Chilli thrips: Scirtothrips dorsalis
Symptoms of damage:
- The infested leaves develop crinkles and curl upwards
- Elongated petiole
- Buds become brittle and drop down
- Early stage, infestation leads to stunted growth and flower production, fruit set are arrested
Identification of pest:
- Nymph: Are small, linear, easily fragile abdomen with straw yellow colour
- Adult : Fringed wings
Management:
- Inter crop with agathi (Sesbania grandiflora) to provide shade which regulate the thrips population
- Do not grow chilli after sorghum
- Grow Agathi as intercrop.
- Do not follow chilli and onion mixed crop
- Sprinkle water over the seedlings to check the multiplication of thrips
- Treat seeds with imidacloprid 70% WS @ 12 g/kg of seed
- Spray any one of the following insecticide
| Insecticide | Dose |
| Imidacloprid 17.8 % SL | 3.0 ml/10 lit. |
| Emamectin benzoate 5 % SG | 4 g/10 lit. |
| Ethion 50 % EC | 2.0 ml/lit. |
| Fipronil 5 % SC | 1.5 ml/lit. |
| Methyl demeton 25 % EC | 1.0 ml /lit. |
| Oxydemeton –Methyl 25 % EC | 1.0 ml/lit. |
| Phosalone 35 % EC | 2.0 ml/lit. |
| Spinosad 45 % SC | 3.2 ml/10 lit. |
| Spinetoram 11.7 SC | 1.0ml/lit. |
| Thiacloprid 21.7 % SC | 6.0 ml/10 lit. |
| Acetamiprid 20 SP | 1.0g/10lit. |
| Chilli thrips infestation - upward curling | Adult |