tea leaves getting bronzed and some shoots with dark spots in Nilgiris, suspect mites and bug
How to manage red spider mite and helopeltis in tea bushes?
RRajan6mo ago · 243 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓6mo ago
Bronzing of the upper leaf surface points to red spider mite, common in dry warm spells, while dark sunken spots on tender shoots and leaves point to helopeltis (tea mosquito bug). Mites build up in dust and dry weather, so reducing dust along roads and keeping the bushes healthy helps. Both pests are managed with a mix of good plucking that removes infested tips, field sanitation, and need based sprays. Because tea leaf is processed and consumed, the spray product, dose, interval and especially the plucking interval after spray must strictly follow the approved plant protection code and your factory and Tea Board guidance, as residue limits are tight. Do not spray close to plucking.
KKannan6mo ago
The mite was always worst on my dusty roadside rows in the dry weather. Settling the dust and keeping those bushes clean helped. The mites really do build up in dust along the paths.
MMurthy5mo ago
Good plucking that takes off the infested tips reduced the pest carry for me before I even sprayed. Clearing the affected shoots regularly keeps the build up down. Sanitation does a lot of the work.
VVelusamy5mo ago
The residue rules on tea are strict, so I never spray close to plucking and always check the safe interval with the factory first. A lot can get rejected for residue. Follow the plant protection code exactly, it is not worth the risk.
SSelvam5mo ago
The helopeltis spots showed up most on the tender new flush in the damp shaded corners for me. Keeping the bushes from getting too dense so air and light get in cut it down. The dark sunken spots on the young shoots are the bug, not the mite, the two need different watching.