Sustainable pest management practices with special reference to tea mosquito bug

Abstract

The ever increasing cost of chemicals and the manpower required for the application have compelled us to rethink on the cost effectiveness of pesticide usage.

Considering the number of species of the tea pests, their life cycles, symptoms of damage and effects on the bush as well as the varying climatic conditions within and between the regions/ districts where gardens are situated, it is not possible to suggest precise control tactics for every pest . It is however possible to lay down a set of ground rules which can be adapted to suit virtually all circumstances and which together will help to achieve cost effective and environmentally sound pest control.

Gardens generally suffer substantial crop loss due to pests, mainly during the period from March to May. It is, therefore, important that during the non-productive cold weather months, pest control with conventional chemicals is adopted. Control measures should be based only on spot spraying with the intention to reduce the chemical load effectively in the years to come, in view of the stringent pesticide residue regime coming in force in the future. SOS spray using chemicals with quick knockdown effect will be permissible only in areas, where the situation threatens to go out of control. However, earnest effortsmust be made to restrict the use to systemic pesticides. Synthetic pyrethorid should not be used in winter months and repeated application of the same chemical in successive rounds must be avoided.