Agroport-D

Tobacco thrips (Thrips tabaci) is one of the major pest of tobacco in Hungary. Indirectly as a vector of tomato spotted wilt virus it could cause up to 100% yield loss and it could reduces the quality of the leaves later.

The objective of the program of ULT Hungary Zrt., started in 1996, is to reduce the damage of thrips and TSWV infection. The program coordinator was Dr. Gábor Jenser, after his death in 2015, Dr. Szilvia Orosz took over the coordinator duties.

Sticky colour traps are used to monitor the number of thrips from seedling growing. On the basis of results of the traps collected on a weekly basis, the agronomists give advice for protection to the growers, and the information is available at the website of Hungarian Tobacco Growers Association (MADOSZ).

Traps were set in 7 fields in different regions during 15 weeks. The traps indicate well the flying thrips into the field.

A new experimental element was added to the monitoring system this year for a better follow-up the accumulating thrips in the field in the second part of the growing season. Thrips are collected from the plants in every second week, which is expected to represent better the number of thrips causing quality damage.

The colleagues of ULT Hungary Zrt., Nyidoter Kft., Agroport-D Kft., authorities and research institutes are involved in this project.
The result of the successful program, which is continued in the coming years, is the lower TSWV infection, the decrease of the quality loss, the lower use of insecticides and the reduced environmental impact.