and tomato the fungus causes [...] fungus in many environments. It survives in plant parts like bulbs and crop residues or as sclerotia (drought- and cold-resistant structures) in the soil [...] plants or plant parts in a closed plastic bag In tomato: prune with a knife and not by hand, to avoid rugged, irregular wound surfaces In cucumber: remove dead

• Western flower thrips

  patches on leaves and the black dots of their excreta indicate their presence in the crop. The vigour of the plant is reduced by loss of chlorophyll. When [...] vegetable and ornamental crops in greenhouses, and on various weeds. It is an especially significant pest in cucumber, sweet pepper, eggplants, and many ornamental [...] sometimes found in cucumber crops. In many ornamental crops, even very low numbers of thrips can cause damage by transmitting viruses, or by reducing aesthetic

• Spotted Wing Drosophila

  start of its invasion in 2008/2009, the spotted wing drosophila, which is originally from Asia, has spread extensively in North and South America and Europe [...] are small, 2-3 mm in lengthg, and have a wingspan of 6-8 mm. Males are smaller than females. They can be easily distinguished from males of other Drosophila [...] punctures made by the oviposition by D. suzukii exposes fruits to secondary pathogens (e.g. bacteria, fungi and yeasts). Finally, deterioration of fruit can

• Cotton leafworm

  species feeding on plants of 40 families, containing 87 species of economic importance. It originates in Egypt, and is currently found in Africa, the Canary Islands [...] Middle East and parts of Mediterranean Europe including the Balearic Islands, Madeira and the Azores. Damage symptoms Most of the damage is caused by the older [...] littoralis ) also attacks the young grains in the ear. Life cycle and appearance of Cotton leafworm Each adult female of the cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis)

• Vine mealybug

  growth and causing deformation and / or yellowing of leaves, sometimes followed by defoliation. The overall effect is a reduction of photosynthesis and therefore [...] the yield. Flowers and fruit often drop off. Plant sap is rich in sugars, but low in proteins. In order to gain an adequate intake of protein, mealybugs [...] stages: egg, first, second and third instar nymph, prepupa, pupa and adult. The eggs are golden-yellow in color and are deposited in an cottony egg sac (ovisac)

• Whitefly

  wasps are key in reducing whitefly populations by parasitizing larvae and host feeding. Predatory mites and bugs feed on eggs and larvae of whiteflies. [...] common in greenhouse settings and in agricultural fields. They feed on the sap of plants, which can cause damage to the leaves and stunting of growth. [...] leaves and stems of infested plants. Sooty mold: Honeydew can also promote the growth of a black, sooty mold that can cover the leaves and stems of infested

• Glasshouse potato aphid

  with lumpy leaves and curled leaf margins. The immediate effects of piercing by the aphids are visible in lower leaves in the form of yellow patches. Heavy [...] presence in the crop. The wingless adult stage of the greenhouse potato aphid is rather squat, of medium size (1.8 - 3.0 mm long) and oval in shape. It [...] brown-green colour, and has an overall shiny appearance. Antennae are marked by a number of darker bands, and their length exceeds that of the body. The legs

• Thrips

  largest species found in the tropics. In temperate regions they are not larger than 2.5 mm. All thrips species that cause damage in green-houses belong to [...] or transparent in color and have a similar shape to the adults but are smaller and lack wings. One of the most distinctive features of thrips larvae is [...] Biological control of thrips Thrips are among the most challenging pests in greenhouse and field crops. Their feeding and virus transmission cause leaf

• Grapevine powdery mildew

  mechanical damage and stress Weakened shoot growth affecting canopy structure and fruit support Flower and cluster symptoms Infection of flowers and young clusters [...] bodies) attached in the bark crevices and plant debris. In spring, chasmothecia release ascospores during periods of favorable temperature and moisture, initiating [...] flowers, and grape clusters, causing yield losses, reduced fruit quality, and increased risk of bunch rot. Powdery mildew thrives under warm and humid c