We continue to check our thrips traps every Friday. After an early April bump in activity, captures of tobacco thrips dropped and stayed low until last week when numbers were up again. Thrips are definitely present in our peanut fields, and the trap data indicate that adults are moving. This means we need to keep a watch on fields to make sure we do not let thrips damage get ahead of us.

As a reminder, there is no economic threshold for thrips in peanut. So, when do we make an insecticide application? If adult and immature thrips are present and there is visible damage, it is time to consider a spray. If we wait until the terminals are brown and dying, we are probably too late. The impact of controlling thrips in peanut is not as clearly defined as it is in cotton, and there is no guarantee that foliar sprays will provide much if any return on investment. Nevertheless, it is very hard to see a field with heavy thrips damage and not do something about it.

Growers should remember that the active ingredient (thiamethoxam) in CruiserMaxx Peanut is only expected to give thrips control for 21 days after planting. Fields approaching 21 DAP should be on the list for a walk-through to evaluate thrips pressure.

I plan to post additional information from our thrips efficacy trials after we make our ratings this week.

Thrips Graph 5-15-15

These data are being provided for informational purposes only and may not be representative of thrips dispersal at your location. Peanut fields should be scouted regularly to quantify actual thrips populations.

If you have questions about thrips or thrips management please contact your local county Extension agent.