The oat crop in western Romania has begun to occupy increasingly large areas, as the fertile soil in this area along with a modern, properly applied technology has allowed farmers to obtain high yields. Thus, in order to develop an adequate pest control strategy for oat crops, it is necessary to understand the particularities related to phenology, distribution and life cycle of major pests of this crop. Among insects present in oat crops, thrips are between those that cause significant yields losses. Regarding biology, ecology, and control of thrips, a significant number of works have been published so far, but the changing climate conditions with arid tendencies make this knowledge to be far from satisfied. In Romania, research on this group of insects were numerous, being localized mainly on the species present in economically important cereal crops. In this context, the authors have recently conducted a series of research on the taxonomy of thrips species present in this crop. The aims of this paper is to highlight the most important species of thrips present in oat crops in western Romania, comparing wintering behavior, distribution and abundance of thrips species collected from 3 oat varieties. The experimental plots were placed in the western part of Romania, near the village of Sag, the experience being carried out during 2018. Monitoring of thrips species in oat crop was made using colored sticky traps, and also using the sweep netting method. In May traps were installed in the field, for each experimental variant using a total of three traps. The oat plants were sampled from growth stage (BBCH) 50 to 89. In the investigated period, 265 specimens were collected from the oat crop, belonging to 8 species of thrips. In each experimental variant Limothrips cerealium Holiday and Limothrips denticornis Holiday were the dominant species. Haplothrips aculeatus Fabricius and Frankliniella tenuicornis Uzel also occurred in great number on oat plants. Even if they do not cause major yields losses to oat crops: Thrips angusticeps Uzel, Stenothrips graminum Uzel, Frankliniella tritici Fitch and Anaphothrips obscures Müller are present every year in the experimental field.

thrips species, yield loss, oat, western Romania

biology

Presentation: poster