Methods of controlling thrips in onion crops growing in Santa Catarina state, Brazil, which do not require or reduce the use of chemical insecticides are described, including (i) the cultivation of early cultivars which naturally escape the peak occurrence of the pest, (ii) adopting a system of direct (no-till) planting, (iii) growing cover crops such as mucuna ( Stizolobium [ Mucuna] spp.), Canavalia ensiformis, fodder rape ( Brassica napus), Avena strigosa [ A. nuda] and rye ( Secale cereale), and (iv) use of alternative substances as insecticides.
