Control Effects of Acetylated Glyceride to Tea Green Leafhopper, Empoasca onukii, in Tea Fields

Abstract

The tea green leafhopper, Empoasca onukii Matsuda (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is one of the most serious insect pests of tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) in the major tea-producing regions of East Asia, including Japan, China, and Taiwan. The damage caused by leafhoppers lead to a great decrease in tea production. The leafhoppers are controlled mainly by insecticides. Broad-scale use of pesticides on tea has resulted in the development of resistance, and the presence of pesticide residues in the product. Acetylated glyceride, which is a food additive, have a highly repellent effects on adults of whiteflies on treated tomato leaves. In this study, we performed field experiments to evaluate the control effect of acetylated glyceride to tea green leafhopper. As a result, the treatment of acetylated glyceride reduced the densities of E. onukii eggs, nymphs and adults on tea shoots and the degree of feeding damage to the same level as chemical pesticides used in conventional control.