Thrips Parvispinus, an invasive insect from Indonesia first seen in 2015, has spread rapidly, affecting chilli crop in nearly 9 lakh acres in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. All the places where chilli is grown is infested by this species. The infestation is so severe that we found 20-25 insects on each bud or flower.
“Due to excessive use of pesticides, the insect has developed resistance. It has spread to vegetable crops, including drumstick trees also, and has been seen on cotton plants at some places. The quality and yield of chilli crop will be affected this season. Farmers in Warangal and Khammam in Telangana, and in Guntur, Prakasam and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh have uprooted the infested crop and sown alternative crops such as Bengal gram. It can be managed by the use of neem oil and neem cakes.
