PEST OF ROSES
INTRODUCTION
• Hailed as the queen of flowers, the rose is native to Asia and is one of nature's
most beautiful creations.
• For thousands of years, the rose has symbolized love, adoration, innocence and
other Nobel virtues.
• It is certainly the most famous and popular of all cut flowers in the whole world.
Rose is used for worship, making garlands, flower arrangements and bouquets.
• Rose oil is included in Ayurvedic medicines, perfumes, soaps and cosmetics,
flavorings for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.
• Rose water is widely used for cooking and confectionery, especially in oriental
areas.
• It is also used to flavor wines, jams, jellies, cakes and syrups (Bose and Yadav,
1989). Pink flowers are popular landscape plants grown for their beauty.
MAJOR PESTES
Red Scale: Lindingaspis rossi (Coccidae : Hemiptera)
Damage symptoms
• Reddish brown waxy scales completely cover the stem especially on the lower portion of
the old stem and younger shoots.
• Tiny specks in scurvy like patches on the affected stems appear like spots of pox.
• The affected plant parts become disfigured, dry wither away. In case of severe infestation,
the entire plant dies.
Bionomics
• Female scales are wingless, comparatively larger and settle in a suitable feeding site,
whereas long winged males move to fertilize the female scale.
• Management
• Cut and burn affected branches
• Rub off scales from twigs with cotton soaked in kerosene or diesel.
• Spray malathion 50 EC or endosulfan 1.0 L in 500 - 750 L of water / ha
at the time of pruning and again during March- April or apply
carbofuran 3G 5g/plant or spray fish oil rosin soap 25 g /L
Rose thrips: Rhipiphorothrips cruentatus (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)
Distribution:
• Cosmopolitan
Host range:
• Grapes,rose
• Lagestoemia indica
• Punica granatum.
Damage symptoms :
• Nymph and adult lacerates leaves from the under surface of the leaves and flower
buds.
• As a result white streaks appear on the infested leaves. Leaves show brown patches
and get distorted, finally wither and drop down.
• Infested flowers do not open, flowers fade and drop down prematurely
Bionomics :
• Adults are blackish brown and nymphs are reddish in colour. Eggs are
inserted into the tissues.
• A female lays about 45-55 eggs, nymph, adult period are 2-3 weeks
and five days respectively.
Management:
• Remove and destroy the damaged leaves, twigs and dlower buds
along with the pest
• Use yellow sticky traps at 15/ha to monitor activity of sap feeder
Spray neem oil 3% or methyl demeton 25 EC 1.0 L in 500-750 L of
water per ha or apply carbofuran 3 G 5g/plant
Red spider mite: Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Tetranychidae: Acarina)
• Damage symptoms :
• Nymphs and adults feed on the undersurface of the leaves and are found covered
with silken webs.
• As a result, yellow spots appear on the upper surface, which gradually turn reddish.
Affected leaves finally wither away. Growth and flower production are adversely
affected.
Bionomics :
• Both nymphs and adults are red in colour. About 200 whitish, spherical eggs
laid on the ventral surface of the leaves and measure about 0.1 mm in
diameter.
• Egg period 4-7 days, larval and pupal periods 3-5 and 8-12 days respectively.
Life cycle is completed in 15-20 days and there are 15 generations / year.
Management :
• Prefer Spinx and temptation varieties as they are moderately susceptible
• Avoid First Red as it is highly susceptible.
• Remove and destroy the damaged leaves along with mites.
• Spray Flufenoxuron 10 DC 500 ml or milbemectin 1 EC 450 ml in 500 L of
water per ha or bifenazate 50 WP 375 ml kg in 750 L of water per ha or
wettable sulphur 40 WP 3.75 kg in 500 -1000 L of water per ha.
•
Rose aphid/lice: Macrosiphum rosaeformis (plains); M. rosae (hills)(Aphididae:
Hemiptera)
Distribution and status:
• Northern India, Punjab, Delhi, Mysore, Andhra Pradesh and the Nilgiri Hills
Host range:
• Rose
Damage symptoms :
• Adults suck saps from the tender leaves, buds and twigs resulting in
disfigurement and withering of flowers.
• They make punctures, producing wounds, which leaves mark as the
flowers open.
• Black fungus develops on the honey dew excreted by the insects.
Bionomics :
• Small pear shaped soft-bodied aphids, light green to dark blackish green in
color.
• Apterous form has an elongated body, large red eyes, black cornicles and
yellowish green tip at the abdomen.
• Nymphal development completed in 11-14 days in apterous forms and 14-19
days in alate forms.
• Aphid multiples rapidly in late spring but cannot withstand the summer heat.
Management :
• Variety Damask is susceptible while Hawaii is comparatively resistant.
Spray malathion 50 EC 500 ml or methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml in 500 -750
L of water /ha.