TEA

Scientific name: Camellia sinensis L. O. Kuntze.

Family: Theaceae
Chromosome number: 2n=30
Origin: China
Vernacular names: Golden leaf, Queen of beverages
Introduction:
• It is the oldest known vigorous crop, that is native to China.
• Its use was 1st known to Chinese people in 2700BC.
• While it attained the status of a popular drink in England in the 1664 AD.
• It is derived from the Chinese word “ Tey”
• It is a calcifuge crop, introduced by Mr. Robert Kyd in 1980.
• The study of tea is known as Tsiology.
• The Tea industry in India is about 150 years old, and generates huge revenue which has a
positive impact on the GDP of the nation. The tea industry employs about 80% of the
women population.
Origin and Distribution:
• It is native to China, and grown widely in North East India.
• For the 1st time, it is cultivated in large scale in North India, in 1834, while its cultivation
started in 1859-1897 in certain tea growing parts of Southern India.
• Approximately, 38 countries grown tea & among them India, China, Srilanka and Indonesia
have a major share.
• Tea is grown in Tripura, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Bihar,
Manipur, Odisha, Nagaland and Arunanchal Pradesh.
• India is the largest producer, consumer, and exporter of Tea in the Tea industry.
• India is the world’s largest producer of organic tea.
Uses:
• It is the most important non-alcoholic beverage which is now gaining further popularity
throughout the world as a health drink.
• It is consumed as a morning drink by 2/3rd of India’s population.
• Initially was introduced as a medicine which now is consumed as the most popular
beverage, and now is a huge part of the pharmaceutical industry.
• Tea is consumed as Fermented Tea (Black tea), Non-fermented Tea (Green Tea), Semi
fermented Tea (Oolong Tea) in China and Japan.
• The green leaves are used as Lippet tea (vegetable) in Myanmar, Mling Tea in Thailand.
• The leaves contain caffeine (1.25-4.5%), which is responsible for the stimulating effect,
polyphenols (tannin), essential oil, and Vit.B.
• Aflavins and Arubigins are responsible for the briskness, brightness and colour of the
liquor, while its color is due to presence of Theaflavins and Thearubigens.
Important species:
• Assam jats: Camellia assamica which has a sparse flowering.
• China jats: Camellia sinensis has profuse flowering, hardy and resistant to drought and
frost.
• Indo-china or Cambod type: Camellia assamica sps. lasiocalyx which is a natural hybrid.
Botany:
There are 3 distinct tea producing taxa known as Jats.
1. China type (Camellia sinensis):
• It is a shrub of 1-3m height with erect branches, thick leaves, which are small and deep
green.
• The leaves have two morphological forms in China type, i.e. Macrophylla (broad and long
leaves), and Parviflora (small and narrow leaves).
• Both the leaves have an elliptic leaf base with serrated margin, and flowers are borne singly.
• Plants are resistant to cold, and adverse condition, but has low yielding capacity.
2. Assam type (Camellia assamica):
• It is a small tree growing about 10-15m height, and is suitable for tropical condition.
• Leaves are of drooping type, large, glossy and have distinct marginal veins.
• Leaf blades are elliptic, and margin are denticulate.
• It is further of two types:
a. Assam type: with light green leaves, flowers in 2-9 clusters, provides high yield, and
better quality tea.
b. Manipur type: with dark green leaves, is drought resistant but has at par yield and quality.
3. Cambod type (Camellia assamica sub sps. lassiocalyx):
• It is conical in appearance, reaching upto a height of 6-15m.
• Leaves are semi-errect, vary in size between China and Assam type.
• Leaves are elliptic with marginal veins are not dense.

❖ Fruits are capsule, with bisexual flowers and superior ovary.

❖ Pollinated by insects.
❖ Tea is self-sterile. Selfing gives a lower % of viable seeds.
❖ The occurrence of Self Incompatibility is prevalent in Assam type but lacks in China type.

Climate:

• Tea has exact climatic requirement. The optimum temperature is 20-27° C.

• Annual rainfall: 125-150cm well distributed over 8-9 months in a year.
• It performs well at an elevation of 1000-2500m above MSL. But commercial production
of tea is limited within tropical and sub-tropical belts at an altitude of 700-3500 m MSL.
• Atmospheric humidity of 80% is required most of the time. Dry atmosphere is not
favourable for tea production.
• It requires a moist and warm climate, and its cultivation is confined to 44°N to 34°S, i.e.
plains of North East India, and hills of South India upto 600-2000m from MSL.
Soil:

• Laterite and alluvial soils are suitable.

• Soil must be deep, well drained, friable and rich in organic matter. Loamy and forest lands
are also suitable
• Tea soil pH: 3.2-6.2
• Soil depth should be maintained at 1-1.5m.
• It’s a calcifuge crop, so requires more Calcium but also high amount of Potassium and
Silicon.
• Soil amendment for maintaining pH can be done by using Agricultural lime (CaCO3),
Dolomite lime (CaMgCO3).

Varieties:

Pandian, Sundaram, Golconda, Jayaram, Evergreen, Athrey, Brookeland, BSS 1, BSS 2, BSS
3, BSS 4, BSS 5, Biclonal seed stocks and Grafts.

Tea cultivars with special characters:

Special characters Clone Originators

Wind Tolerance UPASI-2 UPASI-10 UPASI-TRF India
Drought resistance UPASI-9 UPASI-TRF India
Frost resistance B-26 HPKV-TES India
Smallest leaf CH-1 IHBT India
Biggest Leaf Betjan BETJAN T.E, India
Blister blight tolerance TRI-2043, TRI, Sri Lanka
High pubescence TRI-2043 TRI, Sri Lanka
High anthocyanin pigmentation TRI-2025 TRI Sri Lanka
High tolerance to pH TN-14-3 TRF, Kenya
Poor fermenter 12/2 TRF, Kenya
Mite tolerance 7/9 TRF, Kenya
Scale insect tolerance TN-14-3 TRF, Kenya
High polyphenol content (53.7%) Luxi white tea TRI, China
High amino acid content (6.5%) Anji white tea TRI, China
Low caffeine content (0.14%) Guangdong tea TRI, China
High caffeine content (6.96%) Wild tea at Yunnan TRI, China
Water logging tolerance TV-9 TES, India

Propagation:

Nursery:
The nursery soil should be well drained and deep loam in nature with pH of 4.5 to 4.8. The soil
and sand used in the preparation of rooting medium should be tested for pH and nematode
infestation.

Pre-treatment of rooting medium:

Treating with Aluminium sulphate can reduce soil pH. For this purpose, the nursery soil is
formed into beds of one metre width and about 8 cm height and of a convenient length. Then
the beds are drenched with 2% solution of Aluminium sulphate applied at 10 litres/2.5 sq.m of
area. Over this another layer of soil of 8 cm height is spread and again drenched with equal
quantity of water twice. Then the soil is allowed to dry and the pH is checked before use in
the nursery.

Preparation of sleeves:

Polythene sleeves of 150 or 200 gauge and 10 cm width and 30 - 45 cm length may be used.
Drainage holes may be provided at the bottom. The lower 3/4 of the sleeves should be filled
with 1:3 sand and soil mixture and the top 1/4 with 1:1 sand and soil mixture and staked in
rows. Overhead shade is provided.
Selection of mother bush and its treatment:
Healthy and vigorously growing high yielding bushes should be selected. Apply to each
selected bush with 40 g of young tea mixture + 60:90 NK mixture up to 5 years. The following
mixture has to applied before taking the cuttings.

• 0.5 % AlSO4 + 1 % MgSO4 (before 3 weeks)

• 2 % Zn SO4 (before 2 weeks)
• 1 % Urea (before 1 week)

Preparation of cuttings:

Cuttings are taken on April - May and August - September. Semi hard-wood cuttings are
prepared with one leaf and an internode with a slanting cut at the bottom.

Planting of cuttings:

The sleeves are watered thoroughly and holes are made in the soil. The cuttings are inserted in
the hole and the soil around is pressed firmly to avoid airspace followed by watering. Small
polythene tents may be provided which maintain high humidity and regulate the temperature
inside. Cuttings may take 10 - 12 weeks for rooting. After 90 days i.e. when all the cuttings
have rooted, the polythene tent may be removed gradually over a period of 10 - 15 days.

Hardening of the cuttings:

Hardening of 4 - 6 months old young cuttings should be done by removing shade gradually in
stages over a period of 4 - 6 weeks starting from a few hours exposure to sun every day initially
and extending the time of exposure gradually.

Methods of planting:

• Single Hedge System: In this method, the spacing adopted is 1.20 x 0.75 m accommodating
10,800 plants/ha.
• Double Hedge System: In this method, the spacing adopted is 1.35 x 0.75 x 0.75 m
accommodating 13,200 plants/ha.

Season: May - June or September – October

Planting:

Sleeves should be opened lengthwise without injuring the roots and planted in the pit and the
soil is gently pressed.

Irrigation:

Subsoil irrigation may be given for young tea seedlings during summer months.

Manuring
Manuring should be done 2 months after planting. Phosphorous should be applied at 80 - 100
kg/ha as Rock phosphate once in a year by placement at 15 - 25 cm depth up to the first pruning
and thereafter once in two years. N : K ratio 2 : 3 should be adapted for the first 3 years and a
ratio 1 : 1 thereafter.

Total weight
Qty/plant (g)
kg/ha/annum No. of
Year of application
applications Ammonium
N K Urea
Sulphate
I year 180 270 5 13 27
II year 240 360 6 23 15
III year 300 450 6 29 18
IV year onwards 300 300 6 33 19

Application of fertilizers should be done before the onset of monsoon. Fertilizers should be
broadcast around the drip circle avoiding contact with the collar.

After cultivation:

Perennial grasses (Forbicot weeds) can be controlled by spraying Glyphosate 1.75 lit + Kaoline
2 lit + 2 kg of wetting agent in 450 lit. of water followed by Gramoxone 500 ml in 200 lit of
water to control dicot weeds.

Training young tea:

Centering
To induce more laterals, centering should be done 3 - 5 months after planting. The main leader
stem should be cut, leaving 8 - 10 matured leaves.

Tipping
Tipping is done at a height of 35 cm from the second tipping at 60 cm from ground level.

Pruning:
Advantages of Pruning:
• To maintain the convenient height for plucking.
• To induce more vegetative growth.
• To remove dead and defective roots.
• To remove the knots or interlocked branches.
It is done in 4-6 weeks’ interval, depending on altitude and nature of tea.
The bushes marked for pruning should have adequate starch reserves, otherwise sprouting will
be less. This can be usually tested by Iodine test, and if it is low, then the bushes are allowed
to rest for 2-3months.
Types of pruning:
[Link]. Types of pruning Pruning height Season Remarks
1. Rejuvenation pruning 20-30cm Apr-May Done in old bushes which are
affected by Canker and Wood
rot. This type of pruning is not
done regularly.
2. Hard pruning 30-45cm Apr-May First formative pruning to a
young tea.
3. Medium pruning 45-60cm Aug-Sept Normal pruning whenever the
frames are healthy.
4. Light pruning 60-65cm Aug-Sept Normal pruning whenever the
frames are healthy.
5. Skiffing 65cm Aug-Sept To postpone the pruning & to
encourage the better frame
development.
Immediately after hard pruning or rejuvenation pruning the cut ends are smeared with a paste
of Copper oxychloride and linseed in 1:1 ratio. The buds for a pruned shoots grow in a steady
succession without any cessation of growth and these are known as periodic shoots/primary
shoots.
This primary shoots should be induced to produce the flush shoots otherwise known as periodic
shoots/tipping.
• Tipping is the removal of terminal portion of shoot and it varies with pruning height.
• In Green tea, Banji Buds are harvested.
Drainage:
• Water table should be maintained below depth of 60cm orelse it would damage the tea
plant.
• In contour area, drainage is important.
Plucking:
• The plucking stage is at 2-3 leaves and bud stage.
• It is most labour intensive and affects tea yield and quality.
• Pluck able shoots takes about 60-90 days for harvesting.
• Light pluck: Shoots plucked upto mother leaf.
• Hard pluck: Shoots plucked below mother leaf
• A scissor like mechanical shear harvester is available to pluck during the high cropping
period. It helps to overcome the labour scarcity and manages the high crop period.
• It takes about 18-20months from plantation to reach plucking stage.
Crop duration and harvest:
Rush period - harvesting of 2 – 3 leaves with a bud at 7 to 10 days interval
Lean period – harvesting of two leaves and a bud at 10 – 15 days interval

Yield:

Yield of tea depends on elevation, clonal/seed propagation, crop management, pruning

severity, and processing technique.

Low yield: 2000kg/ha made tea.

Medium yield: 2000-3000kg/ha made tea.

High yield: more than 3000kg/ha made tea.

Processing:

There are two methods of processing tea.

a. Orthodox method: Here rolling operation is done in a series of roller and these rollers have
a rotatory table with batons, jackets (for loading leaves), and a pressure cup. It follows the
following steps:
Withering Rolling Fermentation Drying

b. CTC method (Crush, Tear, Curl): It has a CTC machine consisting of a series of a pair
rollers mounted in such a way that they rotate in opposite direction and clearance between them
is so adjusted that it crushes and tears the leaf.

Withering Rolling Fermentation Drying Grading

Steps involved in Processing:
1. Withering: The main objective is to reduce moisture content by spreading them in a trough
which receives artificial air treated in one end and at the end of withering, the leaves attain a
flaccid condition for which it may take about 12-18hours depending upon weather condition.
2. Rolling: Here the operation is carried out by a series of machine/ single roller during which
cells in the leaves are broken to liberate the shape containing the polyphenol oxidase (enzyme
which in presence of oxygen oxidises the polyphenols to produce the theoflavins and
thearubigens). These are responsible for colouring the tea. It is a pre-requisite for fermentation.
It takes place for 30-40minutes. Afterwards, fine shifted rollers are sent for fermentation and
the coarse ones are sent for rollers again.
3. Fermentation: The rolled tea materials are either spread in concrete floor or kept in
aluminium tray. In presence of high humidity and temperature, fermented tea will take a golden
red colour. This step decides the quality of tea. The quality of tea consists of colour, strength
and its briskness. Fermentation requires about 1-2hours depending upon environmental
conditions.
4. Drying: Its main objective is to stop fermentation process and slowly remove the moisture
content without a burnt smell, but preserving the inherent quality of tea. It is achieved by
passing fermented tea in thin layers through conveyors into a drier, during which the inlet
temperature is maintained at 250-280 °F and outlet temperature is 150-200°F. Proper drying
takes about 30-40minutes.
5. Grading: Before grading dried teas are removed from stalky fibres which affect the quality.
It can be separated by fibre separating machine. The bulk tea is passed through different sized
meshes which helps in separation of different grades.
Pest management:
Pest Symptoms and damage Management
Red spider mite Leaf discolouration Spraying Dicofol @2ml/L
Tea mosquito Brown punctures on leaves,
Monitoring the incidence of tea
bug curling of leaves and mosquito bugs at regular intervals.
arrested shoot growth Removal of alternate hosts like neem,
cashew, guava in the surroundings
Root knot Galls on roots of young Heating of soil, Application of
nematode nursery plants Carbofuran 3G @ 1g/kg of soil
Thrips Stunted shoot growth. Corky Application of Chloropyriphos @
patches on leaves 3ml/10L

Disease management:
Disease Symptoms and damage Management
Blister Blight Presence of blisters on Spray 210 g of Copper oxychloride and
young shoots Nickel chloride per ha at 5 days interval
from June – September, 11 days
intervals in October and November or
Copper oxychloride 210 g + 200 ml
Propiconazole/ha at 10 days interval.
Red rust Rusty patches on stem. Improve soil fertility
Presence of variegated and
bleached shoots on stem