Citrus thirps (Scirtothrips citri) feeding on young developing fruit results in scarring damage at harvest lowering the marketability of citrus as fresh fruit. Pesticide applications as a part of integrated pest management for citrus thrips are determined by citrus variety, fruit developmental stage, and availability of natural enemies. Thrips prefer feeding on the outer canopy fruits; therefore, spray applications target outer coverage. Field trials since the early 1900s used 200-250 gallons per acre (GPA) water volume and recommendations for thrips are based on these studies. But in recent years, using 100-125 GPA has been a common practice. In 2023, we evaluated four insecticides at 100 and 200 GPA during a field trial. Treatments, diluted in 100 or 200 GPA of water per acre and were applied using a 100-gal high-pressure D30 diaphragm pump sprayer with mechanical agitation at 250 psi. The treatment design was an RCB with four blocks of seven tree per treatment. Posttreatment evaluations will be made each week after the first and second application for up to 4 weeks, for reinfestation. Scarring assessment will be made on week of July 2023 as fruit size reaches ~2 inches in diameter. All outside fruits within reach on each tree were evaluated and rated as 0, 1–2 (slight), and 3–4 (severe) for the levels of thrips scarring. The mean percentage of total fruit scarred and the percentage severely scarred were calculated as a measure of efficacy. Efficacy and its implications on resistance management in citrus thrips are discussed.
.png)
