Incidence and Comparative Efficacy of Eco-friendly and Chemical Strategies for Managing Scirtothrips dorsalis in Rabi Groundnut

Thrips are significant pests of groundnut, causing extensive foliar damage. This study aimed to monitor thrips incidence during 2021–22 rabi season and evaluate integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Weekly monitoring was conducted from 15 days after sowing (DAS) to harvest, revealing a progressive increase in thrips damage from 14.90% to a peak of 97.05% by the 6th standard week (SW). The thrips population increased from 1.32 thrips per plant at the 52nd SW to 6.44 thrips per plant by the 6th SW. Correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between thrips population and foliar damage (r = 0.84), with stronger associations observed in the subsequent weeks (1-lag: r = 0.85, 2-lag: r = 0.92). Weather parameters, particularly maximum temperature (r = 0.71) and evening relative humidity (r = -0.65), were also significantly correlated with thrips incidence. Three pest management modules were evaluated: the Chemical module, using Cyantraniliprole, resulted in the lowest damage (33.04%), while the Eco-friendly module, promoting beneficial natural enemies, resulted in 43.72% damage. The untreated control suffered the highest damage (74.05%). These results underline the effectiveness of integrated pest management strategies, balancing pest control and environmental sustainability.