Thrip Damage on Off-Season and In-Season Mangosteen Production in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

Abstract

The damage of thrips (Thripidae: Thysanoptera) on mangosteen production were studied in local orchards in Nakhon Si Thammarat from September 2008 to July 2010. It was found that the damage was related directly to thrip population and the cycles of mangosteen growth such as the young leaves, flowering and young fruit stages. For the first and second year-rounds, off-season production, thrip abundance in October was averaged at 0.57 and 0.26 thrips/shoot in September. For the in-season production in April; the amount of thrips was averaged at 0.12 with 0.15 thrips/shoot, respectively. The lowest amount of thrips was noticed in the harvesting season of the two-year-round production. The damage at the flowering and young fruits stages due to rough scarring on the fruit surfaces and calyxes at the harvesting period were caused by thrips. The average rough scars on the fruit surface in the first- and second year- round, off-season production were 22.03 and 28.87 %; in-season production were 23.12 and 21.60 %, respectively. However, the rough scars on fruit calyxes at the harvesting period were found to be 100 %. The fruit gamboges in the first- and second year- round, off-season production were averaged at 45.40 and 23.92 %; and in-season production at 46.44 and 13.19 %, respectively. Over 20 % of rough scars appearing on fruit surfaces of the total mangosteen production lowered the quality for export. Good management in the local orchards is essential for increasing the marketing quality of mangosteen production.