Brushing Reduces Thrips and Aphid Populations on Some Greenhouse-grown Vegetable Transplants

Abstract

`Sunny' tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), `Black Beauty' eggplant (Solanum melongena var. esculentum L. Nees.), or `Sugar Baby' watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] were nontreated, subjected to brushing (20 strokes twice daily) or drought conditioning (2 hours daily wilt), or maintained undisturbed using ebb-and-flow irrigation. One week after brushing or drought conditioning, plants were inoculated with western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande) or green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer). Brushing and drought conditioning reduced plant height and shoot dry weight of all crops. Brushing of all three species generally reduced the number of thrips, as indicated by number of feeding scars or percent leaf area damaged. Drought conditioning did not affect thrips populations consistently. Undisturbed plants grown with ebb-and-flow irrigation exhibited the greatest damage from thrips. Brushing reduced the number of aphids on tomato relative to the nontreated controls. Drought did not reduce aphid populations consistently on any crop. Brushing for height control may be advantageous in an integrated pest-management program to control aphids and thrips.