Onion thrips (OT), Thrips tabaci, a perennial pest of onions worldwide, are becoming increasingly problematic in some areas due to the development of insecticide resistance. Using a rapid thrips insecticide bioassay system, (TIBS), we identified high levels of resistance to a commonly used pyrethroid insecticide in many populations of OT in commercial onion fields in New York in 2001-2002. In more recent studies, we have determined that resistance levels of OT to other classes of insecticides were far less. This finding provides growers with resistance management options when using foliar sprays. Sprayer application methods were evaluated in the laboratory, and nozzle type and arrangement strongly influenced the level of control of OT. Field studies have indicated that volunteer onions, sprouted from the previous year's culls, may serve as an early season host for OT. Data from these studies indicate the need for a multi-tactic, integrated approach for resistance management of OT.
Species 1: Thysanoptera Thripidae Thrips tabaci (onion thrips)
Keywords: insecticide resistance
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