Pesticide residues in tea: Issues and concern

Abstract

Worldwide a considerable amount of agricultural produce is damaged by pests and diseases. Tea is not an exception in this regard. Being evergreen perennial, tea plantations of genetically diverse cultivars inter-planted with shade trees in Southeast Asia provide a relatively steady microclimate and food supply for insect and mite communities. More than one thousand species of arthropod pests are known to attack tea bushes all over the world, causing a yield loss ranging from 5% to 55%.