Citrus thrips field day at LREC
On April 22, Lindcove Research Center hosted the first field event of year 2022! A field day was dedicated to discussing information on citrus thrips biology, differentiating citrus thrips from flower thrips, citrus thrips damage, and management options available. Rain forecast limited the activity to indoors. The event was kicked by Dr. Sandipa Gautam talking about citrus thrips biology, monitoring, and management options.
Key discussion questions were on the gallon per acre usage for thrips spray application. Marco Rilandi asked about the precedence of gpa used on research trials and the efficacy of day or night applications. Discussions revealed that most PCAs under optimal conditions would choose to recommend ~200 gpa for thrips spray. Other questions discussed were citrus thrips management in organic orchards. For hands-on activity, participants observed citrus thrips and flower thrips under microscopes and observed scarring damage on fruit.
For information on monitoring and management, please visit these resources. Citrus thrips talk
UCIPM guidelines for citrus thrips management.
Participants of the Citrus thrips Field DayInsert Image
Dr. Gautam lecturing on citrus thrips
Can you tell citrus thrips from flower thrips?