Wageningen, The Netherlands
May 14, 2007
Attractant dispensers for early
detection available in June
 A
research group of Crop and Food
Research from New Zealand has together with scientists of
Plant Research
International, part of Wageningen UR, developed a new thrips
attractant for application in practice. The new attractant that
must be applied on a sticky trap attracts male as well as female
thrips. The ability of this odour to attract thrips has last
year extensively and successfully been tested in practice on
western flower thrips and onion thrips in vegetable crops and
ornamental crops. The product is effective in all tested crops
(sweet pepper, eggplant, rose, gerbera, Philodendron, headed
cabbage and leek). The odour catches, depending on the
circumstances, 2 to 20 times more thrips on blue or yellow
sticky traps compared to sticky traps without odour. The
attractant dispenser with the odour will be available from
suppliers in June.
The new, patented attractant distinguishes itself from the
recently introduced pheromone attractant for western flower
thrips in being effective against different thrips species. The
odour also shows a better trapping result giving it a broad
scope. Together with the sector the scientists of both
institutes wish to investigate how the attractant can be used in
integrated pest management systems.
Thrips is an important pest that affects many different crops
causing direct feeding damage as well as damage through virus
transmission. Effective and early detection is a major factor
for a successful control of this pest. The scientists from New
Zealand and the Netherlands have for several years looked for
compounds that are attractive to thrips. This has led to the
development of a new kairomone that is attractive to males and
females of several thrips species. Application of the new
attractant makes it possible to take well-timed specific
measures. The effect of biological or chemical control measures
can also be followed more closely. The signalling function of
the sticky trap is also improved because more thrips are trapped
with the attractant dispenser. This avoids control actions to be
too late or too early or being continued too long. In all cases
the grower saves costs with less burdening of the environment.
The research was co-funded by the New Zealand government through
the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology and the LNV
(the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality)
research programme for Plant Health.
Photo credit: Koppert
Biological Systems
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