Acaricidal and Ovicidal effects of two common weeds of tea gardens of North Bengal, India against Oligonychus coffeae

Tea is regarded as one of the most consumed beverages throughout the world but its productivity is at risk because of various pests and infections. Oligonychus coffeae or Red spider mites are the most prevalent pest causing huge losses to the tea industry. The control measures using chemical pesticides have a negative impact on the quality of tea and make it unfit for human consumption. In this context, floral diversity can be explored to effectively control pests. The present study envisages the comparative analysis of the pesticidal efficacy of two common weeds in the tea garden of the Terai and Dooars region of North Bengal, India. The aqueous extracts of Justicia adhatoda and Polygonum hydropiper (L.) as biocide employed in this study demonstrated substantial acaricidal and oviposition deterrent action against the tea Red Spider Mite Oligonychuscoffeae just after ۴۸ hours of application. Results of this study showed that aqueous extracts of the above-mentioned plants are promising biocontrol agents against the tea red spider mite Oligonychus coffeae. These plant aqueous extracts may have the potential to be an effective acaricide in the future at a reasonably low cost

Keywords:

Oligonychus coffeae , Justicia adhatoda , Polygonum hydropiper (L.) , acaricidal activity and oviposition deterrent action