Evaluation of an onion thrips pest management program for onions in New York

Abstract

An integrated pest management (IPM) program which includes sampling plans and treatment thresholds for onion thrips has been developed for use in New York State. In 1986, a service-oriented IPM scouting program was conducted for onion growers in several areas of New York. Growers were informed of pest infestation levels, but used their own judgment as to whether or not to apply an insecticide. In 1993, on-farm demonstrations of the IPM program consisted of pairs of onion fields, one managed using the IPM program and the other using grower practices. Pest densities and pesticide inputs were obtained for all fields. In 1993, yield and quality at harvest were also quantified. Results from both years were evaluated to determine compliance by onion growers to the recommended IPM protocols and their impact on pest control practices. Results confirmed that the use of the IPM program significantly reduced insecticide inputs without adversely affecting onion yield or quality. The number of insecticide applications and amount of formulated insecticide per hectare were significantly less in IPM than in conventional fields. In addition, insecticide costs and environmental impact were reduced significantly in the IPM fields. An economic comparison of IPM vs. conventional fields showed that IPM resulted in a small savings after subtracting the cost of scouting. These demonstrations have shown that there are ecological and economic savings when using IPM. Grower interest in adopting onion IPM strategies should increase as a result of these demonstrations.