LAUSR

The tea green leafhopper, Empoasca onukii Matsuda (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae), is a serious pest of tea plants in East Asia. In the laboratory, tea genotypes CA278, Cd19, and Cd289 [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (Theaceae)] sustain fewer feeding damage symptoms known as hopperburn than the susceptible cultivar ‘Yabukita,’ and E. onukii excretes less honeydew on them than on Yabukita. Here, we evaluated whether these genotypes have practical and sufficient resistance under field conditions. The densities of E. onukii eggs, larvae, and adults on tea shoots and the degree of feeding damage were compared as indicators of resistance. Genotypes Cd19 and Cd289 showed strong resistance and CA278 showed moderate resistance under field conditions. Therefore, Cd19 and Cd289 are favorable materials for breeding tea cultivars with resistance to tea green leafhopper. We propose selection methods for breeding new resistant tea cultivars.