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, browncolored scars and discoloration called silvering on the surface ofnectarine fruit which reduce market quality. In cases of high thripspopulations, cracking and splitting of the fruit in accompany tosuperficial damage causes the fruit to be discarded. The study whichwas based on non-chemical control of thrips species was conductedin a commercial nectarine orchard in Tarsus county of Mersinprovince in 2013 and 2014. In the study, pest management effect ofmass trapping by yellow colored sticky traps baited withsemiochemical-kairomone and pheromone-were detected. Eachsemiochemical was tested in a particular plot. One baited trap per treewas hung at both kairomone and pheromone plots and one bait-freetrap per tree at the control plot. The traps were all hung at the pinkbud period and were recovered after harvest. The amount of thripsadult and larvae in the flower buds were checked 4-7 day intervalsand the traps were checked weekly to count the individuals caught ontraps. The results showed that the lowest number of thrips wasdetected in nectarine flowers in the kairomone plot and kairomonebaited traps captured the highest number of thrips adults. To thecontrary, flowers taken from the control plot had the highest numberof thrips and control traps captured the lowest number of thrips adults.The success of mass trapping by adding semiochemicals to stickytraps was evaluated by comparing fruit damage in baited and unbaitedtrap plots by observing 100 fruits on each of five replicate trees for500 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 thepheromone plot while it was 23.4% and 20.0% in the control plot inyears 2013 and 2014 respectively. Mass trapping by baited traps forthrips control in nectarine orchards seems to be encouraging forintegrated pest management especially when considering the easilyoccurring pesticide resistance of thrips species.