Effect of profenofos 50 EC on Tea leaf miner, Tropicomyia theae (Cotes)

Two field trials were carried out in tea estates of Lower Paralai and Iyerpady, Valparai in Tamil Nadu during 2012–13 to study the effect of a phenyl organothiophosphate insecticide, profenofos 50 EC against tea leaf miner, Tropicomyia theae. Three rounds of spray were given at ten days interval. The results of the field trials showed profenofos was effective. A dose dependent efficacy was recorded with increase in doses of profenofos. The higher dose of profenofos 1000 g a.i. ha⁻¹ recorded an average % reduction of 70.6 and 71.4% damage of leaf miner, which was at par with the lower doses 800 and 500 g a.i. ha⁻¹ in two trials viz., Iyerpady estate and Lower Paralai estate, respectively.