The Major Biological Approaches in the Integrated Pest Management of Onion Thrips, Thrips Tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Abstract

Thrips tabaci Lindeman is a cosmopolitan and polyphagous insect pest. It is known worldwide and recorded on more than 300 plant species. T. tabaci is a key pest of onion and several other crops, and its control is vital to the production and profitability of crops. If onion thrips population is not controlled, damage can reduce yield volume and quality. In addition to direct damage to the host plants, T. tabaci has been characterized as an asymptomatic vector of three devastating tospovirus species, such as Tomato spotted wilt virus, Iris yellow spot virus, and Tomato yellow ring virus. For this reason, several synthetic insecticides were used for control. However, these insecticides bring unwanted effects, like pesticide resistance, elimination of nontarget species, environmental pollution, and threats to human health. To solve the negative consequences of insecticides, biopesticides, such as plant secondary metabolites, entomopathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi, and nematodes, have been recognized as effective alternatives. The use of plant-based insecticides and entomopathogenic control methods gained more attention in integrated pest management. Their strong side is lack of residues, saving beneficial insects and minimizing air and water pollution. Plant-derived compounds and entomopathogenic biological control agents offered a variety of biological modes of actions against onion thrips, such as repellency, feeding deterrence, anti-oviposition, fecundity deterrence, metamorphosis inhibition, and parasiting the host's body.