CHAPTER - ONE

INTRODUCTION
History,
Origin and Distribution
of TEA
Scientific name: Camellia
sinensis
Family: Theaceae
Common name: Tea, tea bush,
cha, chai
Origin: is an evergreen plant
Native to East, South and
Southeast Asia (china), but it
is today cultivated across the
world in tropical and
subtropical regions.
 Tea (Camellia sinensis)
Plant Over-View
 TEA (Camellia sinensis) is an evergreen plant that grows mainly in
tropical and subtropical climates
 The Tea Plant- belongs to;
 Family Theaceae
 Genus Camellia
 Species sinensis.
 Plant Over-View
 What is in tea?
The three primary components of brewed tea (also
called the "liquor") are:
1. Essential Oils - these provide tea's delicious
aromas and flavors.
2. Polyphenols - these provide the "briskness" or
astringency in the mouth and are the components
that also carry most of the health benefits of tea.
3. Caffeine - found naturally in coffee, chocolate, and
tea caffeine provides tea's natural energy boost.
 INTRODUCTTION OF TEA…

Tea-One of the most important non-alcoholic beverage drinks

worldwide

Tea has long been promoted for having a variety of positive health
benefits

Gaining further popularity as an important ‘health drink’

Tea drinking likely began during the Shang Dynasty in China, when it
was used for medicinal purposes.

thereby using tea as a bitter yet stimulating drink, rather than as a

medicinal concoction
 INTRODUCTTION CONT…

No-one is sure of the exact inventor of tea, but Chinese legends

attribute the invention of tea to Shennong in 2737 BC.

The first recorded drinking of tea is in China, with the earliest

records of tea consumption dating to the 10th century BC.

In India it has been drunk for medicinal purposes for a long but
uncertain period,

but apart from the Himalayan region seems not to have been used
as a beverage until the British introduced Chinese tea there
 INTRODUCTTION CONT…

Catherine of Braganza, wife of King

Charles II of England, took the tea habit to Great Britain
around 1660,

But tea was not widely consumed in Britain until the

18th century, and remained expensive until the
latter part of that period

Tea smuggling (bring into country illegally) during the

18th century led to Britain’s masses being able to
afford and consume tea, and its importance eventually
influenced the Boston Tea Party
 INTRODUCTTION CONT…

The British government eventually eradicated

the tax on tea, thereby eliminating the
smuggling trade by 1785.

In Britain and Ireland, tea had become an

everyday beverage for all levels of society by
the late 19th century,

But at first it was consumed as a luxury item

on special occasions, such as religious festivals,
 INTRODUCTTION CONT…
Tea is a beverage made by steeping (immerse in liquid/
infuse = to soak tea in liquid to extract the flavor or
another property) leaves in boiling water

It has a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavor

that many people enjoy

Tea is the most popular manufactured drink in the

world in terms of consumption

After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage

in the world

It serves as morning drink for 2/3rd of world

 Origin and Distribution of Tea

Tea plants are native to East and South Asia, and

probably originated around the meeting points of the
lands of north Burma and southeast China (as a
medicinal drink)
It was first introduced in to Japan in 805 AD as
medicine
 From its center of origin -

 Spread throughout China and Japan

 Introduced to Europe through trading

 It was first introduced by Portuguese priests and

 Origin and Distribution cont…

Drinking tea became popular in Britain during the 17th

century

The British introduced it to India, in order to compete

with the Chinese monopoly on the product

Tea industry in its modern form was started in - India -

between (1818 to 1834)

South East Asia is believed to be the center of origin

The Chinese variety is probably native to Southeast

China (Yunnan),

The Assam variety is native to Assam (India), Burma,

 Importance of tea

The Chinese were the first to discover the beneficial

qualities of the tea plant, almost 3,000 years ago
Originally used as Medicine
Subsequently, as beverage (due to its
simulative effect)
 Importance of tea

 Presently, tea is the most consumed drink in

the world;
After water, tea is the most widely consumed
beverage in the world
After water, well ahead of coffee, beer,
wine and carbonated soft drinks
Accounts for 46 % the world's beverage
market
It has a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent
 Importance cont…
For use as stimulant beverage
 The top young leaves are harvested
for processing:
2 leaves and a bud
Fine plucking
High quality tea
For export (In Ethiopia)
3 leaves and a bud
Coarse plucking
Inferior quality tea
For domestic market (In Ethiopia)
 Importance cont…

Why the young/tender shoot is preferred?

Due to High chemical compositions
Different leaf ages -
 Differ in their chemical composition

 Produce differing tea qualities

 Importance cont…
After plucking, the leaf is
processed into different
forms/types for consumption
The three main types are:
‘Fermented’ or ‘black tea’,
‘Non-fermented’ or ‘green tea’
‘Semi-fermented’ or ‘oolong
tea’.
Black tea is
he principal type produced and
consumed world wide accounting
for approximately
70% of the world tea
production and
90% of the world tea trade
 Health Benefits
Tea leaves have more than 700 chemical constituents
 Biochemical Composition: - Fresh leaves of Assam tea contain:
22.2% polyphenols,
17.2% protein,
4.3% caffeine,
27.0% crude fiber,
0.5% starch,
3.5% reducing sugars,
6.5% pectin,
2.0% ether extract
5.6% ash.
 Health Benefits
Tea may provide various health benefits:
Improve oral health why ?? Because
Tea preventing tooth decay due to presence of fluorine
Fight cancer
Combat heart disease
Provide immunity against intestinal disorders,
Reduce the blood-glucose activity and normalize
diabetes
Tea is rich in two key minerals:
Manganese -which is essential for bone growth and body
development
 Health Effects of tea
A cup of tea -Negative effects of tea drinking are
centered around the consumption of sugar used to
sweeten the tea.
Tea contains a large number of possibly bioactive
chemicals, including flavonoids, amino acids, vitamins,
caffeine and several polysaccharides, and a variety of
health effects have been proposed and investigated.

It has been suggested that green and black tea may

protect against cancer, though the catechins found in
green tea are thought to be more effective in preventing
certain obesity-related cancers such as liver and
 OTHER USES
Tea seed is used to produce tea oil

=> although extraction is not economical

 Oil from tea seed is has various uses:

 Human consumption as edible oil

 Many industrial applications:

 In cosmetic industry, used for making hair

lotions and soaps

 As lubricant
 Economic Benefits
At the household level,

 Tea plant is so-called the crop of the poor because

 Allow frequent income generation for the farmer

 Once planted, tea can be harvested at a weekly or each ten-

day interval

At the nation level,

 Tea export industry contributes to the foreign currency earning

 Provides many jobs to local people (Employment opportunity)

 Contributes to the development of local infrastructures

 Social Benefits

Drinking tea became a special culture ceremony in many countries:

Japan, China, and Vietnam

Use in different cultural events:

Traditional New Year

Wedding Ceremony
 TEA
Production and
Consumption

in the world

A tea plantation in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia

 Production and consumption….
The World tea production has increased greatly since the
2nd World War

During the past four decades, world production, export

and consumption of tea have increased steadily

The world-wide demand for tea is predicted increasing at

the rate of 4 -5%

The rate of increase of production has been much greater

than the rate of increase of consumption by importing
countries

On the other hand, the world tea supply and demands
 Production and consumption….

Figure 1. World production, export and import for
consumption of tea (from 1950s to 1990s)

3000
2500 World Production
Quantity (in M. Kgs)

2000 World Export

1500
World’s Import for
1000 Consumption
500
0
1950- 1960- 1970- 1980- 1990-
1959 1969 1979 1989 2000
Year
 Production and consumption….

Tea -Grows in most countries of the world (> 50

countries)
However, its commercial production is generally
confined to the tropical and sub-tropical regions mainly
due to
•suitable climate,
•soil and availability of cheep labor.
 Table: The World’s Top 10 Tea - Producing Countries
The table shows the amount of tea production (in tons) by leading
countries in 2008-2011 crop years
Rank Country 2008 2009 2010 2011
1 China 1,274,984 1,375,780 1,467,467 1,640,310
2 India 987,000 972,700 991,180 1,063,500
3 Kenya 345,800 314,100 399,000 377,912
4 Sri Lanka 318,700 290,000 282,300 327,500
5 Turkey 198,046 198,601 235,000 221,600
6 Vietnam 173,500 185,700 198,466 206,600
7 Iran 165,717 165,717 165,717 162,517
8 Indonesia 150,851 146,440 150,000 142,400
9 Argentina 80,142 71,715 88,574 96,572
10 Japan 96,500 86,000 85,000 82,100
Total World 4,211,397 4,242,280 4,518,060 4,321,011
Source: Data are generated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations as of February 2012
Tea production and consumption in Ethiopia
Tea is a new crop to Ethiopia

Commercial production is of very recent venture

It was first introduced to Ethiopia in 1927 by Father George

of Poland Catholic Mission

He brought seed from Kenya and planted at Bonga

By now it is under production at Wush-Wush tea plantation

site

One year later (in 1928) the 2nd production of tea was made
by British General

They brought similar tea seed from India and planted at

Tea – Ethiopia cont…

Until 1989 Ethiopia is importing tea from Kenya, China,

and Djibouti
But now because of the successful production from the
two sites Ethiopia stopped importing tea and saved
much of its money

The main government objectives to start up the tea

industry were: -

To be self sufficient domestic consumption and save

the foreign exchange spent for importing tea,

To supply for export market by increasing the

 Tea – Ethiopia cont…

In the country, the climate dictates the cultivation

of the Assam type of tea,
as a result all the tea under production is of the
Assam types
Area under tea in Ethiopia
Was very small originally (130ha at Gummero &
11ha at Wush-wush)
has been gradually expanded to large scale
Very recently established, East African Limited
Company (on about 500 ha of land around Masha
 The production and productivity of tea in Ethiopia
Total annual production of tea
at early establishment period
Year Gummero Wush-Wush Total
Very low, less than 500 tons (in ton) (in ton) (in ton)

(NCRC, 1998)
2001 1490 1626 3117
The production, however,
2002 1596 2309 3906
increased steadily (Since 1989
E.C)
2003 1907 2535 4441
The country has come to
supply tea for export market 2004 1990 2893 4883

beyond fulfilling the

2005 2126 3183 5309
domestic requirement

The total annual tea production Total 9109 12546 12546

Showed a linear increase up

The production and productivity of tea in Ethiopia
This remarkable increase is mainly
attributed to:

The yield increment accompanied with

increased age of the tea plantation,
Better improvement in capacity building
(modernized processing factories,
machineries, and so on)
The fertile situations created by the
government policies regarding restructuring
and privatization
 Opportunities/Potentials in Ethiopia

The existence of wide area of potentially suitable land,

(About 6 million ha)

Would enable the further expansion of tea cultivation

Agro-ecological conditions under most of the potential

areas are

Conducive for the production of best quality tea

Ethiopian high land tea is thus considered to be one

of the best East African teas that could fetch premium
prices in the world market
 Potentials in Ethiopia con…
In the country investing on tea has a promising
economic return
the favorable government policy agricultural sector for
foreign exchange earnings
The availability of plenty labor force in the country,
as the production of tea requires an intensive human
labor

Moreover, the ever increasing demand for tea

Locally
Internationally
The geographical location of the country close to most
Major constraints of tea production
in Ethiopia
1. Lack of research activities
2. Absence of mandatory institution
3. Limited tea germplasm for variability
4. Absence of research facility to promote tea
research
5. Lack of improved varieties
6. Low productivity of the tea clone
7. Shortage of agricultural inputs
8. Limited processing factories
9. Lack of skilled human power
 CHAPTER - 2
BOTANY
OF TEA plant
Botanical classification of tea
Morphology of tea
 2. Botany of tea
Tea is a commercial crop, which includes several species within the genus
Camellia in the family Theaceae

This family comprises about 20 genera of which the most economically

important genus is the genus Camellia

The genus Camellia consists of 325 species of which sinensis is the most
important one
In 1712, Kaempfer was the first western botanist to recognize tea, naming it
Thea japonense.
50 years later Carl von Linne of Sweden-better known as Linnaeus
developed two accepted genera-Thea and Camellia.
Thea sinensis referred to the Chinese plant while Camellia japonica (assam
type)
 Botany of tea cont…
In 1959 after several centuries of botanical debate, a
decision was made under the International Code of
Nomenclature.
The current and correct name for the tea plant is
therefore, Camellia sinensis (L.) O.Kuntze.
"Camellia"
comes from a Moravian Jesuit named Kamel (1661-
1706) who studied the plants of Asia
The name sinensis means Chinese in Latin
is from Linneaus and the (L.) refers to him
O. Kuntze
 Botany cont…
The Tea Plant - belongs to the

Family: - Theaceae

Genus: - Camellia

Species: - Sinensis

The tea crop is a diploid plant with chromosome

number of 2n=2x=30
 Because of its ease of hybridization a number of tri,
 classification of tea
The tea plant is an evergreen shrub, which thrives
in sub-tropic and highland tropic regions
It is virtually/almost self-sterile and pollination is
usually carried out by pollinating agent (i.e., Cross-
pollination)
 Because of its
Ease of cross pollination and
The continuous nature of variation between
each variety,
 it is difficult to differentiate one variety from
 classification cont…
However, tea plants can be grouped in to

different varieties using the word ‘jat’

Jat - simply indicates:

The plantation site from which the planting

materials (seeds or cutting materials) are

obtain and

is used to distinguish tea varieties based on

 classification cont…
Today, there are four botanical types, or “jats” of tea
that are well known and commercially grown world
wide:

Two major Botanical Varieties -

China types - C. sinensis var. sinensis,

Assam types - C. sinensis var. assamica,

 3rd - Intermediate between the two- a hybrid of the

two

Cambodia types
 classification cont…
Two principal varieties are used:
Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, which is used for
most Chinese and Japanese teas, and
Camellia sinensis var. assamica, used in most Indian
teas
Leaf size is the chief criterion for the classification of
tea plants, with three primary classifications being,

Assam type, characterized by the largest leaves

China type, characterized by the smallest leave

Cambodian type, characterized by leaves of

 classification cont…
A tea plant will grow into a tree of up to 15 m if left
undisturbed,

But cultivated plants are generally pruned to waist

height

For ease of plucking

Also, the short plants bear more new shoots which-

provide new and tender leaves and increase the
quality of the tea

Only the top 1–2 inches of the mature plant are

picked
 Some facts of the two jats that aids the
Identification
China jat Assam jat
 The China jat (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
was originated in China and japan
is generally shorter in stature and reaches a
maximum height of 3-4 m
It is good cold tolerance and can grow at the elevated
altitudes in forest
is a slow growing dwarf tree and hence lower jat
leaves are small, dark green, narrow, largely serrated
and erect multi-stem and straggling
The flowers flower early but borne singly (solitary)
China jat is associated with high flavor and low yields
 The Assam jat (Camellia sinensis var.
assamic)
Originated in the Assam province in India and
is also called white jat
Is a substantial tree reaching a height of 15-
20 m and grows exclusively in the tropics
Is much bigger in its natural state and can
grow into a loosely branched tree
It is a less hardy (frost sensitive) variety with
larger, rather droopy and leathery leaves
Is a fast growing taller tree and hence higher
 The Assam jat cont..

Leaves are large, less serrated and form a

greater angle with the stem and tend to droop
at their outer point
The color varies; it is usually lighter than
green than china and is sometimes very light
and almost yellow.
Stem is straight and single
The flowers are borne in clusters of two to four
Assam jat is associated with high yields and
 Morphological Description
Tea plants
In their natural state, can grow up to more than 15m
For cultivation, maintained below 1m- By pruning
 Morphological cont…

Root
Tea produces several deep roots, some of which
have been traced as deep as 6m below the soil
surface most of which however, are found in the
upper 90cm of the soil

Root growth systems vary depending up on the

planting material used

Those plants, which started from seed, develop

tap root system;
where as those which started from cuttings develop
 stem
Tea seedlings produce single main stem
branches are grown from the leaf axils;
single leaf cuttings therefore produce one
stem from the leaf axils
Under natural conditions the stems of tea
plant, depending on the variety grows to a
height of more than 15m, but is usually
pruned back to shrubs in cultivation
Due to this pruning –
bush branches progressively form a dense
bush, a flat top called plucking table
Under the wide planting density bushes form
conical shape
 leaves
New tea leaves develop
 from buds in the axils of mature leaves
 they are generally
 alternate
 lanceolate to obovate
 up to 30 (usually 4-15) cm long
 2-5 (7-12) cm broad
New tea leaves develop
from buds in the axils of mature leaves.
Leaf upper surface
leathery and glossy??
Leaf lower surface
sparsely hairy??
Leaf color varies from
light green to dark green (depending on the
varieties).
Generally, leaves that are produced
 in early stage of growth and
 after pruning are larger than those leaves
Flower
 Flower
Borne in the leaf axils either singly or in cluster of 2
to 4. (2-5 cm broad)
They are aromatic white or pinkish in color
Pedicel is 5-15cm
Long with persistent calyx
Sepals & petals are 5-7 in number (each)
Stamens are
numerous in number (up to 200)
have yellow twined cells
Pistil is characterized by its Very pubescent &
superior ovary??
The style is single & divided in to 3-5 arms so called
 Fruit

Characterized by thick walled and dehiscent

capsule with brownish-green color
It is three lobed and the color turns to
brownish at maturity
Each lobe has seed containing cell
Fruits are Shinny in appearance at the
beginning
Rough towards the end of maturity
Fruit diameter ranges 2 to 3cm

 seed
There are 1 to 3 seeds per cell
Diameter ranges from 1-1.5cm
Seeds are
brownish in color with thin
shelled (testa)– viability is for
shorter time??
semi-globes or flattened on one
surface
Embryo is straight
Cotyledon is thick & rich in oil
Tea is dicot and has no endosperm??
 CHAPTER - 3

Physiology and Growth

of the Tea (Camellia sinensis) Plant
 Physiology of the Tea Plant
What is happening inside a growing plant?

For farmers to understand why things happen in

the tea crop

for example: Why fertilizers are necessary? or Why

a root-rot causes symptoms on the leaves? - - -
Farmers need to know how a plant works

A plant is like a team of workers building a house,

or like a team of football players -

 i.e. many different parts, each doing a

 Physiology cont…
Some of the most important “jobs” that are
happening inside a tea plant are:

a) The leaves breathe in air, breathe out water, and

make sugars from sunlight

b) The twigs and branches contain tubes that transport

water, fertilizer, and sugar

c) The buds grow new tissue to make new leaves and

shoots

d) When a bud “builds” a new shoot, not all the leaves

are alike
 Physiology of Leaves
 Leaf is one of the plant parts in which different
physiological activities take place:
Air is breath in
Water is breath out, and Sugar is synthesized

 On the bottom of each leaf found many small opening

called stomata => The stomata usually are open

 When the stomata are open:

The leaf breathes in carbon dioxide from the air
The leaf breathes out oxygen that it creates
The leaf also breathes out water (i.e. losing water by
evapo-transpiration)
 Physiology of Leaves cont…
Inside branches and trunk of the plant, small tubes connect
the leaves to the roots, called ‘xylem’

These tubes (‘xylem’) are filled with water -

oWhen the leaves breathe out water,

it evaporates in to the air

oAs one droplets of water evaporates,

it pulls the next droplets of the water out of the tube
underneath it

oAs water travels up the xylem tubes,

it carries fertilizer and water from inside the root into the
stem and the leaves
 Is it helpful to fertilize right after pruning?

No, why?? Because of two reasons:

1. The plant doesn’t have enough leaves to evaporate

water and pull water up the xylem tubes to move the
fertilizer from the roots into the stems and leaves

2. Because there are no leaves to produce sugar, the

roots do not have enough energy to absorb fertilizer
from the soil

Absorption of fertilizer is not like a sponge

absorbing water; instead, it is a complicated
process that takes energy
 Physiology of Leaves…

Generally, understanding the physiology of the tea

leaves helps us:
To determine the time for fertilizer application and
To determine the time for pruning

One of the most important jobs of the leaf is to use

the carbon dioxide to make sugar

The energy for this job comes from sunlight

Making sugar from carbon dioxide using the energy of

sunlight is called “photosynthesis”

The sugars are transported down from the leaves

 Physiology of roots
 The sugar produced by the leaves travels down
through the phloem tubes to the roots
o Much of the sugar is stored in the roots, in the form
of starch
The more starch is stored in the roots, the more
energy a plant can send to its buds
=> so that the buds can grow new shoots to
recover
from pruning or plucking
To check how much starch is stored in the roots:

Cut the end of a root and rub it with iodine

 Physiology of roots
Roots do not store all of the sugar as starch

Instead, roots use some of the sugar as energy

To absorb fertilizer, the roots must pump the fertilizer

from the soil into the root

This takes energy, which the roots obtain by

“burning” sugar
 This burning takes oxygen, which roots must breathe
in from the soil
 The wet soil does not provide enough air to the roots
to burn sugar for energy -
 Physiology of roots
If the soil stays wet for many days: -
The roots will die from lack of oxygen, and
Consequently, the plant will die

The roots also absorb water from the soil -

But this does not require the roots to burn
sugar

Instead, the water is “sucked” into the roots

by the xylem tubes, because water is
evaporating (and “sucking”) from the
 LEARNING OUTCOME
How is growth and development of
tea?
What are the four growth stages of
tea?
 Growth
and

Development

of
the Tea Plant
 Growth Periods
The buds grow new tissue to make new leaves
and shoots

o Many buildings are made from cement blocks or

bricks stacked next to and on top of each other

oPlants are built the same way:

from cells, which are tiny rectangular blocks
Tea shoot has two distinct periodicity growths,
which alternate each other:

Active growth period and

 Active growth period

This is the active stage of the tea plant

“Flushing” period
The production period
Plants are built from cells, which are tiny
rectangular blocks
 Tea shoots new cells are produced in the
“dividing zone” (Meristem) hidden inside each
bud
When a bud becomes active, cells at the top
 Active growth cont….
These two steps:
Production of new cells and elongation of the cells

Push the dividing zone upwards

The dividing zone is now sitting on a layer of new

cells
The dividing zone is like a brick-layer moving him self
upwards, one layer of bricks at a time
Cell by cell (“brick by brick”), the dividing zone moves
upwards, leaving below it the new shoot and new
leaves that it has built
To get energy for this work, the dividing zone uses
 Active growth cont….
When a bud “builds” a new shoot, not all the leaves
are alike
 When the tea is growing actively (during the “flush”),
find a bud that is just waking up -

When a bud wakes up, the first leaves that it

“builds” are the tiny “janam” leaves

The shoot grows taller, with the bud and its dividing
zone always on top

The janams often drop off the shoot, leaving behind

scars
 Active growth cont….
The fish leaf is smaller than a normal leaf and usually
has a smooth edge
It is important to remember that a fish leaf is
very active:
It produces more sugar from
photosynthesis than a normal leaf
o After the fish leaf unfolds,

The shoot grows taller and

Normal leaves unfold one after another, at

the rate of one new leaf every 5 to 10 days
 Young "shrimp" leaf

"Fish leaf"

First normal leaf

"Janam"
 The dormant growth stage
Shoots are usually plucked at the 2 - 3 leaves
stage,

before they have enough time to complete

their growth
But if the shoot is not plucked,

the bud eventually completes it work

(finishes a new shoot with many leaves)
When the last leaf unfolds, its forms two
different kind/type of sleeping buds
 The dormant cont…
1)Small sleeping bud (smaller than a growing bud)
This kind of sleeping bud (at the top of a completed
new shoot) is called a “banjhi” bud, and

2) The buds on the sides of the shoot

the growing bud at the tip of the shoot produces

high concentrations of the hormone auxin
What happen during plucking
 Plucking removes the growing bud, and therefore -

removes the auxin, which allows the side buds to

wake up and start growing shoots
 This is why plucking or tipping (light pruning) makes many
 The dormant cont…
Tea plucking requires knowledge and skill -

o One has to know (how, when and what to pluck)

Therefore, understanding plant growth and

development process is essential

Two growth periods are prevailing in tea plant:

“Flushing” period - the production period (the

active stage of the tea plant)

“Banjhi” period - the dormant period

An actively growing tea shoot
 The dormant cont…
Shoot growth - starts with the formation of two kinds
of pre-leaves:
 First the “janams” and then the fish leaves:
The janams - Often drop off almost immediately,
leaving behind scars on the stem
“Fish leaf” -
 is not a normal leaf
 is smaller than a normal leaf
 usually has a smooth edge
 is very active photosyntetically than a normal leaf
After the fish leaf unfolds, -
the shoot grows taller and
normal leaves unfold one after another at the rate of
one new leaf every 5 - 10 days
 Shoot Growth and Development Rate
 The potential production and
distribution of yields throughout
the year depend on - four factors:

(1) the number of buds per unit area

that are contributing to the
dynamics of the shoot population,
(2) the fraction of these that are
actively growing (i.e. not dormant),
(3) the rates of development and
extension of these actively
growing shoots, and
(4) the mean weight of the harvested
shoots.
 Growth Stages of Tea Plant

Four different stages of growth and development have

been described in tea plant
Seedling/ Young plant stage
Branch formation stage
Commercial stage
Low vigor tea/Degraded bush stage
 Seedling/Young plant stage
This stage –begins when the seed or cutting is planted,
and ends when the young plant is pruned for the first time.
The seedling stage often lasts for
2-3 years (For plants grown from seeds),
plants grown from cuttings only require about one year in
the nursery

 However, the duration of the stage does not depend only

on time,
can also vary according to the environment

 Normally, experts consider that at the end of this stage,

The diameter of the main stem must be more than 0.7

 Branch formation stage
Branch formation stage - begins at the first pruning (i.e.,
when the main stem diameter is more than 0.7 cm and the
plant height is more than 70 cm) and
Ends at the last “formation” pruning (the last pruning made
to shape the frame of the tea bushes)

 Tea plants grown from seeds need three formation pruning,

whereas plants grown from cuttings need two

 Tea yield and quality is best when the tea bushes are broad
and have many strong, healthy branches

 To get broad, strong bushes, farmers must give the

bushes good tending during the branch formation stage
 Branch formation cont…
 During branch formation stage,

o The purpose of pruning is to shape the way that the

main frame of large branches are growing,
so that the bush develops a strong frame of big
branches
o Bushes do not yet need large amounts of water or
fertilizer

 But, farmers should supply enough nitrogen -

For the growth of stems and leaves, and to increase
the number of branches

 The bushes are using most of their energy:

Fig. Tea from seed
Fig. Tea from cutting
 Commercial Stage
Commercial stage - begins after the last formation
pruning, and continues for as long as the tea is
growing vigorously (usually several dozens of years)
It is the stage at which the tea plant is -

Plucked (the young tender shoots)

Produces the biggest yields and

The most profitable

During the commercial stage,
The main frame of the tea bush has already been
formed
Bushes use most of their energy to produce a flush
 Commercial Stage cont…
Plucking - removes the leaves and top buds, which
wakes up the side buds -
Then, the shoots that develop from the side buds
are plucked, and their side buds wake up and start
growing

So, the bush is kept very busy constantly

producing new leaves and buds

The tender green buds and shoots that are removed

during plucking contain lots of protein, which is rich
in nitrogen
 Degraded Tea
 Some old tea fields start to show the following
problems (Symptoms of degraded tea)
 Low yields.
 Increasing number of empty spots in the field due to
death of weak bushes (due to plant mortality).
 Branches become thin and diseased.
 increased disease infestations above & below ground
 Increase in the proportion of unproductive (brown &
woody) tissues on tea plants.
 Buds and crown buds are small and scarce.
 Many shoots at the base of the bush, or sprouting up
from the ground.
 This combination of problems is often called degraded
tea.
 Degraded Tea
Degraded tea – possible causes:
oBad management
i.e. years before the end of their normal
commercial productivity
oAging of the tea plant
Rejuvenation - is often the best solution
However, sometimes it is better to re-plant the
field with new tea bushes
CHAPTER - 4
 Ecological requirement of tea plant
 Tea Plant - Can grow under a wide range of climatic conditions

– However, for economic yield and improved quality its

commercial cultivation is confined to -

 The Tropics and Sub-tropical regions of the equator

 Among the tropical crops there are none which demand such precise
requirements as tea does

 Tea Plant - requires precise selection of soil, land preparation

and climate
 Ecology of Tea …
Climate and Soil - the most important ecological factors for
growing tea

The quality of tea mainly depends on:

The climatic conditions
Type of soil upon which the plant grows and
The method used in processing

A 'good growing season' for tea is as one having: -

Warm days
Long sunshine hours
High humidity and adequate rainfall
Detrimental conditions – for high quality tea production:
Strong wind,
 Climatic requirements of tea plant
 Tea was originated from monsoon climatic
condition

i.e. a climate which is warm wet summer

and cold winter
Then it was distributed to different areas and
also found to be grown under different climatic
condition

From Mediterranean type of climate up to

humid tropic climate
 Rain fall
 It is considered to be the main climatic requirement for tea plant growth and
productivity

 The plant thrives best under high and evenly distributed rainfall throughout the
growing season

 Distribution of rainfall over a year is as vital as the total annual rainfall

 Tea plants needs:

 a minimum requirement - 1200mm of rain per annum and

 the distribution should be optimum (with the tropics the dry season not
more than three month)

 Water loss by evaporation and transpiration should be replaced by the available

RF
 Rain fall cont…
 There is no maximum limit of RF provided that -

 There is no water logging condition

 The water table at proper height

 There is no soil erosion and run off

 In general, the plant performs well in a condition having evenly

distributed RF through out the growing periods

 Irrigation is used when the rain fall is erratic or less than 1200mm
and /or if the distribution is not even

 Irrigation is used by considering the availability of water, cost of

installation, flow of the river and practicability of the storage dam
 Temperature
 Whether other climatic factors are favorable or not,

 Tea likes any other plants does not grow when the
temperatures are either too low or too high

 It needs a minimum and maximum temperature of 14oC and

25oC, respectively

 In general, mean minimum temperature below 13oC causes

foliage damage

 High temperature above 30oC is likely to be accompanied by

humidity so low that a similar in cessation of shoots growth

 This result in yield decreases

 Temperature
 In many instances soil temperature is of greater importance to
plants than air temperature
 soil temperature influences the growth & yield of tea.
 If the temperature up to the depth of 30cm is < 16oC - tea growth
will be affected
 optimum temperature within the feeder root depth of the soil
is from 20-25oC
 i.e. all the feeder roots should be within this range of
temperature.
 If the leaf temperature goes to 35oC, the rate of photosynthesis
takes place.
 Between 35 – 40oC leaf photosynthetic rate remain constant.
 Beyond 40oC photosynthetic rate decrease dramatically.
 Humidity (RH)

The invisible water content of the air

Has influence in determining the loss of moisture
by evapo-transpiration.
RH of 80 - 90 % is favorable during the growth
period of tea plants,
Below 50 %, shoot growth is inhibited and
Below 40 % plant growth is adversely affected.
Mean RH never drops below 60 % even during
the driest part of the year
 Light
 Light is another important factor for tea production

 because light increases the quality of tea leaves by

initiating the chemicals responsible for flavor.

 Relatively intensive light improves the quality of tea leaves.

 In case of full light, leaf tannin content and extract alkaloid

substances increase.

 Tea plant requires an average of 5 hrs of sunshine per day.

 In cloudy condition and with heavy & continuous rainfall the

yield drops, as it does when the weather is hot, dry and sunny.
 Altitude

 Tea can be grown under wide

range
 From lowlands to

 1500 to 2000 m elevation

m.a.s.l.
 At higher elevations, where A tea plantation in the Cameron
Highlands in Malaysia
rainfall <2000 mm.
 The plants grow more slowly

 Results in a better flavor.

 Promotes the production of

 Wind
 Wind can damage the tea plant when it lowers atmospheric
humidity.

 Excessive wind has a negative influence on tea plants.

 Dry and hot winds decreases

 the RH of the surrounding and

 the evaporation rate on the surface of leaves.

 This causes lack of moisture in the plant especially in the

lower branches and bring about disturbance of physiological
process.

 Wind breaks, therefore, are essential to prevent the high

evaporation and water stress, which can occur in unprotected
 Soil requirement
 Tea is growing in a wide range of soil types.

– However, the ideal types-possess certain requirements for

economic yield and quality production
 Good tea soils, however, are those of volcanic origin.
 It thrives best on -
 well drained, permeable,
 deep and fertile soils with a minimum of 2m
depths
 Suitable tea soil is selected by considering -

 indicator plants,
 different physical characteristics of the soil and
 chemical characteristics of the soil
 Soil requirement…
1. Indicator plants
 Indicator plants could be used to evaluate soil for tea
cultivation.
– By considering the natural species that have similar
characteristics with the tea plants. E.g. -
- Albizia spp.,
- vernonia spp., and ferns

– In East Africa, the most reliable indicators were

• Plants that accumulate aluminum;

E.g. - plants from the family Melastomaceae and

certain ferns (Gleiche­nia spp.).
 Physical characteristics of the soil

Soil depth

 Tea soil must have good depth to accommodate sufficient moisture,

which determines activity of root hairs.

 Teas grow best on soil that is 1.5m deep or deeper.

 But, soil for tea should be at least 60cm deep with subsoil at least

1m deep.

 Soil depth can be improved by adding manure, compost & mulch

Soil nutrient content

 Tea soil should have sufficient nutrients that support proper growth

of the plant.

 A well balanced amount of available nutrient result a healthy plants.

 Major nutrients required by tea plant include: N, P, K

 3. Chemical characteristics

 Soil acidity (pH)

 Tea requires soil that is more acidic than is suitable for
many other crops
 Best pH is 4.5 – 5.5
 In general, a soil with pH ranging between 4 to 6 is
suitable for tea
 Soil pH affects the ability of the soil to release
nutrients.
 If the pH is too high or too low, nutrients can get
‘locked up’ in the soil and become unavailable to
 Tea Environment in Ethiopia
 Tea in the country
 Can grow comfortably (Conducive Environment).
 Quality is among the very best
 Grown now in the highland dense forest regions SW,
where
The land is fertile and
Minimum use of fertilizers
Because of this mostly organic cultivation,
Ethiopian tea is increasingly sought for its aroma
& natural flavors
– South and SW Ethiopia (Large scale farms are
situated)
• Wush-wush
• Gummero
 Tea Farms - Environment
400

• Altitude (m a.s.l) 350 Wush-Wush Gumero

300
– Wush-Wush = 1800 250

Rainfall (mm)
– Gummero = 1600 200
150
– Chewaka = 1830 100
50
0
• Rain fall - Annual average

July

Nov.
Jan.

June
May

Aug.

Oct.
April
Feb.

Dec.
Sept.
March
– Wush-Wush = 1516mm Month

– Gummero = 1713 mm Figure 1. Monthly average rainfall of Wush-

– Chewaka =2300 mm wush and Gumero tea farms (1981 to 1990).

Source: (GWWTR unpublished 2007)

 April to November
• Considered as main seasons
• A flash growth is induced under both locations,
• A monthly average RF >150mm allows good tea yield production
Thanks