Evaluating Thrips Spray Programs in Florida Strawberry: Population Impacts and Fruit Quality1/20/2026
At the Florida Strawberry Growers Association’s Annual Tailgate in Dover, FL on January 14th, Dr. Jason Hamm of Florida Ag Research shared current findings from field work evaluating insecticide spray programs for chilli thrips management in Florida strawberry, with a focus on thrips populations, fruit quality, and practical sampling considerations.
Why early-season thrips management is a focal point
Chilli thrips populations can build quickly in the first third of the season. Early sprays do not always prevent damage to foliage, blossoms, and fruit, which is why the current strategy emphasizes early intervention—applications during the first month of establishment (before canopy closure) to improve coverage and delay population buildup. Field trials are currently underway at the Dover FSGA Research Site to refine early-season application methods under real-world conditions, including examining products and modes of action targeting oviposition, eggs, and immatures. Trial overview and what was evaluated In this study, ‘Ember’ strawberry was planted 10/20/2025, and five treatments were compared: four rotation programs plus an untreated check (UTC). 
Applications and Assessments
Assessment methods included:
Key findings (early-season conditions)
1. Population control vs. crop protection can diverge Across assessments focused on adults + larvae per flower, the data indicated that IGR-based approaches provided stronger thrips population reduction relative to systemic and contact products in this dataset. 
2. Fruit protection and marketable outcomes favored systemic programs in this early window
When looking at harvested fruit outcomes after three harvests, the presentation notes that a program with systemic products provided the best fruit protection under the early-season conditions observed. Marketable yield results were also summarized with an emphasis on early-season ROI dynamics, noting that systemic products can provide strong ROI compared to other rotations, though the untreated check performed similarly under these specific early-season conditions. 
3. Sampling location matters (flowers vs. foliage)
The work also addressed the practical question: Where should you sample, flowers or foliage? The dataset presented a comparison of adults + larvae per leaf and summarized percent control by program. Separately, the presentation’s conclusions noted more thrips found in blossoms vs. foliage in these plots.
Conclusions and Next Steps
The presentation closed with several clear takeaways:
Veteran entomologist to co-lead scientific programs alongside Research Director Dr. Balaji Aglave
Dr. Hamm brings two decades of experience in entomological research, innovation, and multiple biological systems. He earned his Ph.D. in Entomology from Louisiana State University, where he trained in Southeast U.S. crops, an MBA in International Business from the University of Delaware, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Kansas. He has published more than 25 scientific papers and is a co-inventor of three commercial insecticides. At Ag Metrics Group, Dr. Hamm will oversee Southeast entomology and related field research programs to help advance new crop protection and biological technologies from early concept to commercial reality. His team runs insecticide development, efficacy, and grower-supported entomology trials across citrus, sugarcane, strawberries, fruiting and leafy vegetables, and tropical crops.  Drs. Hamm and Aglave examine strawberries at Florida Ag Research’s Dover, FL farm. “Dr. Hamm’s combination of scientific depth, industry experience, and leadership is exactly what our clients are looking for in a research partner,” said Dr. Balaji Aglave, Research Director at Florida Ag Research. “As a professional entomologist leading Ag Metrics Group’s Southeast entomology program, he oversees the insecticide development, insectary, and grower-supported entomological research at Florida Ag Research, designing high-value trials, generating reliable, decision-ready data, and protecting our sponsors’ proprietary information at every step.” Dr. Hamm’s work centers on high-pressure insect pest trials and practical, decision-focused insights for product development teams. These studies are conducted under rigorous, standardized methods with strict data confidentiality, so sponsors can rely on both the integrity of the results and the security of their proprietary information. He specializes in major regional pests, including Asian citrus psyllid, chilli thrips, spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, scales, mealybugs, and mango and pepper weevils. Dr. Hamm is a soft-bodied insect specialist with decades of work focused on laboratory and field trials with this important insect pest group.  Drs. Aglave and Hamm in Florida Ag Research’s Plant Pathology Lab. “With my background in global development programs, patent contributions, and advancement of new chemistries, I know how critical it is for innovators to trust their data,” said Dr. Hamm. “Florida Ag Research and Ag Metrics Group are known for tight, field-grounded science and responsive client service. I’m excited to help our partners generate clear product differentiation and move new technologies efficiently toward commercialization.”
With Dr. Hamm’s appointment, Florida Ag Research strengthens its entomology program and position as a scientific hub for the development of crop protection and biological solutions tailored to the unique pressures of the Southeast U.S. crop production environment. About Florida Ag Research Florida Ag Research, an Ag Metrics Group company, is an agricultural contract research organization specializing in field and greenhouse studies under Florida’s demanding production conditions. The company conducts efficacy, residue, agronomic, and specialty research across citrus, vegetables, sugarcane, small fruits, and other high-value crops. In addition, Florida Ag Research is deeply involved with Florida grower cooperatives, keeping their science focus and significant resources directed toward helping product developers identify opportunities and understand the numerous cropping challenges of the Southeastern U.S. marketplace. About Ag Metrics Group Ag Metrics Group is a leading American agricultural consulting and contract research organization with almost five decades of successful science investigations and grower extension activities. Serving a diverse clientele that includes product manufacturers, grower cooperatives, and governmental agencies, Ag Metrics Group operates across North America through its regional centers: Pacific Ag Research, Michigan Ag Research, and Florida Ag Research. For more information, visit www.AgMetricsGroup.com or follow them on Facebook and LinkedIn @AgMetricsGroup.  Tanishka Aglave, a student at Strawberry Crest High School and daughter of Dr. Balaji Aglave, Research Director at Florida Ag Research, was awarded the 2025 President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a new approach to managing Citrus Greening Disease (Huanglongbing, HLB) At Florida Ag Research, we are proud to support the next generation of scientists whose work is shaping the future of agriculture. That commitment was recently recognized nationally when Tanishka Aglave, daughter of our Research Director Dr. Balaji Aglave, received the 2025 President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Her project, “Reviving Citrus, Reviving Florida,” explored an eco-friendly solution to Citrus Greening Disease (Huanglongbing, HLB) — the bacterial disease that has devastated Florida’s citrus industry. The work was carried out in Florida Ag Research’s laboratories and groves in Thonotosassa, underscoring the role our facilities play in advancing field-based science. Promising Results for Growers Using qPCR diagnostics, chlorophyll analysis, gas exchange measurements, and regression modeling, Tanishka’s trials demonstrated a 63% reduction in disease severity and a 95% improvement in plant vigor with a biological formulation derived from curry leaf extract (Murraya koenigii). Research showed that this formulation could be used on its own or rotated with oxytetracycline, offering growers both a cost-effective and sustainable tool for HLB management. Beyond the Science The project extended well beyond the research plots. Tanishka partnered with the Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s Grove-First initiative, worked alongside USDA scientists and citrus growers, delivered presentations at grower meetings, and authored a children’s book, The Story of Oranges, to raise awareness about citrus health with younger audiences. In Their Words “This recognition is a reflection of the scientists who inspired and guided me. I am deeply grateful to the Florida Ag Research team and to Dr. Frank V. Sances, President & CEO of Ag Metrics Group, for providing the scientific foundation that enabled me to contribute to the fight against Citrus Greening.” — Tanishka Aglave “As a scientist, I am proud of the rigor behind Tanishka’s work. By applying qPCR diagnostics and precision crop physiology tools, she demonstrated a viable eco-friendly alternative to synthetic antibiotics for HLB management. As a father, it is rewarding to see her pursue this work with passion and commitment.” — Dr. Balaji Aglave, Research Director, Florida Ag Research Supporting Future Innovation HLB remains one of the most pressing challenges in Florida agriculture. By providing facilities, mentorship, and scientific expertise, Florida Ag Research is proud to play a role in supporting the young scientists whose ideas and innovation will help safeguard the future of citrus. For more information about the research results, please contact Florida Ag Research at https://www.agmetricsgroup.com/contact Read the full press release here: 
 Extremely high populations of Two-spotted Spider Mites are occurring in Central Florida as a result of unusually warm February temperatures. Populations are spreading in plant canopies, including flowers and fruit, causing significant economic losses to growers on many farms. Two-spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae) is a persistent threat to the strawberry industry nationwide. Their hidden colonization of plant canopies, rapid reproduction, and ability to develop resistance to chemical treatments make them especially difficult to control. Strawberry growers face significant risks because spider mites damage plants by reducing photosynthesis, stunting growth, and feeding directly on fruit causing significant crop losses annually.  With higher than normal temperatures this past month, damaging populations have broken out across Central Florida strawberry plantings and growers are in need of effective solutions to mitigate this escalating threat.
Published data developed by Dr. Frank Sances of Ag Metrics Group has shown that an average of 10-15 mites per leaf can cause measurable plant damage and yield loss. The plants shown above have had 100 or more mites per leaf for weeks at a time. Spider Mite Trials: Secure A Spot in Our Spring "Add-On" Program Currently, we are planning the Spring 2025 program at our Dover, FL strawberry research station. If you have a conventional or alternative acaricide in development, our “add on” trial program has openings for additional entries. Foliar sprays, root drench application and drip irrigation methods are possible. Your product will be compared with industry standards for efficacy against eggs, nymphs and adult stages. At this time of year, 2-3 applications are normally made to manage this pest. Join Our Spring Strawberry Program Today
The industry is searching for products that can help growers manage the area-wide outbreak and prevent further losses economically important crop. If your product has potential efficacy against spider mites, please give us a call while we are filling slots in our field trial program in Central Florida. The industry is searching for products that can help manage the area-wide outbreak and prevent losses to this economically important crop. Two-Spotted Spider Mite is extremely difficult to control on strawberries and there are few effective control measures available to growers. Field trialing your potential solution in these real-world conditions could benefit everyone involved. Please call Florida Ag Research Director, Dr. Balaji Aglave, directly at (813) 892-1104. You can also email him at [email protected] or Erin Downey at [email protected] to discuss these Florida trials now starting at our Strawberry Research Center in Dover, FL. For questions regarding field trials at any of our other stations nationwide including the California Strawberry research program also with lab and field two spotted spider mite trials please contact Brad Booker at [email protected] New Pacific Ag Research Nematology Research Lab in Five Points, CA in the San Joaquin Valley4/25/2024
F.V. Sances (1), B. Aglave (1), K. Williams (1), C. Boone(1), B. Booker (2), W. Schonborn (3), & E. Rosskopf (3) (1) Florida Ag Research, (2) Ag Metrics Group, (3) US Department of Agriculture (Collaboration Only)
Here, we build on previous work from these and other researchers to develop site-specific “Best Practices” for alternative nematode and pathogenic soil fungi control for Central Florida. Two summer solarization trials took place at the Dover Lab and yields for ASD + Solarization were on par with fumigation. This season we increased precision of applications for manure and molasses and included raised beds or flat ground comparisons.
Flat Ground: In many commercial settings, ASD and Solarization treatments are easier accomplished on flat ground. Here, the chicken manure was applied to the treated area utilizing a cone spreader, followed by mechanical injection of molasses, then the area was disked and plastic mulched.  Methodology
Raised Bed: Planting beds were inoculated with soil-borne diseases, Sting nematodes, and common weed seeds before treatment. Four replicates of five treatments were randomly placed into planting beds previously farmed in strawberries. Following summer solarization/ASD, beds were formed in September (Fumigated) and in October, half of the ASD and Solarization plots with clear plastic were painted black. Flat Ground: Bare ground areas were inoculated with soil-borne diseases, Sting nematodes, and common weed seeds before treatment. Four replicates of four treatments were placed into previously farmed strawberry ground. Each plot comprises one planted bed 120 ft in length. Following summer solarization and ASD plots, beds were formed in September.  Crop Health     Soil Pest Control
Pest control comparison between raised bed and flat ground experiments. Root damage severity due to Macrophomina (a) was greater in the untreated inoculated plots. (b) Fumigated soil had significantly lower incidence of soil pathogens.
Yields       Cumulative Yield data for approximately 6 weeks of harvests at the raised bed (a) and flat ground (b) fields, compared to cumulative annual yield from the previous years’ study at Dover (c) and the Duette, FL, grower site that was a flat ground treatment (d).
F.V. Sances (1), B. Aglave (1), K. Williams (1), C. Boone (1), S. Sances (2), W. Schonborn (3), & E. Rosskopf (3) (1) Florida Ag Research, (2) Ag Metrics Group, (3) US Department of Agriculture (Collaboration Only) Introduction
The recurring strawberry production challenges of managing soil borne pests in commercial Florida strawberry farms have never been greater. In conventionally farmed operations, increasing regulatory pressures on remaining registered chemical soil fumigants, and the costs associated with their use are important factors that reduce the sustainability of the industry going forward. Also, while still in its infancy, organic strawberry production in Florida is now well established, and the 2022-23 season brought numerous examples of severely impacted plantings from both nematodes and soil borne diseases. To meet the demand for domestically produced winter fruit, Florida’s organic strawberry growers have limited options for soil borne pest control and have come to rely on use of new land, field site isolation, high rates of organic soil amendments, and a variety of alternative organically approved soil pest control products with varying levels of efficacy.
 Metagenomic analysis of 16S and ITS sequencing data of soil microbiome. 1149 features detected across 48 samples. Dendrogram determines similarity across samples. Unsupervised clustering (colors) show sample consistency across seasonal timepoints as well as potential outliers (left samples). Processed data was derived from Mr. DNA pipeline. Final timepoint had the clearest separation in soil treatments indicating high reliability of treatment specific species detection. 2022-2023 Data Review
This presentation brings current performance data from these alternative soil management practices, which includes molecular analysis of effects of treatments to the soil food-web, effects on bedding plastics used in solar heating of soil, and a comparison of yield enhancement and pest suppression efficacy of the methods. Cumulative Yield Comparison
Over the 2022-23 season, the period when soil samples were collected, ASD + Solarization resulted in yields on par with the fumigated plots.
Soil Borne Pest Control
Macrophomina and nematode control for solarized plots was improved by “over the top” and ASD methods. Sting nematode suppression in the ASD and “over the top” treatments were on par with fumigant-treated plots. ASD did have a negative effect on certain brands of clear plastic.
 Soil Sample Diversity Data summaries of "stackplot" representations of abundance data from genus level. Each timepoint grouped by treatment and stacked with detectable genera diversity expressed as percent of total abundance. Top 12 out of 349 genera listed. Alternating color bands show diverse genera, thickness is percent abundance ranked from most (bottom) to least (top). EARLY SOIL SAMPLE  MID-SEASON SOIL SAMPLE  LATE-SEASON SOIL SAMPLE  Additional research funding provided by The Florida Strawberry Growers Association Foundation and the USDA
Summary: Management of soil borne pests on commercial Florida strawberry farms has long been a challenge to growers. In recent years, this has been particularly difficult with regulatory pressures on the use of remaining chemical soil fumigants and the costs associated with their use. Also, while still in its infancy, organic strawberry production in Florida has been established by several shippers to try to meet the demand for this strawberry market segment. To provide growers with alternative non-fumigant soil pest management techniques, this project builds on previous work from these and other researchers with an on-site demonstration of Soil Solarization and Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation for the 2023 grower outreach by our collaborative groups. Click Poster to Download   Neopestalotiopsis rosae can potentially become a significant problem for strawberry growers in the Salinas Valley of California. The study is authored by Dan Lawrence - Pacific Ag Research, Greg Brittain - Pacific Ag Research, Balaji Aglave - Florida Ag Research and Frank Sances - Ag Metrics Group. #research #strawberry #strawberrydisease #aps #crownrot #rootrot Read the Abstract Here:
https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/PDIS-04-22-0871-PDN  Mark Keeley, Ag Metrics Group, presents "Combining Soil Solarization with Conventional Chemical Fumigants and Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD) in Florida Strawberry Production" project at the Florida Strawberry Growers Association 2022 Field Day
Florida Ag Research presented a “Proof of Concept” field demonstration intended to evaluate the suitability of using solar radiation to enhance soil borne pest control with Conventional Fumigants and Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in commercial Florida strawberry production. Potential benefits of the system include: a) Solarization and ASD are approved organic soil pest control options b) Solarization with conventional soil borne pest control inputs may allow reduction in chemical usage c) ASD is a potential waste recycling system The project, which began in June of 2021, was published by Florida Ag Research/Ag Metrics Group scientists and growers: Frank Sances, Balaji Aglave, Mark Keeley, Kaleb Williams, and Charlie Boone. The Solarization Project was presented by Ag Metrics Group’s Mark Keeley (formerly a Station Manager of Florida Ag Research). “It was great to come back out and present this exciting work to growers and researchers since the ‘Field Day’ was cancelled last January,” said Keeley, “And a great opportunity to introduce Mariano [Galla], the new Florida Ag Research Station Manager, to the Florida strawberry grower community.”  L to R: Florida Ag Research / Ag Metrics Group Project Team: Kaleb Williams - Field Operations, Mark Keeley - Special Projects, Brad Booker - Pacific Ag Research Station Manager (former Florida Ag Research Station Manager), Charlie Boone - Assistant Station Manager, Balaji Aglave - Nematology / Plant Pathology, Mariano Galla - Station Manager  |
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