Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Tea pp 173–199Cite as

Tea crop physiology

  • Chapter

Abstract

The first tea planters soon discovered that the tea plant needed very specific environmental conditions if it was to produce an economic crop of manufactured tea. Observation along with trial and error led them to identify the general environmental conditions required for commercial tea production and to develop a set of agronomic practices for the effective management of a plantation. The crop needs an acid soil, a humid tropical environment and will not tolerate drought, the best quality tea being produced at high altitudes that remain free from frost. Soils and climatic variables were known to affect the quality of the manufactured tea, the level of yield and the seasonal cropping characteristics of the bush. Having broadly identified the environmental constraints, estates were established in suitable environments and a production system developed that was economically viable. Their observations and practices became established fact and were passed on from one generation of planters to the next.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Anon. (1957/58) Annual Report of the Tea Research Foundation (Central Africa), Mulanje, Malawi, Department of Agriculture, Nyasaland, p. 206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barua, D. N. (1964) Effect of light intensity on assimilation characteristics of detached tea leaves. Journal of Agricultural Science, 63, 265–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barua, P. K. (1969) Seasonal dormancy in tea. Nature, 224, 514.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barua, P. K. (1970) Light as a factor in the metabolism of the tea plant. Annals of Botany, 34, 721–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bond, T. E. T. (1942) Studies in the vegetative growth and the anatomy of the tea plant with reference to the phloem. 1. The flush shoot. Annals of Botany, 6, 607–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bond, T. E. T. (1945). Studies in the vegetative growth and the anatomy of the tea plant. Further analysis of flushing behaviour. Annals of Botany, 9, 183–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brouwer, R. (1963) Some aspects of the equilibrium between overground and underground plant parts, Jaarboek Instituut voor Biologisch en Scheikundig Onderzoek van Landbouwgewassen, p. 31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr, M. K. V. (1971) An assessment of tea/soil/water studies in Southern Tanzania in Water and the Tea Plant (eds M. K. V. Carr and Susan Carr), Tea Research Institute of East Africa, Kericho, Kenya, pp. 21–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr, M. K. V. (1972) The climatic requirements of the tea plant. A Review. Experimental Agriculture, 8, 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dale, M. D. (1971) Progress with tea irrigation experiments in Malawi, in Water and the Tea Plant, Tea Research Institute of East Africa, Kericho, Kenya, pp. 59–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devanathan, M. A. V. (1975) Weather and the yield of crop. Experimental Agriculture, 11, 183–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, R. T. and Grice, W. T. (1976) Plucking policy and techniques. Quarterly Newsletter, Tea Research Foundation (Central Africa), (41), 3–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Filippov, L. A. (1970) A method for assessing the influence of air temperature and humidity on the water regime of the tea plant. Soviet Plant Physiology. (English Translation), 15, 868–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fordham, R. (1970) Factors Affecting Tea Yields in Malawi, PhD Thesis, University of Bristol, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fordham, R. (1972) Observations on the growth of roots and shoots of tea in Southern Malawi. Journal of Horticultural Science, 47, 221–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fordham, R. (1977) Tea in Ecophysiology of Tropical Crops (eds Paulo de T. Alvim and T. T. Kozlowski), Academic Press, New York, pp. 333–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fordham, R. and Palmer-Jones, R. W. (1977). Simulation of intra seasonal yield fluctuations of tea in Malawi. Experimental Agriculture, 13, 33–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodchild, N. A. (1968) Growth of tea shoots following pruning. Annals of Botany, 32, 567–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greathouse, D. C, Laetsch, W. M. and Philley, B. O. (1971) The shoot growth rhythm of tropical trees. American Journal of Botany, 58, 281–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hadfield, W. (1968) Leaf temperature leaf pose and productivity of the tea bush. Nature, 219,282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hadfield, W. (1972) More light on shade. Two and a Bud, 18, 60–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadfield, W. (1975). Two and a Bud, 22, 102–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallé, F. and Martin, R. (1968) Etude de la croissance rhythmique chez ľHévéo. Adansonia, 8, 475–503.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herd, E. M. and Squire, G. R. (1976) Observations on the winter dormancy of tea in Malawi. Journal of Horticultural Science, 51, 267–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsiao, T. C. and Acevedo, E. (1975) Plant response to water deficits, water use efficiency and drought resistance. Agricultural Meteorology, 14, 59–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kulasegaram, S. (1969) Studies on the dormancy of tea shoots. Tea Quarterly, 40, 31–46.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Landsberg, J. J. (1975) Temperature effects and plant response, in Progress in Biometeorology: Division C (ed. L. P. Smith), pp. 86–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laycock, D. H. (1969) Latitude, Day Length and Crop Distribution. Proceedings of Twenty Fourth Tocklai Conference, Tocklai Experimental Station, Jorhat, Assam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laycock, D. H. and Downie, D. L. (1953) A note on the effect of plucking ‘banjhi’ buds on a ‘banjhi’ cycle in tea. Nyasaland Farmer & Forester, 1 (11), 25–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liakatas, A. (1978) Thermal Microclimate of Plastic Mulches and Response of Maize, PhD Thesis, University of Nottingham, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magambo, M. J. S. (1975) Importance of determining leaf area indices of teabushes. Tea in East Africa, 15, 3–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magambo, M. J. S. and Othieno, C. O. (1977) Dry matter partitioning in the tea bush. Tea in East Africa, 17, 15–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noggle, G. R. and Fites, R. C. (1974) The mechanisms of chilling damage in germinating seeds, in Mechanisms of Regulation of Plant Growth (eds R. C. Bioleski et al.), Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin, 12, 525–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Othieno, C. O. (1975/76/77) Annual Reports, Tea Research Institute of East Africa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raison, J. K. (1974) A biochemical explanation of low-temperature stress in tropical and sub-tropical plants, in Mechanisms of Regulation of Plant Growth (eds R. L. Bioleski et al.), Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin, 12, 487–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakai, S. (1975) Recent studies and problems of photosynthesis of tea plant. Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly, 9(2), 101–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson, G. W. and Sivapalan, K. (1966) Effect of leaf age on photosynthetic assimilation of carbon dioxide in tea plants. Tea Quarterly, 37, 11–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slatyer, R. O. (1967). Plant-Water Relations, Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Squire, G. R. (1977) Seasonal changes in photosynthesis of tea. Journal of Applied Ecology, 14, 303–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Squire, G. R. (1979). Weather physiology and seasonality of tea in Malawi. Experimental Agriculture, 15, 321–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanton, T. W. (1979). Some factors limiting yield to tea (Camellia sinensis). Experimental Agriculture, 15, 187–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanton, T. W. (1981a) Growth and yield of the tea bush. Experimental Agriculture, 17, 323–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanton, T. W. (1981b). The banjhi or dormancy cycle in tea. Experimental Agriculture, 17, 149–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanton, T. W. (1982a) Enviromental factors affecting the yields of tea: I Air temperature. Experimental Agriculture, 18, 47–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanton, T. W. (1982b) Environmental factors affecting the yield of tea (Camellia sinensis). II. Effects of soil temperature, day length, and dry air. Experimental Agriculture, 18, 53–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tea Research Foundation (1969/70). Annual Report (1969/70). Mulanje, Malawi, pp. 37–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, W. and Barua, D. N. (1955) The nature of dormancy in the tea plant. Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 6, 1–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, E. N. D. (1971) Investigations into certain aspects of water stress in Tea, in Water and the Tea Plant (eds M. K. V. Carr and Susan Carr), Tea Research Institute of East Africa, Kericho, Kenya, pp. 79–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witt, C. T. de, Brouwer, R. and Penning de Vries, F. W. T. (1970) In Prediction and Measurement of Photosynthetic Production, Proceedings of IBP/PP Tech, Centre for Agriculture Publishing and Documentation, Wageningen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, H. B. F., Yu, T. T. and Liou, T. D. (1974) Physiological and biochemical comparisons of sweet potato varieties to chilling temperatures, in Mechanisms of Regulation of Plant Growth (eds R. L. Bioleski et al.). Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin, 12, 483–97.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. T. W. Tanton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Liverpool, UK

    K. C. Willson (Consultant in Tropical Agriculture) (Consultant in Tropical Agriculture)

  2. School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, UK

    M. N. Clifford (Leader, Food Safety Research Group) (Leader, Food Safety Research Group)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Tanton, T.W. (1992). Tea crop physiology. In: Willson, K.C., Clifford, M.N. (eds) Tea. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2326-6_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2326-6_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5027-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2326-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation