Insecticide Evaluations for Thrips Control
In California Low Desert Onions During 2013
And a Three Year Research Summary
Eric Natwick
UC Cooperative Extension Imperial County
Supported by
CA Garlic and Onion
Research Advisory Board
2013 Thrips Control Efficacy Studies at UC
Desert Research & Extension Center
Two thrips insecticide efficacy trials were completed on dehydrator onions in 2013.
Thrips species included: Western flower thrips (WFT) Frankliniella occidentalis
(Pergande) and Onion thrips (OT) Thrips tabaci Lindeman
Objective: evaluate insecticide efficacy against OT and WFT. Two experiments:
1) 1st convectional, synthetically derived insecticidal products.
2) 2nd primarily insecticides derived as products of a natural source or from
microbial fermentation.
Onion (White Creole) 6 seedlines per 40” beds sown on 19 Oct 2012; plots were 4beds (13.3 ft) wide by 50 ft long.
Insecticides applied using a Lee Spider Spray TracTractor 4-row sprayer with three
TJ-60 11003VS nozzles per row; 3 nozzles per bed delivering 53 gpa at 30 psi.
The adjuvant, DyneAmic (Helena Chemical Co.), was added to all insecticidal spray
mixtures at 0.25% vol/vol.
Conventional Insecticide
Treatment Rates and Dates
Dyne-Amic @ 37.8 ml/4gal (0.25
vol/vol) added to foliar spray
mixtures.
Treatment
Rate/acre
Application Dates
1. Untreated
2. Movento
3. Lannate LV
4. Radiant SC
5. Exirel 10SE
6. Closer SC
7. Closer SC r/w
Radiant SC
-------5.0 fl oz
48.0 fl oz
7.5 fl oz
13.5 fl oz
2.0 fl oz
2.0 fl oz
7.5 fl oz
-------------26 Feb, 12 & 25 Mar, 8Apr
26 Feb, 12 & 25 Mar, 8 Apr
26 Feb, 12 & 25 Mar, 8 Apr
26 Feb, 12 & 25 Mar, 8 Apr
26 Feb, 12 & 25 Mar, 8 Apr
26 Feb, 25 Mar
12 Mar & 8 Apr
8. Closer SC r/w
Radiant SC r/w
Lannate LV
9. Torac 15EC
10. Torac 22 SC
2.0 fl oz
7.5 fl oz
48.0 fl oz
24.0 fl oz
16.3 fl oz
25 Feb, 8 Apr
12 Mar
25 Mar
26 Feb, 12 & 25 Mar, 8 Apr
26 Feb, 12 & 25 Mar, 8 Apr
11. Torac 15EC
f/b Radiant
f/b Torac 15EC
f/b Lannate LV
24.0 fl oz
7.5 fl oz
24.0 fl oz
48.0 fl oz
26 Feb
12 Mar
25 Mar
8 Apr
12. Exirel 10SE
r/w Radiant SC
13.5 fl oz
7.5 fl oz
25 Feb, 25 Mar
12 Mar & 8 Apr
13. Exirel 10SE
f/b Radiant SC
f/b Lannate LV
13.5 fl oz
7.5 fl oz
48.0 fl oz
25 Feb, 8 Apr
12 Mar
25 Mar
14. Radiant SC
r/w Movento
r/w Lannate LV
7.5 fl oz
5.0 fl oz
48.0 fl oz
26 Feb, 8 Apr
12 Mar
25 Mar
Fermentation Product Insecticides: Treatment Rates and Application Dates
Treatment
Untreated
Entrust SC
Rate/acre
-------6.0 fl oz
Application Dates
-------------26 Feb, 12, 25 Mar & 8 Apr
Aza-Direct +
M-Pede
Aza-Direct +
M-Pede
1.5 pt
2% v/v
2.0 pt
1% v/v
M-Pede
Entrust SC f/b
2% v/v
6.0 fl oz
26 Feb, 12, 25 Mar & 8 Apr
26 Feb & 8 Apr
Agri-Mek 0.15EC
12.0 fl oz
12 Mar
f/b Aza-Direct
1.5 pt
Grandevo
Grandevo
MBI-206EP
MBI-206EP r/w
2.0 lb
3.0 lb
2.0 gal
2.0 gal
25 Mar
26 Feb, 12, 25 Mar & 8 Apr
26 Feb, 12, 25 Mar & 8 Apr
26 Feb, 12, 25 Mar & 8 Apr
26 Feb, 25 Mar
Radiant
7.0 fl oz
12 Mar & 8 Apr
26 Feb, 12, 25 Mar & 8 Apr
26 Feb, 12, 25 Mar & 8 Apr
Dyne-Amic @ 37.8 ml/4gal (0.25 vol/vol) added to foliar spray mixtures.
Conventional insecticides: Post treatment averages Thrips Larvae per 5 plants
Larvae per 5 plants
Conventional insecticides: Post treatment averages Adult OT per 5 plants
Adult OT per 5 plants
Conventional insecticides: post treatment WFT averages per 5 plants
Adult WFT per 5 plants
Conventional insecticides: Post treatment averages All Adult Thrips per 5 plants
Adult thrips per 5 plants
Conventional insecticides: Post treatment averages All Thrips per 5 plants
Thrips per 5 plants
Conventional insecticides: Percentage of OT among all adult thrips
% OT Adults
Means within columns followed by the same letter are not significantly different via LSD, P>0.05
Percentage IYSV symptomatic plant, bulb yield as kg per 0.002 acre and tons per acre
1 May
4.00 a
1.00 a
2.00 a
2.00 a
2.00 a
0.00 a
Kg/0.002 acre
16 May
10.29 a
12.20 a
13.95 a
13.38 a
14.15 a
12.16 a
Tons per acre
16 May
11.34 a
13.45 a
15.37 a
14.74 a
15.59 a
13.40 a
0.00 a
5.00 a
12.86 a
14.18 a
1.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
13.90 a
15.32 a
0.00 a
1.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
3.00 a
2.00 a
10.72 a
11.12 a
11.81 a
12.25 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
14.91 a
16.44 a
1.00 a
1.00 a
1.00 a
13.13 a
14.47 a
1.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
11.84 a
13.05 a
0.00 a
3.00 a
1.00 a
14.52 a
16.01 a
Treatment
fl oz/a
Untreated
Movento
Lannate LV
Radiant SC
Exirel 10SE
Closer SC
Closer SC r/w
Radiant SC
Closer SC r/w
Radiant SC r/w
Lannate LV
Torac 15EC
Torac 22 SC
Torac 15EC f/b
Radiant f/b
Torac 15EC f/b
Lannate LV
Exirel 10SE r/w
Radiant SC
Exirel 10SE f/b
Radiant SC f/b
Lannate LV
Radiant SC r/w
Movento r/w
Lannate LV
------5.0
48.0
7.5
13.5
2.0
17 Apr
1.00 a
0.00 a
1.00 a
0.00 a
1.00 a
0.00 a
2.0 7.5
0.00 a
2.0 7.5
48.0
24.0
16.3
24.0
7.5
24.0
48.0
13.5
7.5
13.5
7.5
48.0
7.5
5.0
48.0
Percentage IYSV
24 Apr
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
Natural source insecticides: Post treatment averages Thrips Larvae per 5 plants
d
b
bc
b
d
b
cd
bc
cd
a
Larvae / 5 plants
Natural source insecticides: Post treatment averages OT Adults per 5 plants
OT adults / 5 plants
Natural source insecticides: Post treatment averages WFT Adults per 5 plants
WFT adults / 5 plants
Natural source insecticides: Post treatment averages Adult Thrips per 5 plants
Adult thrips / 5 plants
Natural source insecticides: Post treatment averages All Thrips per 5 plants
Thrips / 5 plants
Natural Source Products: Percentage of IYSV
symptomatic plants and Onion bulb yields, 2013
Treatment
fl oz/acre
17 Apr
24 Apr
1 May
Onion
Kg/0.002
acre
16 May
Percentage IYSV
Tons of
onions per
acre
16 May
Untreated
Entrust SC
Aza-Direct +
M-Pede
Aza-Direct +
M-Pede
-------6.0 fl oz
1.5 pt
2% v/v
2.0 pt
1% v/v
0.00 a
0.00 a
3.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
1.00 a
6.08 a
7.75 a
6.70 a
8.54 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
7.30 a
8.05 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
1.00 a
6.04 a
6.66 a
M-Pede
Entrust SC f/b
Agri-Mek 0.15EC
f/b Aza-Direct
Grandevo
Grandevo
MBI-206EP
MBI-206EP r/w
Radiant
2% v/v
6.0 fl oz
12.0 fl oz
1.5 pt
2.0 lb
3.0 lb
2.0 gal
2.0 gal
7.0 fl oz
1.00 a
1.00 a
2.00 a
7.91 a
8.72 a
5.00 a
1.00 a
3.00 a
6.97 a
7.68 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
1.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
5.87 a
7.13 a
8.32 a
6.47 a
7.85 a
9.17 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
0.00 a
6.53 a
7.19 a
Means within columns followed by the same letter are not significantly different via LSD, P>0.05.
THRIPS MANAGEMENT IN ONIONS
 Don’t plant onions near small grain crops.
 Overhead irrigation may help suppress thrips populations.
 Control thrips before the early bulb. Onions can tolerate
higher thrips populations near harvest.
 Randomly sample entire onion plants by pulling leaves apart
and counting all thrips using a hand lens, on the inner leaves
near the bulb, as well as those under the leaf folds.
 Sample at least 5 plants from 4 separate areas of the field. A
suggested treatment threshold is 30 thrips per plant midseason (lower for very young plants and higher for larger
mature plants).
Conventional Insecticides for Thrips Control
 Tetronic & Tetramic acid derivatives (MoA interferes with lipid synthesis & IGR; 23)
 Movento® (spirotetramat) Bayer CropScience
 Neonicotinoids (MoA nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist; A4)
 Assail (a.i. acetamiprid)
 Spinosyns: (MoA nicotinic acetylcholine receptor allosteric activator; 5)
 Success® (a.i. spinosad) Dow AgroSciences
 Radiant® SC (a.i. spinetoram) Dow AgroSciences
 Carbamates: (MoA acetylcholinesterase inhibitor; A1)
 Lannate® (a.i. methomyl) DuPont
 Vydate ® (a.i. oxamyl) DuPont dry bulb onion supplemental label
 Pyrethroids: (MoA sodium channel modulator; 3) (several others not listed)
 Mustang® (a.i. zeta-cypermethrin) FMC Corp.
 Warrior® (a.i. lambda-cyhalothrin) Syngenta
 METI insecticides & acaricides: (MoA METI; 21A)
 Torac (a.i. tolfenpyrad; Nichino Americas) Not available; Check for a Section 18 Label
 Avermectins: (MoA cholride channel activator; 6)
 Agri-Mek (a.i. abamectin) Syngenta
 Others: (MoA Unknown)
 Grandevo (a.i. Chromobacterium subtsugae strain PRAA4-1) Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc.
 Aza-Direct (Gowan Company) & various other products with the a.i. Azadirachtin
 M-Pede (a.i. potassium salts of fatty acids) Gowan Company
Thrips Control Insecticides for Organic Production
 Spinosyns: (MoA 5)
 Entrust® (a.i. spinosad) Dow AgroSciences
 Insecticidal Soaps (membrane disruption)
 M-Pede (a.i. potassium salts of fatty acids) Gowan Company
 Others: (MoA Unknown)
 Grandevo (a.i. Chromobacterium subtsugae strain PRAA4-1)
Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc.
 MBI-206EP (a.i. bacteria Burkholderia sp. strain A396 ) Not
Registered in California at time of this publication Feb 2014.
 Aza-Direct (a.i. azadirachtin) (Gowan Company) & various other
products with the a.i. Azadirachtin
Summary of my past three years
thrips control research on onion
 Several new insecticidal active ingredients were evaluated for
thrips control efficacy:






Tolfenpyrad (Torac) not registered for use as of Feb 2014.
Spirotetramat (Movento)
Sulfoxaflor (Closer) not registered for use in California as of Feb 2014.
Cyantraniliprole (Exirel) not registered for use as of Feb 2014.
a.i. Chromobacterium subtsugae strain PRAA4-1 (Grandevo)
a.i. bacteria Burkholderia sp. strain A396 (MBI-206EP)
 Evaluations of active ingredients from various IRAC MoA
groups were evaluated as tank mixture partners
 Evaluations of active ingredients from various IRAC MoA
groups were evaluated for overall efficacy in rotational
schemes for efficacy against OT and WFT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank the California Garlic & Onion Research Advisory Board for their
generous funding support of my thrips research.
I also wish to thank the following agricultural crop protection chemicals companies
for their generous in-kind support of supplying the products evaluated and for their
generous monitory support of my thrips research on onions:
Amvac Chemical Corporation
Helena Chemical Co
Bayer CropScience
Marrone Bio Innovations Inc.
Dow AgroSciences
Nichino America, Inc.
DuPont
Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC
FMC Corporation
United Phosphorus, Inc.
Gowan Company