Identify two key pests that affect onion crops and provide one integrated pest management (IPM) strategy for each.

1. Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci): Onion thrips are small, slender insects that feed on onion leaves, causing silvering and distortion of the foliage. One IPM strategy to control onion thrips is to introduce natural predators such as minute pirate bugs (Orius insidiosus) or predatory mites (Amblyseius spp.) to the onion field. These predators can help reduce thrips populations by feeding on them.

2. Onion maggot (Delia antiqua): Onion maggot larvae feed on onion roots, causing stunted growth and wilting of the plants. To manage onion maggot infestations, crop rotation can be used as an IPM strategy. By rotating onion crops with non-host plants such as corn or beans, the onion maggot population can be reduced as the larvae will not have a suitable host plant to feed on. Additionally, using row covers during the early stages of onion growth can help prevent adult flies from laying eggs on the plants.

1. Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci)

- IPM Strategy: Use reflective mulches on the soil to deter thrips from laying eggs.

2. Onion Maggot (Delia antiqua)

- IPM Strategy: Rotate crops to break pest cycles and plant onions early to avoid peak maggot populations.