Context: A field experiment was carried out at a farmer’s field in Mahabubabad district, Telangana, during Kharif season 2020-21 to evaluate the efficacy of selected insecticides against chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis (Hood.), a major pest causing significant yield losses in chilli (Capsicum annuum L.).

Objective: To evaluate the in-situ efficacy of selected insecticides against thrips in chilli and to calculate the cost-benefit ratio of the treatments.

Methodology: Seven insecticidal treatments, namely Fipronil 5% SC (T1), Acetamiprid 20 SP (T2), Imidacloprid 17.8 SL (T3), Dimethoate 30 EC (T4), Fenazaquin 10 EC (T5), Emamectin benzoate 5 SG (T6), and Indoxacarb 14.5% SC (T7), were evaluated against chilli thrips under field conditions. An untreated control (T0) was maintained for comparison. Observations on thrips incidence and yield performance were recorded and analyzed to determine treatment efficacy.

Results and Discussion: The results indicated significant variation among treatments in suppressing thrips population. Indoxacarb 14.5% SC (T7) recorded the lowest thrips incidence (0.83%), followed by Emamectin benzoate 5 SG (T6) (1.27%), Imidacloprid 17.8 SL (T3) (1.33%), and Acetamiprid 20 SP (T2) (1.63%). Fipronil 5% SC (T1) (1.77%) and Dimethoate 30 EC (T4) (1.89%) showed moderate effectiveness, whereas Fenazaquin 10 EC (T5) recorded the highest thrips incidence (2.21%), indicating comparatively lower effectiveness. Yield performance followed a similar trend, with Indoxacarb 14.5% SC (T7) producing the highest yield (117.5 q/ha), followed by Emamectin benzoate 5 SG (T6) (110 q/ha) and Imidacloprid 17.8 SL (T3) (105 q/ha). The untreated control (T0) recorded the lowest yield (65 q/ha), confirming the importance of chemical intervention in thrips management.