Ecologically based management systems for thrips in protected culture
Heinz KM, Chau A, Arthurs S
Department of Entomology; Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.
Correspondence: kheinz@ag.tamu.edu
Control tactics deployed against key pests for the foundation for a crop¨s pest management system around which all other control decisions must be coordinated. In the case of agriculture within protected systems, several species of thrips are commonly noted as the key pest for a particular cropping system. Management of these thrips species is built upon the best available research and education programs that address control foundations (proper identification of the key pest and how must it be controlled), stimuli for changing current management tactics (what forces are driving growers to move away from past practices), control combinations and their issues (what happens when two or more different kinds of control must be integrated), and techniques (what are the best available tool to accomplish the management goals). Protected culture provides a semi-permeable, replicated system for scientifically addressing the ecological and sociological factors influencing management systems. Examples from ornamentals and vegetables will be reviewed to identify factors leading to or impeding successful thrips management programs. A synthesis for systems-based approaches is developed for guiding future research objectives as well as in forming the foundation for novel thrips management programs.
