With more and more pests becoming resistant to pesticides, alternative control methods are being put to the test to combat flower thrip and whitefly infestations.

Manufacturing and distributing member, Russel IPM, have been running trials on a range of sticky whitefly traps for the strawberry industry. They've been comparing the effectiveness of different colours, patterns, and scents, with some interesting results.

Russell IPM's Yellow Optiroll was found to reduce whitefly numbers on leaves by 84% in February and 67% in April in a commercial crop.

Dr Clare Sampson, the horticultural development manager at Russel IPM, said:

"They have been yellow since 1914. A dull orange-yellow catches fewer beneficial insects and some patterns increase the catch."

Thrips seem to be attracted to a specific blue, but reflectance also matters, as "they prefer it shinier than whitefly," she Dr Sampson.

"Adding a pheromone, which Syngenta supplied, doubles the catch," while a similar boost came from patterned rolls. "We regularly got a reduction in thrips numbers in plants, and reduced crop damage meant a greater share of class one fruit."

Source: BPCA.org.uk