The study was initiated at Agricultural research institute (ARI) Swat to manipulate various synthetic chemicals as well as different herbal extracts for the management of onion thrips, Thrips tabaci, Lind (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). This study used a randomized complete block design with 9 treatments (including a control) and 3 replications. Diazinon 60 EC (40 mg/L), Confidor® Imidacloprid 200 SL (0.6 ml/L), Thionex® Endosulfan 35 EC(350g/l), Flonicamid 50 WG (0.3 g/L), Diafenthiuron 50 WP (0.6 g/L), Neem leaf (Azadirachta indica) (50 g/L), Neem seed (50 g/L), and Garlic bulb (Allium sativum) (25 g/L) were the synthetic and natural insecticides utilized, respectively. The analysis indicate that the untreated plot had the highest percent infestation (20.46), while the plot treated with Diafenthiuron had the lowest mean percent infestation (6.0), which was not significantly different from the plot treated with Imidacloprid (6.1) and the plot treated with Thionex® Endosulfan 35 EC. However, the mean percent infestation for Neem seed extract (11.01), Garlic bulb extract (11.01), and Neem leaf extract (10.85) was all quite close to one another. The highest mean percent reduction of thrips plant^-1 was recorded in plot treated with Diafenthiuron (70.63) which was non-significant to Imidacloprid (70.16) followed by Thionex® Endosulfan 35 EC (69.20). The lowest percent reduction was recorded in plot treated with extracts of Neem seed (46.16) and Garlic bulb (46.16) which was statistically similar to Neem leaf (46.96). The yield obtained from Control plot was the lowest (6398kg/ha), while the yield in the Imidacloprid treated plot was the highest (10267kg/ha) and the yield in the Diafenthiuron plot was the second highest (9866kg/ha). Statistically, the yields from plots treated with botanical extracts obtained from garlic bulbs (8226kg/ha), neem seeds (8216kg/ha), and neem leaves (8205kg/ha) were all very similar. The Diafenthiuron-treated plot had the highest Cost Benefit Ratio (18.79), followed by the imidacloprid-treated plot (18.66). In management against onion thrips, all the chemicals and herbal extracts performed admirably. When compared to other insecticides, Imidacloprid and Diafenthiuron produced the best results. When compared to untreated areas, areas treated with these insecticides have lower infestation rates, higher rates of reduction, higher yields per hectare, and better cost-effectiveness ratios.

Key Words: Herbal extracts, Onion thrips, Thripidae, Insecticide, Swat.