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| Our Chili Farm @ Chiangrai |
Last week our team traveled to Chiang Rai province to check a chili farm, where we planted both Super Hot Chili (
C. furtescens) and Hot Chili (
C. annuum) and according to plan the chili will be ready for harvest during late January 2012.
We went there with good spirits and high hopes. The chilly winter wind breezing against my face was so enjoyable, holiday season right at the corner. This was going to be a good day!! Then reality harshly slapped our face to wake us from the sweet dreams!!! : (
Around 60% of the farm area was under attack by an army of Thrips!!!
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| Thrips affected chili trees, see the lefts |
Thrips which has a fancy scientific name of
Stenchaetohrips bifomis are insects with "sucking tubes" (excuse my weak English). To give you the picture more quickly lets say that they are "vampire" in an insect form. Yes! a vampire but not a dreamy one like Edward from the Twilight saga but rather a horrifying nightmare for all chili farmers.
They are dangerous to the chili tree both in the growing and fruiting phase, feeding on the plants juices by aiming the tree's soft points such as leaves making them shrink until they are unable to receive sunlight and the fruits burning them. Terrifying huh!!!
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| Chili tree Thrips. |
Normally Thrips love the dry and cold condition during winter, farmers tend to avoid chili cultivation during October to November but if you want the profit of off season crops you just have to accept the risks.
These are some suggestions how to tackle with the Thrips army!
1. Water them a lot, even though they like to suck juice they hate large amount of water.
2. Terminate the infected trees and apply the use insecticide such as Profennophos, Carbousulfan, Fipronil.
3. Use Biological Control by sending our own insects troops of Predatory mites or Green lacewing larvae to hunt down the enemies.