Towards sustainable management of Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae): combining resistance, cultural, biological, and chemical approaches-a comprehensive review
TL;DR
Findings indicate that durable, cost-effective T. tabaci control will depend on investing in resistant cultivars, supporting access to quality biocontrol agents, and embedding monitoring based decision tools in extension and policy frameworks rather than relying on calendar based insecticide use.
Abstract
Thrips tabaci is a polyphagous pest of economic importance and remains has persistent challenge in onion and other vegetable production systems worldwide. Its cryptic feeding behavior, overlapping generations, and high reproductive potential have contributed to the rapid development of resistance to commonly used insecticides. This review critically examines the diverse management strategies developed for the control of T. tabaci . First the review examines key aspects of pest’s biology and ecology, followed by an overview of resistance issues related to chemical control, and the growing necessity for environmentally sustainable alternatives. Biological control options, including predatory bugs and mites, entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes, as well as botanical insecticides and essential oils, are discussed with emphasis to their mechanisms of action, efficacy, and practical limitations. Cultural control practices such as intercropping, mulching, crop rotation, trap cropping, and plant health optimization are examined for their role in reducing thrips pressure. Emerging technologies, including RNA interference (RNAi), precision monitoring tools and action thresholds, are also evaluated. Special attention is given to host plant resistance and the influence of varietal traits in shaping thrips behavior. By integrating conventional, ecological, and novel biotechnological approaches, this review highlights the importance of a multidimensional IPM framework to achieve sustainable T. tabaci management while safeguarding environmental and agroecosystem health. For famers and policymakers, these findings indicate that durable, cost-effective T. tabaci control will depend on investing in resistant cultivars, supporting access to quality biocontrol agents, and embedding monitoring based decision tools in extension and policy frameworks rather than relying on calendar based insecticide use.