Author(s): B. TUDU, M. CHATTERJEE, S. BASKEY AND G. CHAKRABORTY

Abstract: Dooars and Terai regions of West Bengal are famous for its lustrous tea gardens. In these gardens, Oligonychus coffeae Nietner (Acari: Tetranychidae), the red spider mite (RSM), is a major pest of tea (Camellia sinensis) causing menace among the tea growers. Under present situation, RSM can only be satisfactorily managed by the application of acaricides. A new world class acaricide, pyridaben 20 %WP was evaluated against red spider mite (RSM)Oligonychus coffeae Nietner on tea for the first time under terai region of West Bengal along with other standard acaricides viz. propargite and fenpyroximate. Pyridaben 20% WP at the rate of 500 and 625 g ha-1 was effective in controlling RSM during two peak seasons (September-October and January- March). The efficacy of Pyridaben 20% WP was significantly superior to the tested standard acaricides, propargite 57 EC @ 1000 ml ha-1) and Fenpyroximate 5 EC (@ 400 ml ha-1). Pyridaben 20 % WP was also found to be relatively safe to natural enemies and was also non-phytotoxic to tea.

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