How should pesticides be used in tea gardens? Pesticide use requires caution!

Because of its own characteristics, tea differs noticeably from other crops in the use of pesticides, and many pesticides are not suitable for use in tea gardens. In tea gardens, pesticide application requires particular attention to safety and reasonableness. So how should pesticides be used in tea gardens?

1. Reasonably select pesticides

In tea gardens, pesticide application requires particular attention to safety and reasonableness. So-called safe and reasonable pesticide use means achieving good pest and disease control, being safe for humans, livestock, fish and tea, leaving little residual toxicity, not polluting the environment, not killing natural enemies, and being able to prevent or delay the development of pesticide resistance. Choose pesticide varieties that are highly effective, low in toxicity, low in residue, safe for tea and natural enemies, free of adverse effects, and low in cost; grasp the characteristics of the pesticide and the target pest, and apply pesticides in a targeted way.

2. Reasonably choose the timing of application

This is the key to reasonable pesticide use. To control the black citrus whitefly [Aleurocanthus spiniferus], apply the pesticide during the peak hatching period of the larvae; to protect natural enemies, avoid applying pesticide during the peak emergence period of parasitic natural enemies; and to avoid residual toxicity, strictly observe the safety interval period for application.

3. Use an appropriate concentration

Only by using the lowest effective concentration, dosage and minimum effective frequency can the requirements of economy, safety and effectiveness be met, and can pesticide be saved, labor saved, costs reduced, residual toxicity reduced, and natural enemies benefited. By all means avoid arbitrarily increasing the pesticide concentration and dosage, and avoid blind application.

4. Mix and rotate pesticides

This can prevent pests and diseases from developing pesticide resistance, while also producing combined control and synergistic effects, and it reduces the number of applications. Rotating pesticides requires selecting pesticides with different toxicological mechanisms that do not produce cross-resistance. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that mixing pesticides does not produce adverse chemical reactions or physical changes, and does not cause phytotoxicity to crops. For new pesticide varieties, whether they can be mixed for use should first be tested in a small plot before being promoted.

Pesticide use on tea must be more cautious; do not blindly use pesticides meant for other crops. It is best to apply a small amount of pesticide according to the actual conditions of the tea garden so as not to affect the quality of the tea.