Helopeltis Damage - Alarming !!!

Helopeltis Damage: Alarming !!

4th July 2010

I have been visiting Upper Assam & Arunachal almost every week for the past couple of months. The increase in Helopeltis infestation has been alarming. I have just returned from yet another trip - I am shocked by the extensive & wide spread damage being caused by Helopeltis almost everywhere across the valley. Huge areas are ‘blacked-out’ with not a single growing shoot. The June crop is hit very badly and the effect of this damage could go into even August, as many of the pruned & deep skiffed sections will take much longer to fill-up.

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The weather conditions, for over three months, have been very conducive for the spread of this pest. The gardens have been spraying against this pest when ever the weather conditions have permitted. However, the battle to control this pest has not been successful. The planters are feeling very helpless as the current package of practices is not giving desired results, at least not in the current conditions.

In the Dec2008-Feb 2009 issue I had written an article “Monster Pests” that gave warnings of such situations around the corner. I append a few excerpts from it :

1. The single strategy of chemical control has become an economic disaster for the tea industry. What Claude Alvares had to say in the 1960s sounds so appropriate today “Once every potent chemical has been used & found wanting, there is simply no alternative but to return to traditional & less toxic means of controlling the insects that modern farming methods have turned into pests.”

2. Inappropriate coverage:

a. When spraying system is inappropriate –

i. the weaker members of the insect population are being weeded out. So in many areas and among many species only the strong & fit remain to defy our efforts to control them.

ii. as the dosages are not lethal to these that survive/escape they tend to build resistance.”

There are two important areas that need to be checked out ( evaluated) as I feel these are essential to get control of Helopeltis:-

1. Spraying Equipment: Our equipment is not penetrative enough and you often see people using hand sprayers in mature tea with a dense canopy. This is the single biggest reason for the pest not coming under control.

a. Because the target pest is not hit the chemical usage increases as repeated rounds are required.

b. Thus stronger chemicals are used & more often.

c. This ensures that all natural enemies are eradicated and so the pests population increases.

d. I have been doing tracer trials with an adjustable lance for the Cifarelli sprayer and the initial results are very encouraging. I have had 19.8% better penetration into the canopy. Further modifications are going on to increase penetration further. This will ensure that the target pests are hit, spraying rounds are reduced, lesser chemicals are used and more natural enemies get a chance to survive.

The prototype of the adjustable lance for Cifarelli sprayers

Within a month we will have an adapter ready for fitting onto existing sprayers to increase efficiency of the sprayers & efficacy of the applied chemicals.

2. Monitoring System: The accurate objective monitoring of the level of infestation of Helopeltis’ is crucial to its control. The system has to be simple so that it can be adopted across estates, but it must be accurate, so it gives a correct picture. The easiest & most effective system is, what I call, the ‘Count System’ –

a. 2 or 3 persons (monitors) are carefully selected & trained in the system of pest count. Only fresh punctures (< style="mso-spacerun:yes">

b. The score is recorded on a spread sheet/ wall ‘count-chart’. The ‘count-chart’ is in the same format as the plucking chart – Section Nos. 0n Y-axis & Dates on X-axis.

c. As the counts are taken the score is entered against the date for Helopeltis & Red Spider Mites separately. One look at the chart it gives you a full picture of the pest infestation across the estate & also what rate it is increasing/decreasing at.

d. The day spraying is done the chemical used is put in the relevant place.

e. There is an Action Threshold Level (ATL) for each month & only when the infestation reaches ATL is spraying done.

f. Post spraying count is done between 24 to 48 hrs & this is also put on the ‘count-chart’. This shows you how effective your spraying has been.

The situation is so alarming that it needs drastic and quick action. But what action? It is not like before where it was considered that those who were not following the research recommendations were suffering. Now it is the majority across the valley. The Research Organisation and the think tanks of the tea industry need to put their heads together & look for systems, beyond what we have today. Only if we admit that current systems are not yielding desired results will we be able to find a more effective system.

Estate:				Month:		February			Pest:		Helopeltis
											Red Spider
		Pest Count Chart
		D a t e s
Sect #	Area	1	2	3	4		5	6		7		8	9		10
1	10.2	RS 0.21										rs 0.32
2	7.32		h- 0.42		S-Th+N			h-0.12
3	11.12			h -0.18											h - 0.27
4	6.55				RS- 0.31		Sulf			RS- 0.04
5	12.21						h - 0.13
6A	6.68							RS - 0.15
6B	2.87	RS 0.24						RS - 0.35							RS -0.13
		h - 0.25								h - 0.41		Th+Sulf			h - 0.11