CHEMICAL CONTROL Every year, several new bio formulations, synthetic acaricides/ insecticides and insect growth regulators are screened for their biological efficacy against various pests of tea. Experiments are also being carried out on tainting property , phytotoxicity and effect of pesticides on natural enemies of tea pests.



PESTICIDE RESIDUE laboratory attached to the division is well equipped with all sophisticated analytical instruments for the estimation of residues of pesticides and heavy metals in green leaves, black tea and tea infusion. The lab has been accredited by NABL in accordance with the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standards by the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India under chemical testing guidelines.

The graphite furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometer coupled with hydride generator, micro wave digestion unit is used for measuring the presence of heavy metals viz., lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and Mercury (Hg) in parts per billion level (ppb) in tea and in agro inputs.


The Gas Chromatograph with flame ionization detector (FID), nitrogen phosphorus detector (NPD) and electron capture detector (ECD) coupled with head space auto sampler and High Performance Liquid Chromatograph equipped with diode array detector (DAD) and fluorescent detector (FLD) are used for the quantification of pesticide residues viz., ethion, dicofol, quinalphos, chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, deltamethrin, propargite, fenpropathrin, lambdacyhalothrin, fenvalerate, beta cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, cypermethrin, hexaconazole, DDT, fenazaquin, fenpyroximate, imidacloprid, profenofos & tebuconazole.
Every year, several field experiments are being conducted to generate data on the pattern of degradation of different insecticides/acaricides/fungicides/weedicides to establish their MRLs on processed tea.