Chilli Thrips Field Day

A Chilli Thrips Field Day will be held on 30 November 2023 to demonstrate the nine thrips tolerant sources with susceptible and hybrid checks under high thrips pressure at World Vegetable Center’s South and Central Asia Regional Center, Hyderabad, India.

Thrips pose a tremendous challenge to chilli farmers worldwide and are a perennial problem. In early 2022, WorldVeg initiated the evaluation of breeding lines from two Capsicum species for host resistance to Thrips palmi in artificial infestation experiments. In late 2022 and early 2023, nine highly thrips resistant lines were identified and further validated to contain host resistance to thrips. The resistant lines were sequenced to establish relatedness and to characterize the host resistance factors and a recurrent selection program was initiated to increase the levels of resistance and to map QTLs and develop molecular markers associated with host resistance to thrips.

A trial of nine highly resistant lines is set up in Hyderabad during peak thrips pressure to confirm whether the host resistance holds. After the Field Day, WorldVeg will launch Chilli Thrips Project entitled "Developing Host Resistance to Thrips in Chilli" in March 2024 through APSA-WorldVeg Vegetable Breeding Consortium to conduct research to answer some of the critically important and largely neglected questions surrounding thrips resistance, including information on thrips diversity, to ultimately reduce smallholder farmer losses associated with thrips damage in chilli.

FIELD DAY LOCATION

World Vegetable Center - South and Central Asia

ICRISAT Campus, Patancheru 502324

Hyderabad, Telangana, India

REGISTRATION

Pre-registration is required. No on-site registration is allowed.
Registration will begin on 1 August 2023 and will end on 30 September 2023.
Please click below to register for the Chilli Thrips Field Day

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

REGISTRATION FEE

3,000 INR/person, including lunch, refreshments, hat and transportation to the field.
Maximum of 5 participants per company
A registration desk will be set up at ICRISAT 212 Conference Room and please pay the registration fee in Indian Rupee (cash only).

TRANSPORTATION

Shuttle bus pick-up and drop-off will be complimentary to all participants from ICRISAT main gate to the conference room and fields.

AGENDA

TIME (UTC+5.30)	AGENDA
09:30 - 10:00	Registration at ICRISAT 212 Conference Room Rehana Shaikh, Senior Officer – Administration, South Asia and Central Asia, World Vegetable Center
10:00 - 10:10	Welcome Remarks Aravazhi Selvaraj, India Country Director, South Asia and Central Asia, World Vegetable Center
10:10 - 10:30	Background and preliminary results of chilli thrips resistant trials Derek Barchenger, Scientist-Pepper Breeding, World Vegetable Center
10:30 - 10:50	Q&A session Derek Barchenger, Scientist-Pepper Breeding, World Vegetable Center Manoj Kumar Nalla, Associate scientist - Pepper Breeding, South Asia and Central Asia, World Vegetable Center
10:50 - 11:15	Coffee & Tea Break (near 212 Conference Room)
11:15 - 13:00	Visit the Chilli Thrips Evaluation Trial (Demonstrate 9 thrips tolerant sources with susceptible and hybrid checks under high thrips pressure)
13:00 - 14:00	Lunch at ICRISAT Canteen
14:00 - 15:00	One-on-one interaction, Q&A and feedback Derek Barchenger, Scientist-Pepper Breeding, World Vegetable Center Manoj Kumar Nalla, Associate scientist - Pepper Breeding, South Asia and Central Asia, World Vegetable Center
15:00 - onwards	Departure of Participants

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Ms. Xiaofeng Li at xiaofeng@apsaseed.org or Ms. Mandy Lin at mandy.lin@worldveg.org