Some aspects of pruning litter decomposition under conventional tea cultivation in Dooars

Abstract

The rate of decomposition of tea pruning litter and the microorganisms involved in the process in tea fields was investigated in mature tea sections located at North Bengal Regional R & D Centre, Nagrakata, during 2012. Results showed an increase in the mean rate of decomposition from 5.20 percent in January-March to 12.16 percent in April-June. Mean weight loss (decomposition rate) of pruning litters during July-September was 20.41 percent which increased to 69.23 percent during October-December. Some of the microbes observed during the initial phase of decomposition, included Pestalotia spp, Colletotrichum spp, Fusarium spp, Cladosporium spp, Aspergillus spp, Penicillium spp, Epicoccum spp, Acrimonium spp, Cephalosporium spp, Cylindrocladium spp, Phoma spp, Curvularia spp, Alternaria spp. Microorganisms associated with the later stage of decomposition were Trichoderma spp, Trichothecium spp, Torula spp, Chaetomium spp, Lasiodiplodia spp, Memnoniella spp, Neocosmospora spp, Actinomycetes spp etc. Relative occurrence of fungal species in pruning litters was highest during July-September (73.91%) followed by October-December (69.56%), April- June (34.78%) and January-March (30.43%).