Location: Crop Improvement and Protection Research
Project Number: 2038-22000-020-020-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2023
End Date: Apr 30, 2025
Objective:
The objective of this project is to develop improved traps that capture thrips without the use of sticky cards by using passive methods, active methods, or a combination of both. The trapping methods will be combined with diagnostic tools for identifying thrips populations that are vectoring viruses that impact lettuce production. The work will create new surveillance strategies to better understand the temporal and spatial drivers of thrips populations and disease dynamics in lettuce crops within the region.
Approach:
Design 2-4 traps using passive, active, or a combination of capture methods. Traps will be designed and printed using a combination of colors, sizes, fans and fan designs, collection chambers, and vial support. Traps will be deployed along field edges adjacent to sticky cards to assess capture efficiency. Each trap design will be deployed pairwise with 10 feet of separation from a standard blue sticky card. Both trapping methods will be monitored every 2-3 days for 14 days to determine the capture efficiency. Trap prototypes will also be compared to one another to assess capture efficiency. Trap designs will be modified to improve the performance of the traps (i.e., physical, mechanical, electrical, etc.).
