Sorry to hear that.
I also use a silicon supplement (eg Silica Blast). Not sure if it helps reduce damage from thrips but it does make plants more resistant to infections.
From Bugbee's 2004 paper "Nutrient Management in Recirculating Hydroponic Culture"
Why add silicon to nutrient solutions?
Although silicon has not been recognized as an essential element for higher plants,
its beneficial effects have been shown in many plants. Silicon is abundant in all field grown
plants, but it is not present in most hydroponic solutions. Silicon has long been recognized
as particularly important to rice growth, but a recent study indicated that it may only be
important during pollination in rice (
Ma et al. 1989).
The beneficial effects of silicon (Si) are twofold:
1) it protects against insect and disease attack (
Cherif et al. 1994;
Winslow 1992;
Samuels 1991), and
2) it protects against toxicity of metals (
Vlamis & Williams 1967;
Baylis et al. 1994).
For these reasons, I recommend adding silicon (about 0.1 mM) to
nutrient solutions for all plants unless the added cost outweighs its advantages.
