Thrips threshold validation – commercial-scale experiments 2015–16

Abstract

Key findings •• Thrips pressure was lower in the earlier planted Whitton site. •• Thrips pressure reached the industry control threshold of 10 thrips/plant on 3 November while plants were still at the cotyledon to 1-leaf stage at the Darlington Point site, and only in some plots at Whitton on 9 November and most plots on 23 November when plants were at the 6–8 leaf stage. •• Onion thrips were the dominant thrips species observed during monitoring. •• Western flower thrips constituted less than 5% of thrips monitored. •• There was no yield difference between sprayed and unsprayed plots.