Florida Ag Research Presents Chilli Thrips Resistance Management Findings at FSGA AgriTech 2026

Florida Ag Research presenting chilli thrips resistance management findings during the 2026 FSGA AgriTech meeting in Plant City, FL.

Florida’s strawberry industry continues to face increasing pressure from chilli thrips, one of the most difficult pests to manage during the production season. At the 44th Annual Florida Strawberry Growers Association AgriTech meeting on May 5, 2026, held at the Grimes Family Agricultural Center in Plant City, Florida, the Florida Ag Research team presented new field research focused on season-long insecticide resistance management strategies for chilli thrips in strawberry production.

The presentation, titled “Optimal Insecticide Resistance Management Rotations for Chilli Thrips: Characterizing Impacts on Populations and Fruit Quality,” was authored by Dr. Frank V. Sances, Dr. Balaji Aglave, and Erin Downey of Florida Ag Research.

The research addressed one of the industry’s most important questions: how to maintain effective chilli thrips control throughout the season while protecting fruit quality and preserving long-term insecticide performance.

Early Intervention and Resistance Management
The presentation emphasized that chilli thrips populations often establish early in the season, well before canopy closure, making early intervention critical for effective suppression.

Researchers noted that programs initiated during the first month of crop establishment improved coverage and delayed population buildup later in the season.

​Researchers noted that sprays applied during the first month of establishment can improve canopy penetration, delay population buildup, and reduce downstream damage to foliage, blossoms, and fruit. 

To evaluate season-long management strategies under commercial-style conditions, Florida Ag Research conducted field trials at the Dover FSGA Research Site using the strawberry variety ‘Ember.’

​Weekly applications were evaluated from December through late April, with researchers monitoring both thrips populations and fruit quality outcomes throughout the season. 

Field trials conducted at the Dover FSGA Research Site evaluated chilli thrips populations, fruit feeding damage, and marketable yield across multiple resistance management programs.

The study compared multiple resistance management approaches, including:

• Rotational programs utilizing multiple modes of action (MOA)
• Programs combining soil and foliar applications
• Foliar-only rotational programs
• Organic treatment programs
• Untreated control plots

Florida Ag Research compared multiple season-long chilli thrips management programs, including rotational MOA strategies, foliar-only approaches, and organic treatment systems.

Researchers measured thrips populations in both foliage and flowers, while also tracking feeding damage, infestation incidence, and overall marketable yield.

Key Findings from the Trial
The presentation demonstrated clear differences between resistance management programs.

Among the most significant findings:

• Multiple MOA rotational programs provided the strongest foliar suppression, maintaining populations below four thrips per leaf throughout much of the season under sustained pressure conditions.

Multiple MOA rotational programs maintained chilli thrips populations below four thrips per leaf throughout much of the season, providing the strongest foliar suppression under sustained pressure conditions.

• Scenario I programs combining Admire Pro with foliar rotations consistently reduced feeding damage and maintained lower flower infestation pressure. 

Scenario I programs significantly reduced chilli thrips feeding damage compared to other treatment programs evaluated during the trial.

• Organic programs experienced substantial late-season control failures under high-pressure conditions, exceeding 80% fruit infestation during peak pressure periods and performing statistically similar to untreated controls in feeding incidence evaluations.
• The highest estimated marketable yields were produced by the Multiple MOA program (12,224 lbs/acre) and Scenario I (11,957 lbs/acre), compared to 8,574 lbs/acre in the organic rotation program.

Programs utilizing rotational resistance management strategies produced the highest marketable strawberry yields under the conditions of this trial.

Researchers also highlighted an important scouting takeaway: sampling only trifoliates may underestimate actual field populations, and whole-plant sampling may provide a more accurate picture of chilli thrips pressure during the season.

Supporting Better Decision-Making for Strawberry Production
The presentation reflects Florida Ag Research’s continued focus on generating practical, field-driven data that helps growers and product developers make better management decisions under real-world production conditions. ​
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As resistance management becomes increasingly important across specialty crop production, this type of season-long efficacy work provides valuable insight into how rotational programs impact not only pest populations, but also fruit quality and marketable yield outcomes.

The complete presentation includes detailed seasonal rotation programs, product-by-product treatment sequences, MOA comparisons, population trend charts, environmental observations, feeding damage analyses, and full marketable yield data from the trial. For growers, consultants, and product developers seeking deeper technical insights into chilli thrips resistance management strategies, the full presentation provides substantially more detailed trial data and program structure.​

Download the full presentation here: