FLUTUAÇÃO POPULACIONAL DE Thrips tabaci EM DIFERENTES PLANTAS HOSPEDEIRAS NO CERRADO GOIANO

Abstract

Thrips tabaci is an insect that causes irreversible damage to several plants of economic importance. Polyphagous, cosmopolitan, of small size and asexual reproduction, of the thelytokous type, predominantly. In addition, with several reports of populations resistant to insecticidal molecules commonly used under field conditions. In garlic and onions, thrips are sheltered between the central leaves, which gives protection against synthetic control agents and hiding against some natural enemies. Studies on their population dynamics in these two plant hosts can help to understand their ecology and, therefore, seek more efficient forms of control. The objective was to evaluate the population fluctuation of Thrips tabaci in garlic and onion plants grown in the Cerrado biome in Goiás state. The experiment was conducted in a commercial garlic and onion field, in the municipality of Campo Alegre de Goiás, under field conditions. Sampling was carried out using adhesive traps, throughout the plant cycle. The number of thrips sampled followed a quadratic regression model, for both plants, with an increase between 25th and 55th DAG (days after germination) and a population peak at 70 DAG and a sharp decrease between 85th and 100th DAG. The present work presents useful information for a better development of management strategies for thrips in garlic and onions.