Vol. 12, Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
Bidisha Hazarika, Gautam Kumar Saikia, Joyshree Konwar, Anubrat Borah, Kollol Pratim Baruah, Somnath Roy, Inee Gogoi and Priyanka Borbaruah

Abstract:
In recent decades, the Indian tea industry has experienced a paradigm shift due to increased restrictions on pesticidal residues in exported tea. To address this crisis, non-chemical pest management methods are necessary. This study aimed to assess the effects of plant-based formulations of Melia azedarach and Pongamia glabra, with varying concentrations (2.50%, 5.00%, 7.50%), along with the inclusion of cow urine (5%), against one of the major pests in tea, the red spider mite. A commercial neem formulation (1:1500) was also used for comparison. The study was conducted at the Department of Tea Husbandry & Technology and Department of Entomology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, from 2019 to 2021, following a complete randomized design (CRD) with 14 treatments and 6 replications. The application of these plant extracts significantly affected the red spider mites, including oviposition rate, hatchability reduction, nymph mortality, and adult mortality. Scientific validation and standardization of this work would greatly contribute to tea pest management.