Relative humidity as a factor impacting tea yield: a case study

Abstract

The growth of new shoots in the first flush of tea is a reflection of photosynthetic activity and relative humidity (RH) indirectly affects photosynthesis. The first flush of tea, which comes at the beginning of March, and the second flush in April, are considered to be very important and contribute significantly to the overall production. The study here was carried out to see the impact of RH on the yield of tea during the months of March and April, 2014 as this is the period that experiences the most awaited first flush. The RH, along with rainfall, plays an important role in the growth of the tea plant and on the yield. Results showed that the RH had gone down to a very low level during this important period and there was practically no rain. The green leaf yield was affected by this sudden climatic change. The probable future relative humidity levels for this particular period are also projected in this study.