Western Flower thrips (WFT) and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) are serious pests of a wide range of vegetables.
Western flower thrips is one of a number of thrips species that cause direct feeding damage to vegetables. WFT is a more serious problem than many other thrips because it has developed high levels of insecticide resistance.
Some of the most sensitive vegetables include: cucumbers, silverbeet, spring onions and shallots and a range of herbs.
This 6 page factsheet provides links to information resources that can assist in managing thrips and tospoviruses in vegetables. A brief description is given along with a web link or information on where copies may be obtained..
Key Points :
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus is the most widespread and damaging virus affecting Australian vegetable crops. It is a tospovirus and is transmitted by WFT, Onion thrips, Tomato thrips and Melon thrips.
TSWV is a serious disease of tomatoes and other solanaceous crops such as capsicums, eggplant and potato. It can also devastate lettuce crops and cause significant damage in peas and celery.
Capsicum chlorosis virus (CaCV) and Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) are two other tospoviruses new to Australia.
- CaCV is vectored (carried and transmitted) by Melon thrips and Tomato thrips in capsicums and tomatoes.
- IYSV is vectored by Onion thrips in onions and leeks.
To effectively manage these pests it is important to understand some key points about their biology and management:
- Sanitation is critical. Avoid getting thrips or TSWV in seedlings, reduce chances of them coming into your crop and remove and destroy any diseased plants.
- Not all thrips transmit viruses and different tospoviruses are transmitted by different thrips species.
- For an adult thrips to transmit the virus, it must have developed on an infected plant.
- WFT and TSWV both have very broad host ranges and both are found on a range of weed species therefore weed management around crops is a critical factor in managing these pests.
- WFT is resistant to many insecticides and not all thrips vector TSWV, therefore being able to identify WFT and other thrips species is critical to the development of sound management strategies.
- Viruses can not be cured – only prevented.
- A chemical-first or chemical-only strategy will fail.
- Maintaining an environment in which viruses are absent or at very low levels and a range of the natural enemies of thrips are present will keep damage below economic levels.
An integrated strategy, using knowledge about the thrips and the tospoviruses as well as the natural enemies that are present and how they move around the environment, is essential to effectively manage both pests.
See Also :
Viruses and Vegetables
Aphid transmitted viruses
Viruses transmitted by Thrips
Viruses transmitted by Whitefly
Tobamoviruses
Acknowledgements :
This factsheet has been facilitated by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) in partnership with AUSVEG through the National Vegetable Research and Development Levy.
The Australian Government provides matched funding for all HAL’s R&D activities.
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