Hat Trick For Thrips

I'm Susan Allen Seems every time I open my emails there is a new product registration directed to the Midwest corn and soy farmers. Imagine my delight to hear the Pacific Northwest finally getting some new crop protection products registered for our region. It has been great to follow Syngenta's 16 in 16 campaign where they have been traveling across the State of Washington announcing the release of 16 new products targeting the crops that we actually grow out here. The latest field day last week was near Moses Lake by Qualls Agricultural Labs. Field reporter Kelly was there to talk to the experts and asked about easy way to check for Thrips.

Kelly Allen: When you are out checking fields for bugs can you share some tricks you use

:41 seconds Chris Clemens: Were here in Ephrata WA and we just got done a field day talking with customers about Thrips, a pest that has been around for a number of years and the question comes up so how do you scout for these. There are couple of ways of doing it and the non-scientific way of doing it is; If you have a dark baseball cap on get out into the potatoes and throw it on the ground and then shake the foliage two or three good shakes. Then when you pick your hat up you can see them moving around because they are lighter in color against the dark back ground and you will see them crawling around and you know you need to start looking into treating for the Thrips. or three good shakes. Then when you pick your hat up you can see them moving around because they are lighter in color against the dark back ground and you will see them crawling around and you know you need to start looking into treating for the Thrips.

Great hat trick, Well I guess we now know why you always see a farmer with a ball cap on!