02. Water requirement of the Tea Plants

• Survival of young plantation- Monthly supply of a liter of water per plant. 10-12 m3 per hectare.
• Establishing young tea plants- Dampening the area of the root system. Replace 50% of the water loss from the evapo-transpiration tank every 15 days.
• Intensive sparing- When there is a very severe dry season, replace all the water loss from the evaporation every 7 to 10 days.
• Adult tea plants- Replace 50% of the water loss from the evaporation tank every 15 days. Taking in to account any rainfall of more than 3 mm.
In regions with extensive dry seasons, shading trees play an important role in providing and maintaining sufficient humidity. Additionally, tea plantations in windy regions should also be protected by windbreaks, to reduce the intensity of evapo-transpiration. Sufficient drainage and aeration of the soil can be lastingly and economically achieved with the combination of shading trees, deep-rooting green manure plants, mulching and pruning of tea plants.

01.1 Drought tolerant Tea varieties

China tea (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis) is especially suited to hilly regions. It is resistant to drought, and can tolerate short periods of frost (yet has a low tolerance of shade). Contrastingly, Assam tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) is a purely tropical crop, and reacts sensitively to drought and cold (yet has a high tolerance of shade).

01. Introduction

Water plays a major role in tea plantations. Tea yield is greatly influenced by weather, and especially by droughts, which cause irreparable losses because irrigation is seldom used on tea plantations. At the other extreme, heavy rains erode top soil and wash away fertilizers and other chemicals. Optimum of 2000-2200 mm of rainfall should be distributed evenly throughout the year. A minimum of 1400 mm of rain is required but tea can grow adequately with less rainfall in areas with frequent mists and low clouds or under irrigation. Relative humidity should lie between 70 and 90%.

Table of Contents

 01.  Introduction

01.1 Drought tolerant Tea varieties

02. Water requirement of the Tea Plants

03. Irrigation to the Tea Field

03.1 Types of Irrigation Methods

04. Shading and Wind Breaks

05. Mulching

06. Pruning

07. Other Practices