Tea, Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze, is a perennial crop and grown as a monoculture on large
contiguous areas. Tea crop have great economic value in India because India is the second largest tea
producing country after china. Tea plant is subjected to the attack of several notorious pests such as
insects, mites, nematodes, diseases and weeds. Among them Oligonychus coffeae Nietner (Acari:
Tetranychidae), the red spider mite (RSM), is a major pest of tea (Camellia sinensis) in most teaproducing countries. This causes great economic losses to the tea growing countries. Red spider mite present of the tea crop throughout the year because tea is a perennial crop provides food and shelter due to which Nymphs and adults of RSM lacerate cells, producing minute characteristic reddish brown marks on the upper surface of mature leaves, which turn red in severe cases of infestation, resulting in crop loss. The authors tried here to collect the information about Seasonal abundance, status of RSM, stages, life history, nature of damage, symptoms, reasons of occurrence of RSM as well as control measures including IPM strategies.
The tea (Camellia sinensis. var. assamica) is the most important non alcoholic beverage in the
world. The tea is appreciated both for its stimulant properties and health benefit. This
ubiquitous common man’s drink in India was introduced by the British to this country from
neighbouring China. The tea industry is one of the oldest organized industries in India. Thirtyfour countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania, situated between latitudes 41ºN
and 16ºS, produce tea and the national economy of many of these countries is largely
dependent upon its production. India produces three speciality teas like, Darjeeling, Assam
and Nilgiris, which are exported world over. Tea is grown in 13 states and Assam, West
Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are the largest producers. Of the many constraints that affect
tea production, insect and mite pests play a major role, causing 11% to 55% loss in yield worth
U.S. $500 million to $1 billion. Tea plantations are evergreen and perennial (over 100
years), as monoculture is a permanent ecosystem which provides habitat continuity for 1031
species of arthropods and is attacked by nearly 250 insect species and 82 species of
nematodes as reported from different parts of the world. Tea plantations roughly resemble a
“single species forest”, and insect and mite species are thought to coexist by way of intra
tree distribution. The distribution and abundance of tea pests are largely influenced by
weather, altitude, crop variety and the cultural operation such as pruning, manuring, regulation
of shade, use of pesticides, natural enemies of pests and economics of tea production.
Mites, as a group, are persistent and the most serious pests of tea in almost all tea producing
countries. In India 13 species of mites belonging to eight families were reported.
Oligonychus coffeae is one of the most destructive pests in all the tea growing regions of North
East India causing considerable crop loss in tea. RSM has been a major threat to tea
cultivation, As a result of infestation by the RSM, plant growth and leaf productivity are
seriously affected. This pest has been causing a considerable damage to tea cultivation in India
since 1960, but recently its havoc is more prominent in North Bengal tea plantation due to
environmental changes.