Evaluation of suitable technique and determination of appropriate stage of flower for sampling of thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in rose flowers

Abstract

To confirm whether widely followed beating method is relatively effective and efficient over other available methods viz., Liquid Detergent Method and Turpentine vapour method, the present laboratory study was conducted. The most popular rose variety, Gladiator which the farmers usually cultivate was selected for this study. The four stages of flowers viz., (a) Unopened young buds (2-5 days old) (b) Young buds with calyx opened (6-10 days old) (c) Matured Flowers (1-5 days old) (d) Fully opened flowers (>5 days old) were used for thrips extraction. The beating method (BM) proved to be the most effective method for extraction of thrips (both larvae and adult) where in mean efficacy was 82.77% followed by liquid detergent method (LDM) where in the mean efficacy was 74.20%. The turpentine vapour method (TVM) recorded the least mean efficacy of 62.31%. When mean efficacy of extraction of thrips was compared between the flower stages during sampling, it was high on matured flowers (78.76%), followed by fully opened flower (71.84%), calyx opened bud (62.44%) and young bud (58.10%). Beating method of extraction of thrips from matured flowers recorded higher efficiency (87.52%), followed by fully opened flower (82.62%), calyx opened bud (81.50%) and young bud (79.40). Turpentine vapour method recorded the least efficiency in all aged group of flowers. When we compared interaction effects between different stages of flowers and extraction methods, beating and liquid detergent method recorded higher efficacy for matured and fully opened flowers (87.57%, 82.62%, respectively in BM and 79.29%, 73.58% in LDM, respectively). When time efficiency was compared for extraction of thrips under each method, beating method was found more quick with least mean extraction time (22.2 minutes) compared to turpentine vapour method (154 minutes) and liquid detergent method (38.2 minutes).