Effect of Eliminating Summer Leaf-picking on Green Tea Production

Effects of eliminating leaf-picking in the summer on the annual tea production were studied. The tea plant, Fuyun 10, was used for the investigation. The factors examined included germination, sprouting density, bud weight, net photosynthetic rate, fresh leave output and tea quality. The results showed that by eliminating the tea-picking in the summer, the germination advanced 4 to 6 days. With the practice, the sprouting density became extremely significantly lower than control, while the bud weight improved and the net photosynthetic rate increased 3.51%-26.19%. The output of fresh leaves increased from 26.62% to 188.88%, which was significantly higher than that of control. The sensory evaluation scores on aroma and taste were higher than control, from 4 to 8, and the overall scores were higher than control, from 2.8 to 4.3, on a 10 point-scale. Meanwhile, the tea quality was improved by one grade. The practice also reduced the cost and increased the net profit from 373.50 yuanhm-2 to 8 483.40 yuanhm-2. Consequently,it seemed to be most suitable for the areas where labor is scarce. Otherwise, increased fertilization might still be appropriate for the traditional year-round picking operations.