The efficacy of preventing thrips from invading a fig field and generating indigenous natural enemies through the use of the sorghum and petunia

Abstract

We examined the efficacy of preventing thrips from invading a fig (Ficus carica L.) field and preserving natural enemies through the use of the sorghum as barrier crops surrounding the fig trees.
From June to November, we counted the number of thrips that were captured with the blue sticky plate set in a fig field surrounded by either the sorghum or the petunia in addition to the sorghum. The total numbers of thrips invading the fig fields under these experimental conditions were about half that found in the control, conventional field surrounded by windbreak nets with 4mm mesh. Additionally, we also confirmed the efficacy of generating indigenous natural enemies such as the arachnids, the orius, and the neididae in the fig field surrounded by the sorghum.