Grapes have turned sour for growers, thanks to heavy rain and steep fall in temperature in October and November. Over 80-85% of the crop loss is in southern Karnataka, surrounding Bengaluru, which is known for growing the Bengaluru Blue grape that bagged the Geographical Indication (GI) status in 2013. The government has turned a blind's eye to their plight, growers alleged. The worst hit is the seedless variety grown only in Chikkaballapur district; rare varities like Thomson seedless, Krishna seedless and Sharad seedless grapes have been damaged by rain, said Umesh KN, general secretary, Karnataka Grape Growers' Association. Of the over 800 farmers who committed suicide in 2015 in Karnataka, nine were grape growers, said Umesh. Growers are demanding a survey on grape crop loss at the earliest. KH Mumbaraddy, vice-president, Karnataka Grapes Growers' Association, said: "In North Karnataka, the hub of grape cultivation, farmers were hit by lack of rain. In the southern part of the state, it was the opposite. Unseasonal rain in the past two months affected the crop in Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Doddaballapur. The drizzle hit ripe fruit and led to their cracking. Loads of fruits harvested ended up becoming manure," says Mumbaraddy. Crops just about to be harvested were also affected. Besides, those in the flowering condition were affected by fungal diseases such as Anthracnose, Downy Mildews, added Mumbaraddy. Anthracnose or grape rot disease occurs during the rainy, warm and humid climatic conditions. It spreads with black spots on the fruit. The disease is very destructive for vineyards as it reduces the fruit quality/quantity and weakens the vines. Downy mildews is an extremely disease that can result in severe crop loss, with yellow lesions on leaves. Sarvesh Kumar, technical officer, Karnataka Wine Board, said the damage is likely to hit wine production in the state. "This year wine production across Karnataka will be hit by at least 15 per cent," he said. For wine production, French variety of grapes such as Shiraz and Cabernet, largely grown in North Karnataka, are used. "Ideally, there should be a survey to determine the extent of crop loss," said a farmer. Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com