**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE WESTERN FLOWER THIRPS (WFT) HAS BECOME THE MOST IMPORTANT PEST OF TOMATOES AND PEPPERS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US. DAMAGE IS THE RESULT OF THRIPS FEEDING DIRECTLY ON FRUIT THAT RENDERS IT UNMARKETABLE, AND TRANSMISSION OF TOMATO SPOTTED WILT VIRUS THAT REDUCES FRUIT QUALITY AND YIELD. THE PROBLEM IS DUE, IN PART, TO INSECTICIDE RESISTANCE THAT HAS LEFT A VOID OF PRODUCTS THAT EFFECTIVELY CONTROL THE PEST. OUR GOAL IS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A SUSTAINABLE PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN WFT AND HOST PLANT COMMUNITIES THAT CAN BE USED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF WFT INFESTATIONS OF CROPS AND REDUCE PESTICIDE INPUTS NEEDED FOR ITS CONTROL. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO: 1) IDENTIFY HABITATS ACROSS LANDSCAPES THAT SERVE AS SEASONAL HOSTS THAT TEMPORALLY BRIDGE WFT POPULATIONS ACROSS SEASONS AND AS RESERVOIRS FOR WFT DISPERSAL TO FRUITING VEGETABLE CROPS; 2) DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF HABITAT-BASED PREVENTIVE PEST MANAGEMENT TACTICS IN SUPPRESSING WFT POPULATIONS, INCLUDING WEED MANAGEMENT AND CROP ROTATION OVER DISTANCE; 3) DETERMINE THE REGIONAL SCALE PREVALENCE OF SPINETORAM-RESISTANT WFT POPULATIONS, AND IDENTIFY SELECTIVE BIORATIONAL PESTICIDES FOR SUPPRESSION OF THRIPS; 4) INTEGRATE FINDINGS OF RESEARCH INTO A SUSTAINABLE PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND DELIVER TO STAKEHOLDERS. STUDIES WILL IDENTIFY KEY HABITATS THAT SERVE AS RISKS FOR WFT INFESTATIONS AND DEVELOP CULTURAL CONTROL TACTICS BASED ON THAT KNOWLEDGE, WHICH ALONG WITH BIORATIONAL PESTICIDES WILL SUPPRESS WFT POPULATIONS IN SUSCEPTIBLE CROPS AND ACROSS AGROECOSYSTEMS. THE PROJECT WILL LEAD TO SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR THRIPS THAT REDUCES RELIANCE ON PESTICIDES, INCREASES GROWER PROFITABILITY, AND MINIMIZES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators