REJUVENATION PRUNING AND REPLANTING OF TEA IN SOUTH INDIA

摘要

Introduction: Productivity of tea in south India is stagnating around 2000 kg of made tea per hectare. Yield stagnation is mainly due to the low yielding moribund seedling populations which are more than 50 years old. Due to the non availability of land for further expansion horizontal growth is restricted. Improved cultivation practices, optimization of inputs and irrigation are some of the short term measures that will assist in increasing the vertical growth of south Indian tea in a sustainable manner. Integration of these measures with a long term policy comprising infilling and replanting with high yielding quality clones is essential to meet the demand for good quality tea and to retain India's share in the export of tea. Rejuvenation pruningfollowed by infilling and replanting of the low yielding fields with high yielding quality clones will also help the growers to generate more income from per unit area besides creating more employment opportunities for the dependent workers.