Progress 09/01/13 to 02/29/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audience of this project for the final reporting year included nursery growers ofornamental crops especially rose growers, landscape managers and contractors working with roses and many other plants that are hosts plants ofScirtothrips dorsalis Hood, county agents and Master Gardeners who needed information forhelping their clients, and also homeowners having issues with Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood infestations. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A Master degree student working on the biopesticide objectives under this project completed the thesis and defense during this reporting year. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project results were desseminated as soleor part of numerous presentations/webinnars made by team members, especially Dr. Denis Ring (LA) and Steven Arthurs (FL),to the green industry, county agents, Master Gardeners, and end consumers. In addition, project results were also presentedat multiple annual industry eventssuch as field days at Hammond Research Station and Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, and major industry tradshowssuch asthe Southern NurseryAssociation annual research conference (Atlanta GA). Results were also communicated with the entomology and horticulture academic communities via various conference meetings,and webinnars. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood) is an invasive pest that attacks many economically important ornamental crops, including 'Knock Out' roses. The overall objective of this project was to develop a biologically-based chilli thrips management strategy by integrating the use of action thresholds, cultural practices (specifically, N and P fertilization), and biopesticides into a 'Knock Out' rose production system. This project addresses Southern Region IPM priority area in invasive pests and IR-4 Biopesticide Program priority on chilli thrips management with bioinsecticides. For this project period, the research team studied effects of fertility (formulation and rate of controlled release fertilizer, CRF) and biopesticides on managing chilli thrips in container production of 'Knock Out' roses. Results indicated that CRF formulation did not affect leaf tissue N% and P% at the same application N rates, and had no effect on chilli thrips population. Fertilization rates had significant effects on plant growth and quality. Harrell??s 13N-5.6P-10.8K with minors applied to ??Double Red????Knock Out rose in #1 containers at 3 to 6 g N/pot grew into similar quality plants with increasing leaf tissue N%. When thrips were allowed to explore among plants having various leaf tissue nutrient concentrations (the ??choice????study), more immature thrips were found in plants fertilized at 3 g N/pot. However, results found under the ??no-choice????condition where thrips were allowed to feed on individual plants fertilized at certain rate inside a cage were inconsistent with the choice study, and no significant difference was found among fertilization rates in terms of thrips population. Therefore, plant nutrient status may affect their attractiveness to chilli thrips, but no effects on population growth within two generations. The research team also evaluated the efficacy of biopesticides (BotaniGard 22WP, Met52G, and Molt-X) and a horticulture oil (SuffOil-X) as stand-alone or rotation/tank mix programs, and in comparison with a conventional product. This study was a repeat for the experiments conducted during the previous year. Results indicated that when used alone, control effects of biopesticides were less effective compared with the conventional product (Conserve, spinosad). However, biopesticides provided comparable controls when used as tank mix partners with insect growth regulators (IGRs) compared to spinosad.Results were summarized in a journal publication. Another objective of this team project was to develop partial-budget models to assess the economic feasibility of the alternative approaches. Production costs and market value of 'Double Red' Knockout roses were gathered from growers. Thrips injury and plant marketability, effects of fertilization levels on plant quality, and control efficacy of various biopesticide programs were compared by partial-budget analysis (PBA) with a sensitivity analysis of initial input costs. Given the expected cost reductions of using the alternative strategy, the PBA determined whether the potential net benefits are enough for growers to adopt the alternative strategy. Despite the data limitation, the PBA results indicated that the alternative strategy would be economically feasible because the strategy contributed to reductions in variable costs. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that the net returns would depend on the extent to which the alternative strategy contributed to reductions in variable costs. The reductions in variable costs were relatively sensitive to changes in fertilizer costs compared to the costs of insecticides or labor. In addition, the results suggested that the alternative strategy should be economically feasible only if the additional costs for biopesticides and horticultural oil were less than the reduced costs (such as fertilizers). A detailed report on this economic analysis is available upon request. Project results were disseminated at multiple events such as field days at Hammond Research Station and Mid-Florida Research and Education Center. Major events included annual industry tradeshows and grower meetings such as the Southern Nursery Association annual research conference (Atlanta GA).
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Chen, Y., S. Arthurs, H. Khachatryan, D. Ring, and A. Owings. 2016. Economic injury threshold of chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood) on Knockout rose. HortScience 50(9):S297.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Chen, Yan, Allen Owings and Dennis Ring. 2015. Chilli Thrips. Journal of the Louisiana State Horticulture Society. Vol. 10:5-6.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Yan Chen. 2015. Look out for chilli thrips this fall. Louisiana State University AgCenter website.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Aristiz�bal, L., Y. Chen, R. Cherry, R. Cave, and S. Arthurs. 2016. Efficacy of biorational insecticides applied against chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis, infesting roses under nursery conditions. J. of Applied Entomol. 42:0001-0028
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Aristiz�bal, L., S.P. Arthurs, Y. Chen, R.H. Cherry, and R.D. Cherry. 2016. An approach for integreated pest management of chilli thrips on ornamental roses. SR-ASHS, Feb. 9, 2016 San Antonio TX.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Aristiz�bal, L. 2016. Integrated Management of chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera), on ornamental roses. Thesis, UFL Library.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Leibee G.L., Kok-Yokomi M., Aristiz�bal L., Arthurs S.P. 2015. Control of chilli thrips with botanicals in Knock Out rose, 2014. Arthropod Management Tests (G7) 10.1093/amt/tsv183
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Aristiz�bal L., Arthurs S.P., Morales-Reyes, C., Chen Y. 2015. Biopesticide trial for chilli thrips on Knock Out rose, 2014. Arthropod Management Tests (G2) 10.1093/amt/tsv210
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Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Extension county agents, nursery growers, landscape contractors, Master Gardeners, retail garden center manager and employees, ornamental & turf commercial pesticide applicators, and homeowners. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? 1. A masters student (Luis Aristizábal) was financially supported by this grant and had completed his first year of studies. He successfully defended his research proposal “Evaluation of bio-rational insecticides against chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on ornamental roses” at the University of Florida. 2. American Rose society consulting rosarians in Louisiana and Mississippi have been provided information from chilli thrips project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The following presentations were given at academic, industry, and agent/Master Gardener training events. 1. Luis F. Aristizábal, Yan Chen, Ronald H. Cherry, Ronald D. Cave, and Steven P. Arthurs. 2014. Evaluating bio-rational insecticides against chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in KnockOut® rose production. The 97th annual meeting Florida Entomological Society, Jupiter, FL, August 3-6, 2014. 2. Ring, Dennis. 10/9/2013. Ornamental insects including chilli thrips. Lafayette, Louisiana. Louisiana Landscape Contractor Pesticide Recertification. 3. Ring, Dennis. 10/10/2013. Chilli thrips, tawny crazy ants, daylily leafminer, and crape myrtle bark scale. Hammond, Louisiana. 2013 HRS Landscape Research Field day. 4. Ring, Dennis.10/11/2013.Ornamental insects including chilli thrips.St. Martinsville, Louisiana.Master Gardeners Training Program. 5. Ring, Dennis.10/14/2013.Chilli thrips, monarch butterflies, tawny crazy ants.DeRidder, Louisiana.Master Gardeners Training Program. 6. Ring, Dennis.12/4/2013.Chilli thrips, ornamental insects.Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.Master Gardeners Training Program. 7. Ring, Dennis.2/18/2014. Chilli thrips, tawny crazy ants, scales, ornamental insects.Hammond, Louisiana.Landscape Pest Management Workshop. 8. Ring, Dennis.2/26/2014.Invasive species including chilli thrips.Pollock, Louisiana. Louisiana department of agriculture (LDAF) Agent Training. 9. Ring, Dennis.3/26/2014. Chilli thrips and other ornamental insects.Shreveport, Louisiana. Pesticide Recertification Training. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In addition to follow-up experiments planned for Objective 1 and 3, studies for Objective 2 and 4 will be initiated in fall 2014. Two more field experiments will be conducted in spring 2015 at MREC to evaluate rotation and tank-mixing programs with bio-rational and convention products. Information will be presentedto extension county agents, nursery growers, landscape contractors, Master Gardeners, retail garden center manager and employees, and ornamental & turf commercial pesticide applicators as results are obtained.This would be accomplished through articles and newsletters sent to newspapers, state and regional nursery associations, local rose society groups, extension county agents, LSU AgCenter website, and also on social media such as facebook and Twitter. Information will be distributed to audiences in the LA, MS, AL, FL, GA, TX region.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
A chilli thrips rearing procedure was further optimized at the UFL Mid-Florida Research and Education Center (MREC). A new colony was established at theLSU Agricultural Center Hammond Research Station (HRS) following this procedure. For Objective 1, an experiment was conducted at HRS during spring-summer 2014 to determine economic injury levels of chilli thrips on Double-Knock Out Red roses. Severity of thrips feeding and oviposition injury was assessed for 10 weeks by percent injured leaf and a cumulated injury index (CII), which was the sum of a leaf injury rating for all injured leaves on a plant. Both percent injured leaves and CII increased with increasing thrips density. Plant visual quality was negatively impacted by increasing CII. Plant aboveground and root dry weight were recorded after final sampling and data are being analyzed. An experiment with 3 age groups (3-mo., 2-mo., and 1-mo. old) will be conducted in fall 2014. Two field experiments were completed as part of Objective 3. The development of chilli thrips populations and associated thrips injury under low, moderate and high pest levels (3, 9 and 27 thrips per plant at inoculation) were monitored overeight weeks. Correlations between visual damage categories and insects indicated that initial high infestation number resulted in the most severe injury and level increased significantly fasterthan in the medium and low inoculation levels. Low and medium initial populations increased over time as well and caused significant injury to all new planttissues, including shoot terminal, flower buds, and flowers. In addition, distribution of chilli thrips life stages (adult and larvae) within plants was quantified. Most thrips were found on foliar terminals and young leaves, especially the no. 3 and 4 leaves below the top of a shoot. These leaves are most representative when sampling chilli thrips. Efficacy of four bio-rational products was evaluated as foliar sprays at 1-2 week applicationintervals in simulated nursery conditions. BotaniGard 22 WP, Met52 EC, Molt-X (3% v/v azadirachtin), and SuffOil-X were tested for effectiveness and compared with Conserve (spinosad) as a grower standard. These data are being analyzed. For Objective 4, several producers were contacted to determine the impacts of cost structure decisions on returns in their production systems. Preliminary Partial Budget Analysis (PBA) models compared the impacts of a technological change (e.g., improved pest management) on grower costs and returns, and to determine whether the added benefits outweigh the added variable costs in a typical production year. A sensitivity analysis determined the variability in pest management program costs due to changes in production inputs. Methodologies to determine profit maximizing input levels were investigated with given input and output prices; for example, if producers enter the input and output prices, the simulation method can generate the optimal input levels based on the estimated coefficients of the production function.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Arthurs, S.P., Aristiz�bal, L., and Alexander, A. 2014. Insecticide trial for chilli thrips on knock out rose - 2013. Arthropod Management Tests.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
1. Luis F. Aristiz�bal, Yan Chen, Ronald H. Cherry, Ronald D. Cave, and Steven P. Arthurs. 2014. Evaluating bio-rational insecticides against chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in KnockOut� rose production. The 97th annual meeting Florida Entomological Society, Jupiter, FL, August 3-6, 2014.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
2. Chen, Y., D. Ring, A. D. Owings, and S.P. Arthurs. 2014. Chilli Thrips Fact Sheet. LSU Agricultural Center Ext. Pub. In print. Web site: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/our_offices/research_stations/hammond/features/landscape_horticulture/pest+management/chilli-thrips.htm
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