Abstract
Since 2015, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood has emerged as the main pest of strawberries in Florida. Given the limited management options, there is a recognized need to expand on the management strategies for this pest. Therefore, we explored the possibility of using banker plants to recruit naturally occurring predators of thrips into strawberry fields to suppress S. dorsalis. The study began in the 2021–2022 strawberry season where five banker plants were screened to determine which ones could consistently attract thrips predators by flowering throughout the strawberry season. Capsicum annum L. (ornamental pepper) and Lobularia maritima L. (sweet alyssum) were selected for further evaluation. In the 2022–2023 strawberry season, using a randomized complete block design we assessed the capability of these banker plants to attract thrips predators into the strawberry field. In addition, we examined how the banker plant distance from the strawberry plants influenced the S. dorsalis pest suppression. Our results showed that strawberries located within 3.7 m of ornamental pepper plants had less leaf damage from S. dorsalis compared with those farther away, which may result from the repellent effect of the ornamental peppers. Additionally, Geocoris spp. and Orius spp. were identified as the main thrips predators in the system, although in relatively low numbers. Therefore, these results highlight the potential of incorporating ornamental pepper as a banker plant in strawberry production. Additional applications of this research are explored below.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Ornamental pepper and sweet alyssum were selected after screening five banker plants for predator attraction and flowering.
Verbatim
e0“five banker plants were screened to determine which ones could consistently attract thrips predators by flowering throughout the strawberry season. Capsicum annum L. (ornamental pepper) and Lobularia maritima L. (sweet alyssum) were selected for further evaluation.”
Claim · model-written summary
Strawberries within 3.7 m of ornamental pepper had less S. dorsalis leaf damage than strawberries farther away.
- Taxon
- strawberries
_single2.jpg?width=60)
Fragaria ×ananassae0 - Treatment
- within 3.7 m of ornamental pepper plantse0
- Interactor
- S. dorsalis
Scirtothrips dorsalise0pest - Second interactor
- ornamental peppere0other
- Outcome
- leaf damage from S. dorsalise0
- Direction
- lesse0
- Value
- 3.7 me0
- Comparator
- those farther awaye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_single2.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“strawberries located within 3.7 m of ornamental pepper plants had less leaf damage from S. dorsalis compared with those farther away”
Claim · model-written summary
Geocoris spp. were identified as main thrips predators but occurred in relatively low numbers.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
- Outcome
- main thrips predatorse0
- Qualifier
- relatively low numberse0
GeocorisOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Geocoris spp. and Orius spp. were identified as the main thrips predators in the system, although in relatively low numbers.”
e1“strawberry fields”
Claim · model-written summary
Orius spp. were identified as main thrips predators but occurred in relatively low numbers.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
- Outcome
- main thrips predatorse0
- Qualifier
- relatively low numberse0
OriusOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Geocoris spp. and Orius spp. were identified as the main thrips predators in the system, although in relatively low numbers.”
e1“strawberry fields”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors highlight incorporating ornamental pepper as a banker plant in strawberry production.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Outcome
- incorporating ornamental pepper as a banker plant in strawberry productione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“these results highlight the potential of incorporating ornamental pepper as a banker plant in strawberry production.”