SAVAGE MODE

In a warmer and wetter world, pests are multiplying at a faster rate, expanding territories and damaging crops more severely

- HIMANSHU N ALWAR

IN APRIL, tea planters from southern India sought urgent government intervention, saying that the tea mosquito bug is causing havoc in the most unlikely places. The bug, recognised as a serious pest of fruits and tea plantations across the world, is usually confined to low elevation areas. Now, it is spreading to plantations in high elevation areas. The United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI) has issued a press release that states the tea mosquito bug (species of Helopeltis) is affecting tea production in both low and high elevation plantations in northern and southern states. The extent of damage can be seen in Tamil Nadu's Valparai hills, where tea production has declined by 50 per cent from 30 million kg in 2009-10 to 16.73 million kg in 2021-22. Furthermore, affected tea estates are spending over 12,000 per hectare (ha) on pesticide application every year, but to no avail.

While UPASI has sought government approval for the use of some new pesticides in tea plantations to curb the spread of the bug, the measure can, at best, be a myopic solution. The fact is that the tea mosquito bug and several other plant pests are expanding their territory and becoming more infectious in a warming world.

Helopeltis theivora, the most predominant tea mosquito bug species in India, is spreading in an alarming form in tea plantations of Tamil Nadu's Anaimalai and Valparai hills. Sikkim has recorded the first infestation of H theivora in red cherry pepper, write researchers from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, in the Journal of Plant Health Issues in June 2020. H bradyi, which has so far been restricted to Peninsular India, was reported for the first time on the high altitude Tura region of Meghalaya. H antonii, which causes damage to cashew crops, is now being reported in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, the authors note.