Investing in thrips control: always a good idea

Using biological beneficials in the fight against thrips can be expensive, but don't let that stop you from using these natural enemies. It will cost you much more if your product becomes unsaleable or the crop dies!

If you don't devote enough attention to thrips control and don't have a solid plan for the whole year, thrips can bring major financial consequences. If you don't do anything at all, thrips could even completely destroy a crop! In the past, ornamental plant growers regularly had to destroy part of their crops. This is hardly ever necessary any longer due to better control strategies.

What kind of damage do thrips cause exactly? In ornamental plants, the main problem is visual damage. This can seriously affect the product's value or even make it unsaleable. The viruses that thrips can transmit in vegetable crops are a major threat. The best known are the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and the impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), but thrips also 'delivers' many other types of viruses. The trouble is that you can't get rid of a viral infection, and the crop can die from it.

Investing in prevention and control is a must. However, the investment in biological control is offset by a clean crop with low residue levels and higher productivity. In short, investing in thrips control is always a good idea!