Reflective plastic mulch as control measure for thrips in fig plant (Ficus carica L.)

Abstract

Seasonal occurrence of thrips was monitored weekly using blue sticky traps placed in fig orchards in Wakayama Prefecture. The western flower thrips, Flankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), which dominantly caused the damage of the fig fruit, showed a peak in mid- or late-June, whereas the other species of thrips peaked in late-May or early-June. Four experiments were conducted to determine the effect of reflective plastic mulch (reflective rate of more than 90%), covering the row, on the damage of fig fruit caused by thrips. The mulch prevented the thrips effectively from immigrating into the orchard, reducing the percentage of damaged fruit by one-third compared with the untreated plot.