General situation, thrips population development
Planting is in full swing. Temperatures and precipitation this spring are close to historic norms, and the thrips population predictions are very similar to those we saw last year. We’re currently at the peak of 1st-generation adults; they’ll be laying their eggs over the next few weeks. Currently 2nd-generation egg hatch and adults are predicted to peak at 4/24 and 5/10, respectively, and 3rd generation adults predicted to peak in early June.
I’ll continue to partner with UCD virology professor Bob Gilbertson and project scientist Tomas Melgorejo, to monitor populations of TSWV-infected adult thrips in historic hotspots in Yolo and Solano counties, using yellow sticky cards placed just outside selected fields. This year, we will also monitor populations in pepper fields.