TITLE:
Efficacy of Reduced-Risk Insecticides to Control Flower Thrips in Early-Season Blueberries and Their Effect on Orius insidiosus, a Natural Enemy of Flower Thrips
AUTHORS:
Oscar E. Liburd, Hector Alejandro Arevalo, Elena M. Rhodes
KEYWORDS:
Blueberries, Flower Thrips, Frankliniella, Insecticides, Orius insidiosus
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.8 No.5,
May
22,
2017
ABSTRACT: Flower
thrips are one of the key pests in production of southern highbush blueberries
(Vaccinium corymbosum L. × V. darrowi Camp). They feed on the reproductive
parts of the flower and reduce yield. Very few insecticides are available to
manage thrips population. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate pre-existing
and experimental insecticides for their efficacy against thrips. There is also
a high demand for reduced-risk insecticides that are less toxic to beneficial
insects and the environment. In this study, a number of conventional and
reduced-risk insecticides were evaluated against flower thrips on farms in
Florida and Georgia and in the laboratory. The best performing insecticides
were also evaluated in the laboratory for their effects on Orius
insidiosus Say, which is a common thrips’ predator in Florida. Assail
70WP (Acetamiprid) and SpinTor 2SC (Spinosad) were the most promising
insecticides in reducing thrips numbers in the field as well as in laboratory
experiments. SpinTor 2SC killed all of the thrips in laboratory arenas within 4
hours of application and showed low toxicity toward O.
insidiosus. All of the compounds tested performed as well as
the conventional pesticide malathion.