Thrips

Caused by: Frankliniella fusca
Problem Category: Insect
Symptoms: If population is high leaves may be distorted; leaves are covered in coarse stippling and may appear silvery; leaves speckled with black feces; insect is small (1.5 mm) and slender and best viewed using a hand lens; adult thrips are pale yellow to light brown and the nymphs are smaller and lighter in color.
Comments: Thrips transmit viruses to plants, including Tomato spotted wilt virus and Peanut bud necrosis virus.
Management: use adequate plant spacings to avoid overcrowding; provide plants with adequate irrigation and fertilization to encourage the fast establishment of seedlings and growth of a close canopy which is unattractive to thrips vectors.
Control: Spray 5% vavilaku kashyam or 5% Neem seed kernal extract to control the thrips,install 8-10 sticky traps/acre