Main pests in autumn Tea gardens and their
control measures.
The weather gradually cools down in September, with vigorous growth of tea plants and abundant food for pests, which is very conducive to the occurrence of pests such as mites and tea green leafhoppers. If not controlled in time, they can easily cause outbreaks that severely impact the yield and quality of next year's spring tea. The main pests occurring currently and their control measures are as follows:
I. Tea Orange Spider Mite
This pest is small in size, with adult and juvenile mites piercing and sucking tea plant sap. When mite numbers are low, the damage is not obvious and hard to detect. However, when mite numbers increase, the veins of affected leaves turn red, the leaves lose their green color and luster. Severe infestations result in a brown rust appearance on the underside of the leaves, withered and dried shoots and leaves, and a scorched appearance, and may even cause defoliation. Some tea gardens have experienced heavy infestations recently. Without effective control measures, mite populations will continue to rise. The following measures are recommended for control:
1. Strengthen garden management by removing weeds and fallen leaves. Timely picking should be conducted in stages to remove some of the adult mites, eggs, and juvenile mites inhabiting young leaves.
2. If the underside of the leaves shows Iron-rust-colored damage, mineral oil or chlorfenapyr can be used for chemical control, preferably applied as a low-volume spray that thoroughly covers the leaf surface, paying special attention to the underside of the leaves. Rotate and mix pesticides for use. After autumn tea Harvest, a sulfur lime solution can be sprayed for clearing the garden.
II. Tea Green Leafhopper (Nephotettix cincticeps)
This pest uses its piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of young tissues such as tea shoots and leaves, affecting the transport of nutrients within the plant and leading to dehydration and slow growth of shoots and leaves. After the tea plant is attacked, its development process goes through the dehydration stage, red vein stage, scorched edge stage, and finally the withered and scorched stage, severely impacting both tea yield and quality. With prolonged use of chemicals, the resistance of tea green leafhoppers has been increasing. The main control methods are as follows:
1. Hang insect-friendly colored boards to trap and kill pests, with about 20-25 boards per mu of tea garden, positioned about 20 cm above the Canopy. Remove the boards after 2-3 weeks.
2. When the pest population reaches the control threshold (5-6 insects per hundred leaves during summer tea season and 10-12 insects per hundred leaves during autumn tea season), pyrethrum extract, chlorfenapyr, or other agents can be sprayed for control.
Both the tea orange spider mite and tea green leafhopper are small in size, making early signs of damage hard to detect. Therefore, close observation is necessary to detect and control them early. These pests often reside on the underside of tea leaves, so when spraying pesticides, ensure that both sides of the leaves are treated.
