Various – Western flower thrips

Guidelines 

1. Monitor regularly for Western flower thrips (WFT) activity. WFT can cause damage to crops by feeding on them and can spread tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in crops. 
2. Only use insecticides when WFT populations reach accepted threshold levels. 
3. Always read and follow product labels and use the full recommended label rates of application. Some products place a limit on the number of times they can be applied per crop and when they can be applied. DO NOT exceed the recommended maximum number of applications in a crop. 
4. Ensure the spray equipment is properly calibrated and achieves good coverage with appropriately sized spray droplets. 
5. Rotate between registered insecticides that have different modes of action. 
6. Do not follow a seedling/soil treatment with a foliar application from the same mode of action group. 
7. DO NOT re-treat a spray failure with a product from the same mode of action group. 
8. Avoid using insecticide tank-mixes where both active ingredients control the same insect pests as this strategy is generally not considered best practice for resistance management. 
9. Practice good crop hygiene to reduce insect/virus pressure e.g. removing severely infested plants or host weeds, and plough in old crop debris. 
10. For information refer to the NSW Department of Primary Industries website: Western flower thrips (WFT) insecticide resistance management plan (nsw.gov.au) 

Note: The table above identifies active ingredients that are either registered with the APVMA or authorised under active permits. Please consult label or permit for specific requirements. 

Notes regarding the application of insecticides: 

To ensure the most effective control of the pest: 

1. Refer to The CropLife Australia Expert Committee on Insecticide Resistance Mode of Action Classification for Insecticides. 
2. Seek advice from the manufacturers and/or government advisory services to determine local resistance levels for particular mode of action groups. 
3. Do not exceed the maximum number of applications permitted on the insecticide label. 
4. When using insecticides to control other pests, consider the chemical group in relation to contributing to resistance development of other insect pests. 
5. When using insecticides to control insect pests consider the effect on beneficial insects and the potential to flare WFT populations.