An approach towards developing a package and practice in mechanized harvesting of tea ( Camellia sinensis ( L) O. Kuntze)

Abstract

Four years of experimentation on mature clonal (TV-22, TV-23) teas covering two un prunes ( UP), one light prune ( LP ) and one deep skiff ( DS ) in a sequence of UP – LP – UP - DS revealed that motorised harvester used during the peak cropping period i.e. July - September at 13 days interval and manual plucking at 7 days interval in rest of the months in a season produced either
similar or significant increase in cumulative yield of un prune teas to an extent of 3.5 per cent compared to traditional manual plucking carried out at 7 days interval. Use of plucking shears at an interval of 9 days in peak cropping months (July - September) and hand plucking at 7 days interval in rest of the months brought about similar yield in one season and significant increase in another season of un prune teas compared to manual plucking at 7 days interval.In case of deep skiff (DS) tea, the effect of plucking shear and motorised harvester in peak period of harvesting ( July – September ) and hand plucking in rest of the months was found to be at par on yield of tea when compared with traditional hand plucking at 7 days interval. In light prune teas, motorised harvesting in July – September and hand plucking in rest of the season brought about a significant decline in annual yield to the tune of 3% while plucking shear produced similar yield when compared with traditional hand plucking. Motorised and shear harvesting when practiced throughout the season recorded significant decline in annual crop irrespective of type of pruning compared to hand plucking throughout the period of experimentation. In case of light prune tea, mechanised harvesting can be continued till October. Use of plucking aids (harvester or shear) in dry period and beyond October is found detrimental to yield of tea. This paper deals with the effect of mechanical aids on photosynthesis, transpiration, carbon di oxide concentration within the leaf tissues, water use efficiency as well as biometric parameters in tea bushes.

Keywords: Tea, Mechanized harvesting, Quality.