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%.