Elimination of mites from the buds of dormant grapevine cuttings by hot water treatment.

The suitability of hot water treatment was tested for eliminating overwintering mites from dormant grapevine buds. Treatment at 52 °C for 60 min completely eliminated mite infestation, but did not or only slightly influenced the viability of grapevine buds. In greenhouse experiments we demonstrated that treated plants frequently showed a better growth, most probably due to the elimination of mite infestation. This additional application of hot water treatment provides a simple, environment-friendly and economical method to prevent spreading of grapevine mites.