Prospects for the Use of Volatile Plant Compounds for the Ecological Control of Western Flower Thrips in Greenhouse Production Systems

This study presented the possibility of joint application of plant compounds with attractant properties and compounds with repellent action, as elements of a push-pull strategy for thrips control in greenhouses on ornamental crops. The extracts from the Laurus nobilis L., Filipendula ulmaria (L.) and Tanacetum vulgare L. were studied. The laboratory tests revealed the attracting qualities of F. ulmaria and L. nobilis extracts. Using GC-MS, the presence of eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) was determined in the volatiles of all three extracts at that, in F. ulmaria this compound was predominant (52%). Field trials involving the combined use of attractant-baited traps (F. ulmaria and L. nobilis) showed the effectiveness of blue sticky traps with F. ulmaria extract. Application of 1% solution of T. vulgare extract with repellent effect (spraying of rose plants) resulted in the suppression of the pest population for a fortnight.