[Objectives]  Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) is an important global pest of vegetables and other horticultural plants that has recently become the dominant leaf miner in Jiangsu and is spreading rapidly throughout China. Choosing the correct pesticide, in  combination with soil management techniques, can effectively control this pest with minimal pesticide use. [Methods]  The effectiveness of five insecticides for controlling L. trifolii; beta-cypermethrin, bisultap, abamectin + Bacillus thuringiensis (abamectin+B.t.), cyromazine and a 20% mixture of abamectin + monosultap, was evaluated in the field and laboratory. The effects of deep ploughing and intensive irrigation on L. trifolii was also evaluated. [Results]  Bisultap was the most effective insecticide for in controlling L. trifolii larvae in the field but it had the disadvantage of having an adverse impact on parasitoids. Although abamectin+B.t., cyromazine and the 20% mixture of abamectin + monosultap, were less effective than bisultap in the field, they were safe to parasitoids whereas Beta-cypermethrin had no significant effect on L. trifolii larvae. In laboratory experiments, bisultap and the 20% mixture of abamectin + monosultap effectively controlled L. trifolii larvae over a long period. Although cyromazine had no detectable effect on larvae, the pupae of larvae treated with it failed to emerge, indicating that this insecticide can effectively control the next generation. In addition, one-day-old pupae of L. trifolii failed to emerge after being soaked in water for 3-4 days and the eclosion rate decreased to less than 20% when soil was covered to a depth of 5cm. [Conclusion]  The efficacy of pesticides in the field and laboratory were quite different, highlighting the necessity of conducting field experiments under various conditions to determine pesticide effectiveness. Effective pesticides that are the least toxic to natural enemies should be selected and applied during the larval stage to control L. trifolii in the field. We recommend that growers combine chemical and non-chemical control measures. Application of bisultap and a 20 % mixture of abamectin+ monosultap during the larval stage, combined with deep ploughing up to 5 cm and 3-4 days of irrigation, can effectively control L. trifolii in the field.