Effect of plastic mulch colour on infestation by Frankliniella occidentalis and other thrips
Experiments were carried out in Alabama, US, to determine the effect of different colours of plastic mulch on the infestation of tomato plants by Frankliniella occidentalis (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) and other thrips. It was found that the average number of thrips in blooms of tomatoes was greater when white plastic mulch was used instead of black plastic mulch, alumininium-coloured plastic mulch or bare soil. The advantages of darker plastic mulches diminished, however, later in the season when plants grew taller and shaded larger portions of the mulch.
Sources
Brown, S.L.; Brown; J.E. (1992) Effect of plastic mulch color and insecticides on trips populations and damage to tomato.
HortTechnology 2, 208-210.