This study evaluated several greenhouse tray drench, transplant water, and foliar insecticide treatments for control of thrips and suppressing the incidence of tomato spotted wilt virus(TSWV), a disease vectored by certain thrips species. The insecticides, imidacloprid and thiamethoxan were effective in reducing the seasonal incidence of TSWV and in reducing thrips population densities. The plant activator, acibenzolar-S-methyl, was effective in suppressing TSWV symptoms, but had no effect on thrips populations. The combination of the plant activator with imidacloprid provided better suppression of TSWV than either product alone. Acephate, applied in the transplant water plus 4-6 weekly foliar sprays in early-season, was also effective in reducing TSWV. The tobacco thrips was the predominate thrips species present on flue-cured tobacco foliage in Georgia, and is a reported vector of TSWV.
Species 1: Thysanoptera Thripidae Frankliniella fusca (tobacco thrips)
Keywords: virus-vector management, Frankliniella fusca
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA