Thrips and Mites are common pests that can cause significant damage to chilli crops. Managing these pests is important to protect the yield and quality of the crop. They infest the chilli crop from the seedling stage to the reproductive stage. Among different species of mites, yellow mites cause more destruction to the crop. Both the adult and nymph stage of thrips and mites causes damage to the chilli crop by sucking the sap from leaves, shoots, buds and fruits. They cause ‘leaf curl’ symptoms in the affected plants.

Mites thrive in hot and dry weather conditions and can cause severe damage during the flowering and fruiting stages of the crop. While thrips infestations are most severe during the early stages of crop growth and the damage can lead to a reduction in the number of fruits per plant and the size of the fruit. Thrips and mites infestation can cause yield losses ranging from 20% to 50% in chilli and may also reach 60 – 90% in case of severe infestation. Thrips and Mites also act as vectors for the spread of ‘Leaf curl virus’ in chilli. If these pests are not controlled at the earliest stage, their infestation can destroy the whole crop.

Thrips in Chilli crop:

Scientific name of thrips: Scirtothrips dorsalis

Symptoms of Thrips infestation in Chilli:

• They suck the sap from the leaf juices and cause crinkling and curling up of leaves
• They are found mainly on the underside of the leaves
• Infested leaves have elongated petioles
• They lacerate the leaf surface and cause a “Silvery or bronze appearance”
• Affected flower buds become brittle and later drops.
• The early stage of infestation will lead to stunted growth
• In case of severe infestation, flower production and fruit set will be arrested
• Thrips feed on developing fruit, leaving behind small light brown scars on the surface

Preventive Measures to control Thrips in chilli:

• Grow resistant varieties
• Practising intercropping with maize/sorghum gives shade to the chilli crop, thereby reducing the growth of thrips
• Avoid growing chilli after sorghum cultivation because it can create conditions susceptible to thrips infestation
• Avoid mixed cropping of chilli and onion to reduce thrips infestation
• To check the multiplication of thrips, sprinkle water over the seedlings
• Remove heavily infested chilli plants from the field
• Installing blue and yellow sticky traps can help in mass trapping of thrips. Spray neem oil to limit the damage to the crop
• Planting trap crops like marigolds and sunflowers and removing them, once they are completely infested, can reduce the damage to some extent.

ETL: 6 thrips/leaf or 10% affected crop

Management of Thrips in Chilli:

Product Name	Technical Content	Dosage (per lit water)
Mechanical Management
Barrix Magic Sticker Chromatic Trap Blue sheet	Chromatic Trap	8-10 sheets/acre
Tapas Yellow Sticky Trap	22 cm x 28 cm	6 –8/ acre
Biological Management
Kaybee Thrips Raze Insecticide	Botanical Extracts	1-2 ml/ lit water
Eco neem plus	Azadiractin 10000 PPM	3 ml/lit water
Control TRM Bio-pesticide	Organic blend of botanical extracts and alkaloids	1.5 – 2ml/lit water
Chemical Management
Actara Insecticide	Thiamethoxam 25 % WG	0.5 gm/lit water
Delegate Insecticide	Spinetoram 11.7% SC	0.9 ml/lit water
Exponus Insecticide	Broflanilide 300 G/L SC	0.2 ml/lit water

To know more about thrips click here – How to Manage Black Thrips in Chilli for More Profits?

Note: Do not spray Tracer insecticide (Spinosad) if the crop is infested with both mites and thrips at a time

Mites in Chilli crop:

The scientific name of the yellow mite: is Polyphagotarsonemus latus

Symptoms of mite infestation in chilli:

• Downward curling and crinkling appearance of chilli leaves
• Leaves become brittle and blister patches appear on the undersurface of the leaves
• Affected leaves show an inverted boat-shaped appearance
• In a few cases, the petiole of the infested leaves become elongated and this is often referred to as the “rat tail” symptom
• In certain cases, affected leaves show a dark green appearance
• Drying of growth tips, shedding of buds and defoliation of leaves occurs in case of severe infestation
• This leads to stunted growth and death of the plant

Preventive Measures to control mites in chilli:

• Grow mite-tolerant varieties
• Chilli crop can be bordered by 3 – 4 rows of maize
• Maintain field sanitation by removing and destroying crop residues and weeds
• Avoid water stress and water logging conditions
• Timely pruning of infested leaves or removal of plants with symptoms
• Adopt overhead irrigation with sprinklers
• Reduce excessive use of chemicals
• Adopt crop rotation with non-host crops like legumes and cucurbits
• Regular monitoring of the crop to detect the infestation early
• Spray neem seed kernel extract or neem oil at 10-day interval
• Use natural predators like predatory mites, Amblyseius ovalis

ETL: 5-10 mites/leaf

Management of Mites in Chilli:

Product name	Technical content	Dosage (per lit of water)
Biological Management
Econeem Biopesticide	Azadiractin 3000 PPM	2.5– 3 ml/lit water
R Mite Bio Acaricide	Plant extracts	1 – 2 ml/ lit water
Greenpeace Neemol (10000 PPM) Bio Neem Oil Insecticide	Neem Oil extracts (Azardiractin)	1 – 2 ml/lit water
Chemical management
Oberon Insecticide	Spiromesifen 240 SC (22.9 % w/w)	0.3 ml/lit water
Keefun Insecticide	Tolfenpyrad 15% EC	2 ml/lit water
Omite Insecticide	Propargite 57% EC	3 ml/lit water

Conclusion:

Thrips and Mites are significant pests in chilli crops. Effective management of these pests is important for maintaining the yield and quality of chilli, reducing the risk of disease spread, and minimizing the economic impact of pest damage. Adoption of integrated pest management practices can help to manage their population and minimize the yield loss caused by these pests in chilli crops.

NOTE:

• Economic Threshold Level (ETL) – It is the population density at which the control measures need to be determined to prevent the increasing pest population
• By checking the ETL level in the field, the above-mentioned pest management approaches can be taken up to control the pest, reduce the risk of infestation and minimize crop loss in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best practices to reduce the risk of pest infestation in my chilli crop?

Maintain field sanitation by removing crop residues and weeds, practice crop rotation, use resistant varieties, and ensure proper irrigation to avoid water stress. Regular monitoring and early intervention are crucial for successful pest management.

What are the common symptoms of thrips infestation in chilli crops?

Thrips cause leaf curling, crinkling, and a "silvery or bronze" appearance on leaves. Flower buds become brittle and fall off. Early infestations result in stunted growth, while severe cases can halt flower production and fruit setting.

What are the signs of mite infestation in chilli plants?

Mites cause downward curling and crinkling of leaves. The leaves may become brittle with blister patches on the underside, and an inverted boat-shaped appearance may develop. Severe infestations lead to stunted growth, dry growth tips, shedding of buds, and defoliation.

What is the Economic Threshold Level (ETL) for thrips and mites?

The ETL for thrips is 6 thrips per leaf or 10% of the crop affected. For mites, the ETL is 5-10 mites per leaf. Monitoring these levels helps determine when to take action to prevent further pest damage.

Can thrips and mites spread diseases in chilli crops?

Yes, both thrips and mites are vectors for spreading ‘Leaf curl virus’ in chilli crops, making early pest control even more important to protect your crop from disease.

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