Investigations on the Use of Kairomone and Pheromone Attractants for Control of Thrips Species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) by Mass-trapping in Nectarine Orchards

Abstract

Thrips species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) cause superficial, brown colored scars and discoloration called silvering on the surface of nectarine fruit which reduce market quality. In cases of high thrips populations, cracking and splitting of the fruit in accompany to superficial damage causes the fruit to be discarded. The study which was based on non-chemical control of thrips species was conducted in a commercial nectarine orchard in Tarsus county of Mersin province in 2013 and 2014. In the study, pest management effect of mass trapping by yellow colored sticky traps baited with semiochemical-kairomone and pheromone-were detected. Each semiochemical was tested in a particular plot. One baited trap per tree was hung at both kairomone and pheromone plots and one bait-free trap per tree at the control plot. The traps were all hung at the pink bud period and were recovered after harvest. The amount of thrips adult and larvae in the flower buds were checked 4-7 day intervals and the traps were checked weekly to count the individuals caught on traps. The results showed that the lowest number of thrips was detected in nectarine flowers in the kairomone plot and kairomone-baited traps captured the highest number of thrips adults. To the contrary, flowers taken from the control plot had the highest number of thrips and control traps captured the lowest number of thrips adults. The success of mass trapping by adding semiochemicals to sticky traps was evaluated by comparing fruit damage in baited and unbaited trap plots by observing 100 fruits on each of five replicate trees for 500 fruit total at each plot before harvest. The fruit damage was 9.0% and 9.8% in the kairomone plot and was 11.2% and 18.2% in the pheromone plot while it was 23.4% and 20.0% in the control plot in years 2013 and 2014 respectively. Mass trapping by baited traps for thrips control in nectarine orchards seems to be encouraging for integrated pest management especially when considering the easily occurring pesticide resistance of thrips species.

Keywords

• nectarine
• thrips control
• semiochemical
• lurem-tr
• thripline-ams