June / July 2023
Eriophyoids not all mites are equal
Eriophyoid mites are a unique group of crop pests, better known as bud mites, rust mites or gall mites.
April / May 2022
Haplothrips on Table Grapes in the Northern Cape – Friend or foe?
Table grape production in the Northern Cape is primarily aimed at export, and markets set extremely high standards for the cosmetic appearance of grapes.
October / November 2023
Managing late season thrips
Persistent problems with infestations of thrips close to harvest, in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
February / March 2020
Olive seed wasps in cultivated olives – Possible Threat
Previous research on olive fruit fly showed that many olives thought to be infested with fruit fly were actually infested with indigenous olive seed wasps. At least five seed wasp species have been identified in wild olives (Olea europaea L…
August / September 2020
PHYLLOXERA – The enemy below
In 1886 the SA wine industry was nearly destroyed when phylloxera, an aphid-like insect which originates from wild grapevines in North America, was accidentally introduced into SA. The industry was saved only by the introduction of resistant rootstocks onto which…
April / May 2023
PHYLLOXERA SURVEY It’s everywhere
Phylloxera is a sap-sucking insect closely related to aphids.
February / March 2024
Potential For Margarodes Control
Margarodes are soil-dwelling scale insects that occur along the Lower Orange River in the Northern Cape and in certain areas in the Northwest, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga provinces.
December 2024 / January 2025
Predatory Mites Not All Mites Are Equal
Knowing your mites protects your crop. By Davina Saccaggi (CRI), Edward A. Ueckermann (NWU), Elleunorah Allsopp (ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij) When you spot mites on your crop, do not panic. Not all mites are pests. In fact, there are many mites that…
February / March 2023
Spider Mites
Mite pests are a huge problem on many crops around the world. However, this hasn’t led to them being well-managed pests.
December 2019 / January 2020
Thrips Management in Table Grapes
Many growers struggle with thrips management because thrips are extremely small insects (1.5 – 2mm long) that are difficult to detect. Outbreaks also tend to be sporadic and often unpredictable, complicating management even further. To improve management, it is important…