Thrips Trouble in Chillies Quiz Quiz

Explore key concepts related to thrips identification, damage symptoms, monitoring, and management in chilli horticulture. Assess your understanding of effective and practical pest management strategies.

1. Identifying Chilli Thrips

   Which feature best distinguishes thrips commonly found on chilli plants from other small pests like aphids or mites?

   1. Dense webbing on leaves
   2. Bright red coloration
   3. Slender bodies with fringed wings
   4. Large visible antennae

   Explanation: Thrips are recognized by their slender bodies and fringe-like wings, setting them apart from aphids (usually pear-shaped) and mites (tiny, sometimes web-spinning arachnids). Thrips are rarely bright red and do not produce webbing. Their antennae are not as prominent as those of some other insects.

2. Symptoms of Thrips Damage

   What visible symptom most commonly indicates an infestation of thrips on chilli leaves?

   1. Circular shot-hole lesions
   2. Black mold growth
   3. White powdery patches
   4. Silvery streaks and leaf curling

   Explanation: Thrips feeding results in silvery streaks and curling due to their rasping-sucking mouthparts. White powder suggests powdery mildew, not thrips. Black mold is typically related to sooty molds from honeydew, and shot holes are characteristic of some chewing insects.

3. Thrips Monitoring Methods

   Which method is considered most practical for monitoring thrips populations in chilli fields?

   1. Counting adult moths at night
   2. Using blue or yellow sticky traps
   3. Sampling soil for larvae
   4. Examining roots for galls

   Explanation: Sticky traps attract and capture adult thrips, making them a standard monitoring tool. Moth counting is unrelated to thrips. Soil sampling is not generally effective, as thrips spend most time on foliage. Root galls indicate nematode damage, not thrips.

4. Cultural Control for Thrips

   What cultural practice can help reduce thrips populations in chilli cultivation?

   1. Planting late in the season
   2. Applying excess nitrogen fertilizer
   3. Frequent overhead irrigation
   4. Removing weeds and crop debris

   Explanation: Weeds and debris provide alternate hosts or shelter for thrips; removing them helps lower populations. Excess nitrogen can attract more pests, overhead irrigation can promote plant diseases, and late planting may miss optimal conditions for pest avoidance.

5. Chemical Management Timing

   When is pesticide application generally most effective for controlling thrips in chillies?

   1. As soon as harvest begins
   2. Only during the rainy season
   3. At the early stages of infestation
   4. After visible fruit damage has occurred

   Explanation: Applying pesticides early, when thrips populations are low, helps prevent rapid spread and damage. Waiting until harvest, after damage is visible, or limiting action to the rainy season reduces effectiveness and may allow populations to build up.