Once again, the thrips are coming. Thrips control is one of the most important parts of onion production system that onion growers need to pay attention to. Poor thrips control wastes money and can result in serious problems, i.e. low yields, poor quality, and increased costs.
Thrips also act as reservoirs for several onion diseases.
Accurate identification of thrips species is extremely important when growers need to make a decision on what insecticide can be used. The two species respond differently to some insecticides. Warrior or Karate is effective against the onion thrips, but not very effective to the western flower thrips. By knowing what we're up against we have a better chance of selecting the right insecticides that will successfully control the thrips. Included in this newsletter is a table of several insecticides that are effective against thrips based on tests conducted in the Valley.