Re: schettin reply to your message
Sal Schettino (sals@coyote.rain.org)
Thu, 24 Mar 1994 07:39:49 -0800 (PST)
I hope it is ok to make this public need all the help I can get..
I don't have much thrips in winter. but later in the fall they get on the
fruit and make it
look rusty color instead of black.they are hass. the markets will not take
it looking brown. I get my best price if I
wait till late. Its cooler here than San D. so the market gets
better for us when we wait. Last year the price was about 10 cents a lb.
then when up to
$1.00 a lb. so its worth waiting. Now the fruit is clean. If I pick
early I may be ok . I usually wait for a fair price. I m sure its
green house thrips. I want to try orius because they may overwinter and
establish also lots of farmers are using Thripobius and I going to try
that one too. I going to wait till summer before buying them. I leave grass
and weeds grow. I think my trees are weak
because of ceniman root fungus. Leaving the weeds grow i think is helping
with the root fungus. Maybe when I cut
the weeds in summer the trips may go to the fruit. I think your right
about the mites not working in the field for thrips. so its orius and
Thripobius. I lost about 80 or more % of fruit last year for the frist
time usually only have little damage.
The thrips get on the Cherimoyas leaves too but donnot do much damage
but boy did they ever get my avos.
Could be because the trees are weak.
On
Wed, 23 Mar 1994,
Galen Frantz wrote: I > To: Sal Sachetti > From: Galen Frantz
> Date: March 22, 1994
> Subject: Thrips on avocadoes
>
> Dear Sal:
>
> I received from Chuck Benbrook a copy of your request for help
> in dealing with your thrips problem. I believe there are some
> things you can do to reduce this damage. However, there are some
> questions which need to be clarified.
>
> 1. What is the nature of the injury which is causing this
> loss? Does the loss occur as a result of thrips feeding
> in the blooms, or do the thrips directly damage the
> fruits?
>
> 2. Have you had the thrips which are causing the damage
> identified? In your message, you mentioned three species
> of thrips, one of which, the greenhouse thrips, I
> recognize as a pest of avocado. The others, the Western
> Flower and Onion Thrips, do feed on the fruits or foliage
> of many hosts, but I have not heard of them being a
> threat to avocadoes.
>
> 3. At what time of the year does the damage occur?
> Depending on when the damage is being done, you may want
> to take different approaches to controlling the pest.
> For example, Orius spp are really rare during the winter
> months in Florida, but are plentiful enough to bring
> about some control of thrips during the fall and spring
> months.
>
> 4. What is your harvesting schedule like? Do you take all
> the fruit off the trees in as short a time as possible,
> or do you let the fruit hang, waiting for the market
> price to get right, or whatever reason. Research by Phil
> Philips (Univ. of California, 702 County Square Drive,
> Ventura, CA 93003) has shown that prompt removal of
> avocadoes can significantly reduce the damage caused by
> Greenhouse Thrips. We have begun using this approach to
> harvesting grapefruits in groves where the Orchid Thrips
> has caused rind damage in the past.
>
> 5. Have you surveyed the weeds or cover crops in and around
> your grove for possible refuges for the beneficials you
> hope will control the thrips? Check with the University
> to see if there is any work being done on such refuges or
> nurseries for beneficials.
>
> 6. I have heard of the proposed use of Thripobius through
> Dr. Philips, but have not heard of anyone releasing mites
> to control thrips in a fruit crop. Considering the high
> numbers of such beneficials needed to bring about
> biological control of thrips in other crops, the strategy
> you may find most useful would include early, thorough
> harvesting, conservation of whatever beneficials you may
> already have around your grove, and establishment of
> refuges where beneficials may survive year-round.
>
> 7. How did you get into trouble with scales? I may be
> asking this out of ignorance, but in citrus here in
> Florida, we have quite effective control of scale insects
> through biological means. Summer applications of oil
> usually add to this biological control, but additional
> insecticides are usually not needed. In fact, we try to
> avoid insecticide use as much as possible in order to
> avoid creating scale problems.
>
> 8. Have you heard of the bulletin board being maintained by
> the National Biological Control Institute? Contact
> Joseph S. Hancock, System Operator, at 301-436-4329 or
> send a fax requesting details to 301-436-7823. This is
> a new bulletin board, and there may not be a lot in there
> for you right now, but there are a lot of people who
> subscribe, and...who knows?
>