INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL IN GREENHOUSE CHRYSANTHEMUMS

In Italy among greenhouse flowering plants, the year-round produced chrysanthemum is the third cultivation for the number of hectares cultivated. This paper presents the results obtained, through an integrated approach, in the control of the key-pests, thrips and agromyzids: 1) in the laboratory using the active ingredients abamectin, methiocarb, cyromazine, heptenophos against Frankliniella occidentalis; and 2) in the greenhouse with abamectin and the predator Orius insidiosus. Abamectin gave 77.6–88% control of thrips in laboratory tests; in the greenhouse 2 applications of this a.i. in the 6th week when density of thrips/shoot was 3.2 and 2 releases of O. insidiosus had not blocked the increase of the thrips population, gave highly satisfactory results, which were no lower than those obtained in traditionally run cultivations: 53% of top quality flowers. These treatments were also able to contain infestation of the agromyzids.