Thrips are tiny, fed on the sap of plants. Thrips damage plants by sucking the sap from leaves, flowers, and fruits. This feeding can cause leaves to become discolored and distorted, flowers to be stunted or deformed, and fruits to be scarred. Thrips can also spread plant diseases.
- Type of Infestation: Pest
- Common Name: Thrips
- Causal Organism: Thrips tabaci
- Affected Parts Of the plant: Leaf, Flower and Fruit
- Size: Adult thrips are very small, typically measuring only 1/16 to 1/25 inch long.
- Body shape: They have slender, elongated bodies that are often yellow, brown, or black in color.
- Mouthparts: Thrips have piercing-sucking mouthparts that they use to feed on plant sap.
- Temperature: Thrips prefer warm, dry conditions for their development and reproduction. Temperatures range from 23-28°C.
- Humidity: Relative humidity between 40-70% is also favorable.
- Discoloration: Leaves may develop silvery streaks. This is caused by thrips feeding on the cells of the leaf, which disrupts the chlorophyll production.
- Distortion: Leaves may become curled, stunted, or wrinkled as a result of thrips feeding.
- Premature flower drop: Thrips can damage flower buds and cause them to drop prematurely.
- Deformed fruits: Thrips feeding on fruits can cause them to become misshapen or scarred.
| Products | Technical Names | Dosages |
| IMD-178 | Imidacloprid 17.8 % SL | 100 -150 ml per acre |
| EMA 5 | Emamectin benzoate 5 % SG | 80-100 grams |
| Fantasy | Fipronil 5 % SC | 400-500 ml per Acre |
| Spino45 | Spinosad 45 % sc | 60-90 ml per Acre |
| K-Acepro | Acetamiprid 20 % SP | 60 to 80 grams per acre |
