Tea Science | Are tea trees also picky eaters? You must know these tips on how to feed tea trees!

Tea trees need sufficient nutrients to grow, just like we need food. But the more fertilizer you apply to a tea garden, the better. If you use the wrong method, you will not only waste money, but may also affect tea yield and quality, and even pollute the environment.

So, how can we "feed" tea trees scientifically and reasonably?

Today, the editor will show you the comprehensive nutrient management techniques for tea trees, from precise fertilization to soil improvement, and teach you how to grow healthy tea!

The main problems of fertilization in tea gardens in China are: the nutrient application amount varies greatly among regions or farmers, about one-third of tea gardens are over-fertilized, and the nutrient utilization efficiency is low; general compound fertilizers are the main source of phosphorus and potassium nutrients, and the proportion of tea tree-specific fertilizers is low; the application of organic fertilizers is not popular enough, and the organic nutrient replacement rate is low; surface application accounts for a considerable proportion, and the application method is backward, resulting in a high nutrient loss rate. In response to these problems, a technical strategy for comprehensive nutrient management in tea gardens is summarized and proposed, which can be started from five aspects: precise nutrient application , organic fertilizer replacing part of chemical fertilizers , adjusting fertilizer structure , improving fertilization methods and supporting soil improvement .

1. Precise nutrient dosage

China has many types of tea, complex quality requirements, diverse tea picking standards, and variable tea garden site conditions, making it difficult to determine nutrient dosage directly based on production levels and soil conditions. We have proposed a technical route of total nitrogen control , phosphorus and potassium benchmark nutrient ratios , and supplementation of medium and trace elements to determine the nutrient dosage of tea gardens.

2. Organic fertilizers partially replace chemical fertilizers

As an important nutrient resource, organic fertilizer has a long history of application in China. Experiments show that the appropriate nitrogen replacement ratio of organic fertilizer is 25% to 50%. Through microbial fermentation, organic waste, livestock and poultry manure, etc. can be converted into commercial organic fertilizer, organic-inorganic compound fertilizer or microbial organic fertilizer, further improving fertilizer efficiency.

3. Adjust the use structure of fertilizer products

Use new and efficient fertilizer varieties. Such as tea tree fertilizer, slow-release and long-acting fertilizer (coated fertilizer, synthetic slow-soluble organic nitrogen fertilizer, synthetic slow-soluble inorganic nitrogen fertilizer, etc.), biochar-based compound fertilizer (containing biomass carbon), and lime fertilizer. In view of the unfavorable situation that tea gardens generally use equal-proportion compound fertilizers, we proposed a tea tree fertilizer with a basic formula of 18-8-12-2 (N:P2O5:K2O:MgO), which has achieved good application results.

4. Improve fertilization methods

Nitrogen fertilizer needs to be applied in batches to improve efficiency. There is no significant difference between applying phosphorus, potassium and magnesium fertilizers as basal fertilizers once and applying them in batches as topdressing. We propose to apply only nitrogen fertilizer in batches as basal fertilizer and topdressing, while applying phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in one batch.

30% to 40% of the annual nitrogen fertilizer is used as basal fertilizer, and the rest is used as topdressing before spring tea, summer tea and autumn tea. Organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer are mainly used as basal fertilizer, and quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used as topdressing.

The best time to apply topdressing before spring tea is 40 to 60 days before tea picking. Since tea leaves have the ability to quickly absorb nutrients such as nitrogen, foliar fertilization can be performed as needed.

Top dressing can be done by digging shallow furrows or broadcasting with shallow tillage, but it is better to apply base fertilizer 15~20cm deep.

5. Supporting soil improvement

Tea gardens in China are seriously acidified and compacted. Tillage is an effective technical means to increase soil pH, reduce soil bulk density, improve permeability, and change soil water and heat conditions. The use of soil acidifiers and green manure planting can effectively improve soil quality.

Scientific fertilization can not only improve tea yield and quality, but also protect the environment and help the sustainable development of tea gardens. I hope that through today's introduction, I can help tea farmers better understand tea tree nutrient management, manage tea gardens with scientific methods, and make every cup of tea fragrant and delicious!

Some pictures are from the Internet

Source: Researcher Ma Lifeng and Researcher Ruan Jianyun from the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Reviewer: Professor Liang Yuerong from Zhejiang University