Soil hydro-physical properties as affected by different tea production systems in northeast India

Abstract

A study was conducted at Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat, Assam, India to evaluate the effect of four different tea production systems on the hydrophysical characteristics of soil in a humid sub-tropical area. The production systems used were simple conversion to organic tea of a mature tea area (SC), conversion to organic tea after deep cut (DC), newly planted tea after clearing a bush land (NPB) and a newly planted tea after grass rehabilitation (NPR) which was replicated thrice using a randomized block design. Mean BD was highest with value of 1.40 g cm-3 (±0.02) in soils under SC followed by DC, NPB and NPR respectively. Hydraulic conductivity (k) was lowest in soil from the mature existing area followed by the newly planted area. Soil water retention characteristics studies showed higher water retention for the mature existing area, followed by the newly planted area under the same suction values.