Spatial pattern detection modeling of thrips (Thrips tabaci) on onion fields

Onion (Allium cepa) is one of the most cultivated and consumed vegetables in Brazil and its importance is due to the large laborforce involved. One of the main pests that affect this crop is the Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci), but the spatial distribution of this insect, although important, has not been considered in crop management recommendations, experimental planning or sampling procedures. Our purpose here is to consider statistical tools to detect and model spatial patterns of the occurrence of the onion thrips. In order to characterize the spatial distribution pattern of the Onion Thrips a survey was carried out to record the number of insects in each development phase on onion plant leaves, on different dates and sample locations, in four rural properties with neighboring farms under different infestation levels and planting methods. The Mantel randomization test proved to be a useful tool to test for spatial correlation which, when detected, was described by a mixed spatial Poisson model with a geostatistical random component and parameters allowing for a characterization of the spatial pattern, as well as the production of prediction maps of susceptibility to levels of infestation throughout the area.

Bemisia tabaci, Brevicoryne brassicae and Thrips tabaci abundance on Brassica oleracea var. acephala

Kale Brassica oleracea var. acephala is attacked by whitefly Bemisia tabaci, aphid Brevicoryne brassicae and Thrips tabaci. One of the main reasons for extensive insecticide application is the lack of information about factors that control insect population. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationships between predators and parasitoids, organic compound leaves, levels of leaf nitrogen and potassium, total rainfall, relative humidity, sunlight and median temperature on the abundance of whitefly, aphid, and thrips in kale genotype "Talo Roxo". The beating tray method, direct counting and magnifying lens were used to estimate the number of these pests, predators and parasitoids. Median temperature, sunlight and relative humidity correlated to the amount of leaf nonacosane, which in turn was associated with aphids population increase. A tendency in the reduction of aphids and thrips populations with increase in total rainfall was observed. The whitefly can be a harmful pest in kale producing regions of higher temperature and smaller rainfall. In regions which present moderate temperature, where there is a high incidence of aphids, genotype with low leaf wax content should be chosen. Natural enemies, especially the parasitoid Adialytus spp., can control agents of the aphids population in kale.

Efeito do uso de óleos vegetais, associados ou não a inseticida, no controle de bemisia tabaci (gennadius, 1889) e thrips tabaci (lindeman, 1888), em feijoeiro, na época das águas

The objective of this experiments was evaluate the control of Bemisia tabaci and Thrips tabaci, through the use of plant oils associated or not to insecticide in bean plants, besides verifying the consequences on yield. The experiment was carried out in the period of rainy seasons, by utilizing Carioca variety. The statistical design was the randomized blocks, by employing a 6x2 factorial scheme ( plant oil versus insecticide), totalizing 12 treatments and four replications. It was concluded thet application of plant oils without insecticide can be utilized on the control of the B. tabaci biotipo B, since their population and the symptoms of golden mosaic was similar to the treatment plant oils plus insecticide; among the plant oils Agrex (R) plant oil promoted a higher control of white fly. For T. tabaci the application of plant oil associated to insecticide provide with a smaller population index when compared to the treatments without this association. The yield was not affected by the population of B. tabaci biotipo B and T. tabaci when plant oils were utilized, associated or not to the insecticide.

Spatial pattern detection modeling of thrips (Thrips tabaci) on onion fields

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estrategia de manejo para el control de Thrips tabaci Lind. en ajo colorado

En cultivos de ajo colorado de Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza, Argentina) realizados en 1996/97/98 se compararon tres alternativas de manejo para el control del trips del ajo y la cebolla: a) control químico en tiempos calendarios sin considerar la dinámica poblacional, modalidad del productor b) control químico teniendo en cuenta la dinámica poblacional c) sin tratamientos químicos Los resultados obtenidos no muestran diferencias estadísticamente significativas en los rendimientos del cultivo (p > 0,05) para las condiciones del ensayo y no se recomienda el empleo de tratamientos químicos.

Developing methods for testing the resistance of white cabbage against Thrips tabaci

Since the damage of the onion thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindemann) first occurred on white cabbage in Hungary several observations have been carried out, both in Hungary and abroad, to assess varietal resistance. The use of a new evaluation method for field screening is described and the result of the monitoring of 64 varieties is reported. The most susceptible varieties were ‘Bejo 1860’, ‘SG 3164’, ‘Quisto’, ‘Green Gem’ and ‘Ramada’. On the other hand, ‘Golden Cross’, ‘Balashi’, ‘Riana’, ‘Autumn Queen’, ‘Leopard’, Ama-Daneza’ and ‘Galaxy’ suffered the least damage under natural infestation. Methods for testing the patterns of resistance are also described and evaluated. In case of plants at the few leaf growth stage significant negative correlation was found between egg mortality and the egg laying preference of adults. The results of the other antibiotic and antixenotic tests were greatly affected by differences in the physiological age and condition of the varieties.

Colonization of Onions by Endophytic Fungi and Their Impacts on the Biology of Thrips tabaci

Endophytic fungi, which live within host plant tissues without causing any visible symptom of infection, are important mutualists that mediate plant-herbivore interactions. Thrips tabaci (Lindeman) is one of the key pests of onion, Allium cepa L., an economically important agricultural crop cultivated worldwide. However, information on endophyte colonization of onions, and their impacts on the biology of thrips feeding on them, is lacking. We tested the colonization of onion plants by selected fungal endophyte isolates using two inoculation methods. The effects of inoculated endophytes on T. tabaci infesting onion were also examined. Seven fungal endophytes used in our study were able to colonize onion plants either by the seed or seedling inoculation methods. Seed inoculation resulted in 1.47 times higher mean percentage post-inoculation recovery of all the endophytes tested as compared to seedling inoculation. Fewer thrips were observed on plants inoculated with Clonostachys rosea ICIPE 707, Trichoderma asperellum M2RT4, Trichoderma atroviride ICIPE 710, Trichoderma harzianum 709, Hypocrea lixii F3ST1 and Fusarium sp. ICIPE 712 isolates as compared to those inoculated with Fusarium sp. ICIPE 717 and the control treatments. Onion plants colonized by C. rosea ICIPE 707, T. asperellum M2RT4, T. atroviride ICIPE 710 and H. lixii F3ST1 had significantly lower feeding punctures as compared to the other treatments. Among the isolates tested, the lowest numbers of eggs were laid by T. tabaci on H. lixii F3ST1 and C. rosea ICIPE 707 inoculated plants. These results extend the knowledge on colonization of onions by fungal endophytes and their effects on Thrips tabaci.

The coincidence of thrips and dispersed pollen in PNRSV-infected stonefruit orchards - a precondition for thrips-mediated transmission via infected pollen

Recent laboratory studies have demonstrated that Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) (family Bromoviridae) can be readily transmitted when thrips and virus-bearing pollen are placed together on to test plants. For this transmission mechanism to result in stonefruit tree infection in the field, PNRSV-bearing pollen must be deposited onto surfaces of stonefruit trees on which thrips also occur. In a previous paper, we demonstrated that almost all pollen in a PNRSV-infected Japanese plum orchard in southeastern Queensland was deposited onto flowers, whereas few grains occurred on leaves and none on stems. Here, we present results of our investigation of thrips species composition, distribution and abundance on stonefruit trees in the same study area as our previous pollen deposition study. We collected a total of 2010 adult thrips from 13 orchards during the 1989, 1991 and 1992 flowering seasons of which all but 14 were in the suborder Terebrantia. Most (97.4%) terebrantian thrips were of three species, Thrips imaginis, Thrips australis and Thrips tabaci. Thrips tabaci as well as species mixtures that included T imaginis, T australis and T tabaci have been shown to transmit PNRSV via infected pollen in laboratory tests. Adult thrips were frequently collected from flowers but rarely from leaves and never from stems. Large and significant differences in numbers of T imaginis, T australis and T tabaci adults in flowers occurred among orchards and between seasons. No factor was conclusively related to thrips numbers but flowers of late-flowering stonefruit varieties tended to hold more thrips than those of early-flowering varieties. Our results indicate that the common thrips species present on stonefruit trees in the Granite Belt are also ones previously shown to transmit PNRSV via infected pollen in the laboratory and that these thrips are concentrated in stonefruit flowers where most stonefruit pollen is deposited. These results contribute to mounting circumstantial evidence that stonefruit flowers may be inoculated with PNRSV via an interaction of thrips with virus-bearing pollen and that this transmission mechanism may be an important cause of new tree infections in the field.

Species of thrips (Insecta, Thysanoptera) in two strawberry production systems in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

Species of thrips (Insecta, Thysanoptera) in two strawberry production systems in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Thrips are tiny insects responsible for the reduction of strawberry fruit quality. The work aimed to record and quantify the thysanopterofauna present in two strawberry production systems, low tunnel and semi-hydroponic. Leaves, flowers and fruits were collected weekly, from July 2005 to December 2006 in Caxias do Sul and Bom Princípio municipalities, RS. A total of 664 individuals were collected, representing two families, four genus and 10 species: Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande, 1895), F. schultzei (Trybom, 1910), F. rodeos Moulton, 1933, F. simplex (Priesner, 1924), F. williamsi (Hood, 1915), F. gemina (Bagnall, 1919), Frankliniella sp., Thrips tabaci (Lindeman, 1888), Thrips tabaci (Lindeman, 1888), Caliothrips fasciatus (Pergande 1895) from Thripidae and Heterothrips sp. from Heterothripidae. Frankliniella occidentalis represented 89.7% of the samples with 95.8% of the species collected in flowers, 3.9% in fruits and 0.8% in leaves. The results show that flowers are the most important food resource for these insects on strawberry plants. Frankliniella rodeos, F. simplex, F. williamsi, C. fasciatus, and Heterothrips sp. are new records on strawberry for Brazil.

Whitefly, aphids and thrips attack on cabbage

The objective of this work was to investigate the relationships between predators and parasitoids, leaf chemical composition, levels of leaf nitrogen and potassium, total rainfall, relative humidity, daylight and median temperature on the intensity of whitefly, aphid, and thrips attack on cabbage. Whitefly, aphids and thrips population tended to proliferate in the final stage of plant or reached a peak population about 40 days after plantation. The whitefly and thrips tended to increase with an increase in the median temperature. A dependence of Cheiracanthium inclusum and Adialytus spp. populations on whitefly and aphids populations, respectively, was observed. No significant effect was detected between K and nonacosane leaf content and aphid population. However, an increase in leaf N content was followed by a decrease of this insect population. No significant relation was observed between leaf N, K and nonacosane and whitefly and thrips populations. Highest nonacosane levels were observed in plants 40 days after transplant, and relative humidity correlated negatively with nonacosane. Natural enemies, especially the parasitoid Adialytus spp. and the spiders can be useful controlling agents of the whitefly and aphids in cabbage. Median temperature can increase whitefly and thrips populations.

Clave para la identificación del segundo estadío larval de algunos trips comunes (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) : Mendoza, Argentina

Existen pocas publicaciones sobre claves de identificación de larvas de trips. Sin embargo, el tema es de interés básico para detectar el rango de hospedantes de los trips. Algunas especies son capaces de transmitir Tospovirus, agentes causales de la peste negra y otras enfermedades. El insecto adquiere el virus sólo como larva. Una clave de larvas será una herramienta útil para estudios epidemiológicos. La identificación de larvas es difícil porque tienen menos caracteres distintivos que los adultos; además, los individuos crecen constantemente. Las larvas obtenidas para este trabajo se recolectaron del campo sobre varias malezas y algunas plantas nativas y cultivadas. También se criaron en chauchas de poroto o polen y miel diluida a partir de adultos identificados. En este trabajo se presenta una descripción breve del segundo estadío larval de Frankliniella australis Morgan, F. gemina Bagnall, F. occidentalis Pergande, F. schultzei Trybom, F. valdiviana Sakimura et O'Neil y Thrips tabaci Lindeman y una clave para separar estas especies. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria INTA Mendoza.