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Vitex Agnus Castus - Diseases and pests
Thysanoptera or widely known as Thrips can cause great damage to the growth and the generative development of Vitex agnus castus. The insect feeds on Chastetree by sucking up the contents or puncturing them. As well Chastetree is the only known host (especially in Israel) for the bug insect called Hyalesthus obsoletus. This cicada is the vector for Black wood disease of grapevines. Hyalesthus obsoletus prefers V. agnus castus more as a host than the grapevine. In this case Chastetree can be used as a biological control agent by planting it around vineyards to trap the Hyalesthus obsoletus. V. agnus-castus was found not only to be an appropriate food source for the adult vectors, but also a reservoir of Candidatus Phytoplasma solani (bacterial Phytoplasma species), the casual agent of the Black wood disease in grapevines. The pathogen-caused leaf spot disease can almost defoliate V. agnus castus. Furthermore root rot can occur, when soils are kept too moist.