IN APRIL, tea planters from southern India sought urgent government intervention, saying that the tea mosquito bug is causing havoc in the most unlikely places. The bug, recognised as a serious pest of fruits and tea plantations across the world, is usually confined to low elevation areas. Now, it is spreading to plantations in high elevation areas. The United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI) has issued a press release that states the tea mosquito bug (species of Helopeltis) is affecting tea production in both low and high elevation plantations in northern and southern states. The extent of damage can be seen in Tamil Nadu's Valparai hills, where tea production has declined by 50 per cent from 30 million kg in 2009-10 to 16.73 million kg in 2021-22. Furthermore, affected tea estates are spending over 12,000 per hectare (ha) on pesticide application every year, but to no avail.
While UPASI has sought government approval for the use of some new pesticides in tea plantations to curb the spread of the bug, the measure can, at best, be a myopic solution. The fact is that the tea mosquito bug and several other plant pests are expanding their territory and becoming more infectious in a warming world.
Helopeltis theivora, the most predominant tea mosquito bug species in India, is spreading in an alarming form in tea plantations of Tamil Nadu's Anaimalai and Valparai hills. Sikkim has recorded the first infestation of H theivora in red cherry pepper, write researchers from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, in the Journal of Plant Health Issues in June 2020. H bradyi, which has so far been restricted to Peninsular India, was reported for the first time on the high altitude Tura region of Meghalaya. H antonii, which causes damage to cashew crops, is now being reported in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, the authors note.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 01, 2023 من Down To Earth.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 01, 2023 من Down To Earth.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
