Suppression of tobacco thrips with insecticides and survey of grower practices to control this pest in peanut

Abstract Tobacco thrips ( Frankliniella fusca Hinds) feeding can reduce peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) yield and vector Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (family Tospoviridae, genus Orthotospovirus). Visible injury caused by tobacco thrips feeding was recorded from 2013 to 2022 at one location in North Carolina when peanut was not treated with insecticide, when imidacloprid or phorate was applied in the seed furrow at planting, and when acephate was applied to peanut approximately 21 days after peanut emergence. A positive linear response for peanut injury caused by tobacco thrips was observed from 2013 through 2022 for non‐treated peanut and peanut treated with imidacloprid and phorate. No difference in injury caused by tobacco thrips was noted for acephate. In a survey of farmers in 2022 cropping cycle, the most popular systemic insecticide applied at planting for this pest in North Carolina and Virginia was imidacloprid. The majority of farmers in these states indicated that control of tobacco thrips was more difficult now than in previous years, and that they made routine applications of acephate to control this pest.