In this two-part series, we'll be exploring how tea farms are combating an onslaught from a variety of pests. We start with a look at the issue of tea termites.
In the verdant tea gardens of northeast India, a stealthy adversary has launched a surreptitious assault, wreaking havoc on the lush tea plants of the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys. Like an insidious underground army, termites are ravaging the tea bushes, leaving in their wake a trail of desolation and destruction.
Ironically, this onslaught occurs even as scientists have previously unleashed a legion of assassin bugs to devour the tea mosquito bug and other pests that have long plagued the tea plants. These Reduviid [Sycanus collaris] insects are predatory in nature and feed on looper and tea mosquitoes, and scientists have strongly believed that this biological war against the tea bugs would be a long-term success story for the tea industry in India.
Yet the termite infestation has proven to be a formidable foe, with its reach extending across the entire northeastern Indian landscape, including Assam, Tripura, Dooars, and Terai.
As the tea industry grapples with this unprecedented crisis, one cannot help but wonder if the very fabric of Assam's tea heritage is under siege.
Scientists say the increase in termites in recent times could be due to climate change. "[The] long dry spell, deforestation, and deterioration of soil health due to an overdose of chemicals enhance attacks by termites," said Somenath Roy, an entomologist at the Tocklai Tea Research Institute (TTRI), the world's oldest such facility.
Regarding termites, TTRI initiated a study in 2019, following reports of severe infestation in many tea gardens, mainly in the Barak Valley. “A termite infestation survey in tea estates in different parts of northeast India was studied to understand the spatial distribution pattern of tea termites," said Roy. "Further, from a questionnaire-based survey, we have collected information from tea estates located in different parts of northeast India.”
This study found six termite species belonging to the family Termitidae:
- Microtermes obesi
- Ancistrotermes pakistanicus
- Odontotermes parvidens
- Odontotermes obesus (Rambur)
- Odontotermes feae
- Odontotermes giriensis
“Among these, Microtermes obesi is the predominant termite pest,” said Roy.
He said that the study has found termite infestation in all parts of northeast India (Assam, Tripura, Dooars, Terai), with Tripura, Cachar, and the North Bank of Assam being the most affected.
“In the South Bank of Assam, based on our recent survey, termite infestation is an emerging major threat,” Roy warned.
Tocklai has recommended measures for tea planters to deal with these pests:
- Tea bushes should be properly cleaned out at the time of pruning by removing dead and diseased branches
- Termite mounds should be thoroughly dug out as deep as possible
- “Any earthen materials, like earth runs over the trunk and stems, and earth depositions on the collar of the bushes, should be wiped out/removed at the time of pruning,” the recommendations said.
- Planters have also been asked to clear tea bushes of old shade tree stumps. “Hollowed out or badly damaged branches should be cut out,” it said.
- One round of irrigation and forking before treatment application can increase the effectiveness of termite control.
In case of termites in an organic garden, during initial infestation from September–October, the sections due for pruning should be treated with Metarhizium anisopliae or entomo-pathogenic nematodes (Heterorhabditis indica) at 7 kg/ha. And during December – February, another round of spray should be done with the same fungus on the ground around the collar region.
To control termites, two rounds of treatment application is required, and each round requires 2500-3000 liters of water for 1 ha termite soil treatment. The collar region of every tea bush must be sprayed with 250-300 ml of spray fluid.
The study also recommended planting vetiver grass in tea gardens. “Vetiver grass are termite repellents and planting these grasses in tea gardens could keep the termites away,” the report stated.
An increase in the population of natural enemies could also play an effective role for sustainable termite management. “Studies shows that a variety of birds and frogs are natural predators of termites,” said Roy.
Roy noted that the biggest challenge in combating termites is the fact that once infected, the particular tea plant dies rapidly and cannot be revived.
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