Abstract
Blackberry production is a small but growing industry in the state of Florida. Their numerous health benefits make them a good choice for Florida growers who want to diversify from traditional crops such as strawberries. Several potential pest insects and mites have been found on blackberries in Florida, but the two most likely to become key pests are stink bugs and flower thrips. This 3-page fact sheet provides information on flower thrips identification, monitoring, and management for blackberries. Written by Oscar E. Liburd, Elena M. Rhodes, Elke Weibelzahl, and Sara E. Brennan, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2014.
ENY-881/IN1060: Flower Thrips in Blackberries in Florida (ufl.edu)
References
Finn, E. 2003. "Developing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Techniques for Managing Key Pests of Blueberries in the Southeastern United States." Masters thesis. University of Florida. Gainesville, FL.
Lewis, T., ed. 1997. Thrips as Crop Pests. New York: CAB International.
Liburd, O. E. and H. A. Arevalo. 2005. Integrated Strategies for Controlling Flower Thrips in Southern Highbush Blueberries. IPM-140. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in637
Mizell, R. F., III. 1993. "Insect Management in Blackberries." ENY-410 (IG069), Department of Entomology and Nematology, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
Rodriguez-Saona, C. R., S. Polavarapu, J. D. Barry, D. Polk, R. Jörnsten, P. V. Oudemans, and O. E. Liburd. 2010. "Color Preference, Seasonality, Spatial Distribution and Species Composition of Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Northern Highbush Blueberries." Crop Prot. 29:1331-1340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2010.07.006
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