A method for large-scale breeding and preservation of tea green leafhoppers suitable for cicada tea production.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- INST OF ZOOLOGY GUANGDONG ACAD OF SCI
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies make it difficult to achieve stable, efficient, and large-scale production and preservation of tea green leafhoppers, which limits the production of high-quality leafhopper tea. Furthermore, existing methods are costly, time-consuming, or have a high mortality rate, making it difficult to meet actual production needs.
Using tea branches awaiting pruning in tea gardens as host plants, the adults, nymphs, and eggs of the tea green leafhopper are cultivated in separate areas. Combined with low-temperature storage of eggs in an artificial climate chamber and control of temperature and humidity conditions, the method can quickly and quantitatively obtain highly active tea green leafhopper nymphs and adults, which is suitable for cicada tea production.
This method enables low-cost, large-scale, and flexible control of tea green leafhopper farming, reduces the mortality rate of released plantlets adapted to the host plant, improves the stability and efficiency of cicada tea production, and meets the needs of cicada tea production.
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Figure CN119423022B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of tea production, specifically to the protection and utilization of insect resources, and particularly to a method for large-scale breeding and preservation of the tea green leafhopper suitable for cicada tea production. Background Technology
[0002] The tea green leafhopper (Empoasca onukii Matsuda) is one of the most common insects in tea gardens and is traditionally considered a pest of tea trees. However, this insect also demonstrates high economic value in tea production: tea leaves that have been moderately bitten by it can be processed into "leafhopper tea," which has a unique floral, fruity, and honey-like aroma and even higher economic value.
[0003] Tea farmers, unwilling to waste the tea leaves damaged by the green leafhopper, processed them into oolong tea. By chance, they discovered that the tea made in this way had a bright tea soup and a unique flavor, and it was called "Oriental Beauty" tea.
[0004] Producing high-quality "cicada tea" requires a relatively high cicada population density. Under natural conditions, while the population of tea green leafhoppers in tea gardens affects the production of traditional high-quality tea, it is often lower than what is needed to produce high-quality "cicada tea." However, due to various environmental factors, the distribution of tea green leafhoppers in tea gardens is uneven, thus limiting the production of high-quality "cicada tea."
[0005] To obtain stable and high-quality "cicada tea," a sufficient and sustainable source of insects is a prerequisite for production. Therefore, there is an urgent need to invent a method that can stably increase the population of small green leafhoppers in tea gardens.
[0006] Current methods for raising tea green leafhoppers [a monitoring and rearing tube and its usage method for tea green leafhoppers; a method for indoor rearing of tea green leafhoppers using live tea leaves; a false-eye leafhopper rearing device; a method for indoor rearing of false-eye leafhoppers] are suitable for breeding experimental insects and are difficult to maintain the scale required for tea leafhopper production in tea gardens. Furthermore, some large-scale rearing methods present significant difficulties in actual production. The hydroponic seedling production method [a method for indoor rearing of tea green leafhoppers] has a very high mortality rate, yields low numbers of tea leafhoppers, and is not suitable for re-release onto tea trees. The soilless cutting rooted tea seedling production method [a method for producing tender shoots with tea green leafhopper eggs] requires the cultivation of rooted tea seedlings, which is costly, time-consuming, and does not involve egg preservation and incubation. Summary of the Invention
[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a method for the large-scale production and preservation of tea green leafhoppers. The method can obtain tea green leafhopper nymphs and adults quickly, regularly and quantitatively, and the breeding scale can be adjusted at any time according to the expected propagation target to obtain highly active tea green leafhoppers, thus helping the production of cicada tea in the countryside.
[0008] Therefore, based on previous research, this invention overcomes the shortcomings of the existing technology and provides a method for the large-scale production and preservation of tea green leafhoppers indoors. Its advantages include utilizing unpruned tea branches from tea gardens, resulting in low cost; the ability to preserve egg-bearing tea branches at low temperatures for centralized hatching, leading to a large-scale infestation of insects. This method can rapidly, regularly, and quantitatively obtain tea green leafhopper nymphs and adults during the desired production period for leafhopper tea. The rearing scale can be adjusted at any time according to the expected propagation target, and the obtained tea green leafhoppers have high activity levels, making it suitable for leafhopper tea production.
[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided by this invention is as follows:
[0010] A method for large-scale breeding and preservation of the tea green leafhopper suitable for cicada tea production includes the following steps:
[0011] Step 1: Select Jin Xuan, Cui Yu, or Fuding Da Bai Cha as the host plant variety and determine the host plant specifications;
[0012] Step 2: Establish adult tea green leafhopper rearing areas, nymph rearing areas, and egg incubation areas, and maintain them in separate areas, selecting the best rearing conditions and stocking densities for each area;
[0013] Step 3: Optimize the collection method for tea green leafhopper eggs: optimize the sex ratio of adult insects, optimize the egg-laying population density, and optimize the egg collection time, etc.
[0014] Step 4: Establish a storage room for tea green leafhopper eggs and optimize storage conditions;
[0015] Step 5: Optimize the incubation conditions and incubation time for the tea green leafhopper eggs after low-temperature storage.
[0016] As a further improvement to the above scheme, the preferred tea tree varieties of this invention are Jin Xuan, Cui Yu, or Fuding Da Bai Cha. These tea tree varieties are suitable for producing cicada tea and are susceptible to the tea green leafhopper. In actual cultivation, the above varieties can be selected based on locally advantageous varieties.
[0017] As a further improvement to the above scheme, the host plant specifications are preferably tea branches with 1 bud and 6 to 7 leaves, with a branch length of 15-20 cm and obvious lignification at the base. Using excessively long branches pruned in batches from the tea garden, suitable branches are selected, brought back indoors, and impurities, withered leaves, and excessively long parts are removed. Retaining the lignified part at the base of the branch can extend its shelf life. While retaining the xylem, the shorter the branch, the better for management and space utilization.
[0018] As a further improvement to the above scheme, in step (2), the adult insect rearing area is preferably set with a diurnal temperature difference, with a daytime temperature of 27±2℃ and a nighttime temperature of 22±2℃, a relative humidity of 70±5%, and a photoperiod of L14:D10. Setting a diurnal temperature difference is beneficial to the survival and egg-laying of adults. In a rearing cage with a size of 30cm*30cm*60cm and a screen density of 60 mesh, two pieces of moist flower mud with a size of 22cm*10cm*7cm are placed on the left side, and 20 fresh tea branches that meet the requirements are inserted. About 400 adult insects are introduced for rearing, with an average of about 20 insects per tea branch. After 24 hours of rearing, 20 fresh tea branches are added to the right side of the rearing cage, allowing the tea cicadas to transfer to the fresh tea branches on their own. After another 24 hours, the first batch of 20 tea branches are replaced with fresh tea branches, and so on.
[0019] As a further improvement to the above scheme, a significant mortality rate began to appear after 10 days of adult insect rearing, and 400 newly emerged adults were reintroduced per cage.
[0020] As a further improvement to the above scheme, the preferred temperature for the nymph rearing area and egg incubation area is 25±2℃, the relative humidity is 80±5%, and the natural photoperiod is used. Increasing humidity is beneficial to the survival of larvae.
[0021] As a further improvement to the above scheme, the preferred breeding cage for the nymph and egg incubation area is 30cm*30cm*30cm with 80 mesh. On the left side, a piece of floral foam (22cm*10cm*7cm) is placed with 20 tea branches with nymphs inserted on it, with a total number of about 400 nymphs. On the right side, floral foam with 20 fresh tea branches inserted is placed. After three days, the floral foam and tea branches on the left side are removed and replaced with a piece of fresh floral foam with 20 tea branches inserted to continue cultivation. This process is repeated until the nymphs emerge as adults.
[0022] As a further improvement to the above scheme, in step (3), a newly emerged adult tea green leafhopper population is selected, and 20 tea green leafhoppers are randomly selected to determine their sex. After ensuring that the female-to-male ratio is between 1.0 and 1.2, tea green leafhopper eggs are collected using fresh tea branches. The rearing density and tea branch replacement are the same as for adult insect rearing. The replaced tea branches carry an average of 20-30 eggs per tea branch and are transferred to the egg incubation area for incubation or preservation.
[0023] As a further improvement to the above scheme, in step (4), the tea green leafhopper egg storage room is an artificial climate chamber, which can effectively store eggs at 5-15℃, and the storage time can be adjusted according to actual needs.
[0024] As a further improvement to the above scheme, the preferred storage conditions are: temperature of 10±1℃, relative humidity of 70±5%, photoperiod L12:D12, and storage for 30 days or less, which results in a higher hatching rate of eggs.
[0025] As a further improvement to the above scheme, in step (5), the incubation conditions for the tea green leafhopper eggs after low-temperature storage are: preferably a temperature of 25±2℃, a relative humidity of 80±5%, and a natural photoperiod.
[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:
[0027] 1. The large-scale production method of this invention utilizes tea branches awaiting pruning in tea gardens, resulting in low cost. Using tea branches for cultivation reduces the mortality rate of leafhoppers that need to readjust to the host plant upon release.
[0028] 2. Large-scale breeding is possible: The smallest breeding unit is 30cm*30cm*30cm, and the breeding density in the breeding cage is 400 heads / 40 tea branches / cage. The scale can be expanded through simple repetition; at the same time, the breeding cages do not interfere with each other, and the breeding scale can be flexibly controlled according to the actual production conditions.
[0029] 3. Zoned cultivation with separate temperature and humidity control makes production more flexible, which not only ensures uniformity in the age of the cultivated tea green leafhoppers but also reduces mortality at each growth stage.
[0030] 4. The eggs of the tea green leafhopper can be preserved for a long time by using an artificial climate chamber for low-temperature storage. When large-scale use is needed, they can be transferred to the egg incubation area for centralized hatching. By adjusting the hatching time, a large number of tea green leafhopper larvae can be obtained in a concentrated manner. Attached Figure Description
[0031] Figure 1 The tea branches and insect cages used in Example 1 are examples of this.
[0032] Figure 2 This illustrates the effect of different nymph rearing densities on the number of larvae emerging in Example 2.
[0033] Figure 3 This illustrates the effect of different adult insect rearing densities on the egg load per tea branch in Example 3.
[0034] Figure 4 This refers to the setup of different aquaculture zones in Example 4.
[0035] Figure 5 This illustrates the effect of refrigeration temperature and time on the hatching rate of tea branches with eggs in Example 5.
[0036] Figure 6 The number of incubation days required after the tea branches with eggs in Example 5 were refrigerated at 10°C for different periods of time. Detailed Implementation
[0037] The present invention will be further described below through specific embodiments.
[0038] The population of the tea green leafhopper was collected from Zijin County, Heyuan City, Guangdong Province.
[0039] Example 1:
[0040] This embodiment standardizes the host plant specifications and the setup of the cultivation room. Key technical preparation points: Use *Camellia sinensis* branches. Select healthy, disease-free branches with tender shoots after harvesting. Gently rinse to remove impurities and potential insect eggs. Prune each branch to 1 bud and 6-7 leaves, approximately 15-20cm in length. Soak the base in a 0.5% potassium permanganate solution, then evenly insert the branches into floral foam, spacing them 2cm apart. Use floral foam measuring 22*10*7cm, with 20 branches inserted into each piece. Place the floral foam in a tray and add water every other day. The adult insect rearing cage measures 30cm*30cm*60cm, containing two pieces of floral foam with inserted tea branches, leaving approximately 5cm of space between the tea branches and the top of the cage. Figure 1 The tea green leafhopper was introduced and adult tea leaves were observed to move and lay eggs between different tea branches. The tea branches were well ventilated and there was no significant temperature difference between the tea branches and the outside of the tea branches.
[0041] The temperature and humidity control system in the breeding room is set with a diurnal temperature range. The daytime temperature is 27±2℃, the nighttime temperature is 22±2℃, the relative humidity is 75±5%, and the photoperiod is L14:D10. The doors and windows of the breeding room are equipped with 80-mesh mesh screens, and a buffer mesh is added at the entrance to prevent pests. Fans are installed indoors to promote air circulation and ensure consistent environmental conditions in all breeding cages. Temperature and humidity are recorded and monitored daily.
[0042] Example 2:
[0043] This embodiment optimizes the rearing density of tea green leafhopper nymphs. The preferred rearing cage size is 30cm*30cm*30cm, containing two pieces of floral foam and 40 tea branches. Newly hatched nymphs of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 larvae are introduced into each cage. After reaching adulthood, the cages are placed in a -20℃ freezer for 5 minutes. The tea branches are then removed, impurities are cleaned, and the number of adults in each cage is counted. Each treatment is repeated three times. The results show that the number of adult nymphs decreases with increasing rearing density, with emergence rates of 80.67%, 78.50%, 73.56%, 66.67%, and 47.27%, respectively. Figure 2 At a stocking density of 500 heads / cage, the molting rate decreases rapidly. Considering factors such as stocking space and time costs, a stocking density of 400 heads / cage is preferred and is the recommended stocking density of this invention.
[0044] The test conditions were: temperature 25±2℃, relative humidity 80±5%, and natural photoperiod.
[0045] Example 3:
[0046] This embodiment optimizes the breeding density of adult tea green leafhoppers in their oviposition area. The preferred breeding cage size for the adult rearing area is 30cm*30cm*60cm, containing 20 tea branches of floral mud ①. 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 pairs of 5-day-old adults are introduced at these intervals. On the second day (24 hours later), 20 tea branches of floral mud ② are added. On the third day, floral mud ① is removed and floral mud ③ is added, and so on, until a large number of adults are observed to die. The removed floral mud ①, ②, and ③ are then incubated, and the number of nymphs hatched on the tea branches is counted.
[0047] The experimental conditions were: daytime temperature 27±2℃, nighttime temperature 22±2℃, relative humidity 75±5%, and photoperiod L14:D10. Incubation conditions for tea branches with eggs were: temperature 25±2℃, relative humidity 80±5%, and natural photoperiod.
[0048] The results show ( Figure 3 As the density of adult insect rearing increases, the average number of nymphs hatching on each tea branch also increases. While the egg production in the early and later stages is significantly higher at densities of 250 and 300 pairs than at 200 pairs, there is no significant difference in egg production during the peak egg-laying period. Therefore, from the perspective of conserving adult insects and reducing workload, a rearing density of 200 pairs / cage is chosen for collecting adult eggs.
[0049] Example 4:
[0050] This embodiment establishes separate rearing areas for adult tea green leafhoppers, nymphs, and eggs, implementing zoned rearing and optimizing the best conditions and tea branch replacement rates for each area. The rearing zones are established as follows: Figure 4 As shown. In the adult rearing area, select rearing cages with dimensions of 30cm*30cm*60cm, and a rearing density of 400 adults / 40 tea branches / cage; management and maintenance: replace the tea branches in the adult rearing cages with fresh ones every 24 hours; rearing conditions: daytime temperature 27±2℃, nighttime temperature 22±2℃, relative humidity 75±5%, photoperiod L14:D10. In the nymph and egg hatching area, the preferred rearing cage size is 30cm*30cm*30cm, with a rearing density of 400 adults / 40 tea branches / cage. Management and maintenance: add fresh tea branches to the nymph rearing cages every 3 days, and remove and discard the old tea branches the next day; after hatching, transfer the egg-bearing tea branches in the egg hatching cages to the nymph rearing area. Rearing conditions: temperature 25±2℃, relative humidity 80±5%, natural photoperiod.
[0051] Example 5:
[0052] This embodiment determines the storage conditions and duration for tea branches with eggs, and the incubation time for the eggs after storage. Eggs from 7-day-old adults in the same batch, with a rearing density of 400 insects / 40 tea branches / cage, were used in the experiment. The tea branches with eggs were divided into three groups of 40 branches each, and stored in artificial climate chambers at 5℃, 10℃, and 15℃ respectively. Three tea branches were taken out for incubation after every 5 days, and the number of hatched nymphs was counted. The results showed that at 5℃, the tea branches could be preserved for more than 60 days, but the egg hatching rate decreased significantly with prolonged storage. At 10℃, after 30 days of storage, the hatching rate did not decrease significantly, but the tea branch tips showed obvious necrosis and browning, and the subsequent hatching rate decreased significantly. Figure 5 At 15℃, the hatching time significantly shortens with prolonged storage. Browning becomes noticeable at the tips of tea branches starting after 15 days, and larvae begin to hatch after 25 days. Therefore, storage at 10℃ for 30 days is the preferred refrigerated storage condition. The time required to transfer to the incubation room for hatching decreases with increasing refrigeration time. Therefore, the hatching time in production can be adjusted appropriately according to the storage time. A reference time is as follows: Figure 6 As shown.
Claims
1. A method for large-scale breeding and preservation of the tea green leafhopper suitable for cicada tea production, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Select Jin Xuan, Cui Yu, or Fuding Da Bai Cha as the host plant variety and determine the host plant specifications; Step 2: Establish adult tea green leafhopper rearing areas, nymph rearing areas, and egg incubation areas, and maintain them in separate areas, selecting the best rearing conditions and stocking densities for each area; Step 3: Optimize the collection method for tea green leafhopper eggs: optimize the sex ratio of adult insects, optimize the egg-laying population density, and optimize the egg collection time; Step 4: Establish a storage room for tea green leafhopper eggs and optimize storage conditions; Step 5: Optimize the incubation conditions and incubation time for tea green leafhopper eggs after low-temperature storage; The host plant is a tea branch with 1 bud and 6 to 7 leaves, with a branch length of 15 to 20 cm and obvious lignification at the base; In step (2), the adult insect rearing area is set with a day-night temperature difference, a daytime temperature of 27±2℃, a nighttime temperature of 22±2℃, a relative humidity of 70±5%, and a photoperiod of L14:D10. In a rearing cage with a size of 30cm*30cm*60cm and a mesh density of 60 mesh, two pieces of moist flower mud with a size of 22cm*10cm*7cm are placed on the left side, and 20 fresh tea branches are inserted. 400 adult insects are introduced for rearing, with an average of 20 insects per tea branch. After 24 hours of rearing, 20 fresh tea branches are added to the right side of the rearing cage, allowing the tea cicadas to transfer to the fresh tea branches on their own. After another 24 hours, the first batch of 20 tea branches are replaced with fresh tea branches, and so on. After 10 days of rearing, the adult insects began to show a high mortality rate, and 400 newly emerged adults were reintroduced per cage. The temperature in the nymph rearing area and egg incubation area is 25±2℃, the relative humidity is 80±5%, and the natural photoperiod is used. The rearing cages for nymphs and eggs are 30cm*30cm*30cm with 80 mesh. On the left side, a piece of floral foam measuring 22cm*10cm*7cm is placed with 20 tea branches containing nymphs inserted on top, totaling 400 nymphs. On the right side, floral foam with 20 fresh tea branches inserted is placed. After three days, the floral foam and tea branches on the left side are removed and replaced with a fresh piece of floral foam with 20 tea branches inserted. This process is repeated until the nymphs emerge as adults. In step (3), a newly emerged adult tea green leafhopper population is selected, and 20 tea green leafhoppers are randomly selected to identify their sex. After ensuring that the male-to-female ratio is between 1.0 and 1.2, tea green leafhopper eggs are collected using fresh tea branches. The breeding density and tea branch replacement are similar to adult insect care. The replaced tea branches carry an average of 20-30 eggs per tea branch and are transferred to the egg incubation area for incubation or preservation. In step (4), the storage room for the eggs of the tea green leafhopper is an artificial climate chamber. The storage conditions for the eggs are: temperature of 10±1℃, relative humidity of 70±5%, photoperiod L12:D12, and storage for 30 days or less. In step (5), the incubation conditions for the tea green leafhopper eggs after low-temperature storage are: temperature 25±2℃, relative humidity 80±5%, and natural photoperiod.