Department of Plantation Management

Handout on Plantation Crop Production I (PM 3129)

1. General Statistics of Tea (2006)

Category Unit

Production 310.8 kg mn

Total extent 222,000 hectares

Extent bearing 193,000 hectares

Cost of production 187.85 Rs /kg

Average price – NSA (Auction price) 198.87 Rs /kg

Value added as % of GDP 1.8

2. Shade Trees

Elevation Medium shade High shade

Up country Dadap – Erythrina lithosperma Sabukku–Grevillea robusta

Calliandra – Calliandra calothrysus
Acacia - Acacia decurrens

Mid country Gliricidia – Gliricidia sepium Sabukku–Grevillea robusta

Calliandra - Calliandra calothrysus Mara- Albizzia moluccana
Albizzia chinensis
Low country Gliricidia – Gliricidia sepium

3. Green Manure Crops

Crotolaria juncea Gliricidia sepium

Tithonia diversifolia Erythrina lithosperma
Calliandra calothrysus Flemingia congesta

4. Cover crops

Arachis pintoi
Desmodium ovelifolum

5. Rehabilitation grasses

Gautamala – Tripsacum laxum

Mana – Cymbopogon confertiflorus

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6. Recommended species for reducing soil erosion

Eragrostis curvular
Paspalum dilatatum
Vetiver zesanoides

7. Fertilizer mixtures

Fertilizer mixtures recommended for grasses & immature tea

Rehabilitation grasses Nursery Plants< 2 years Plants 3-5 years

U625 T65 T200 T750

• T200 – From field planting to commencement of plucking

• T750 – Commencement of plucking to 1st prune

Fertilizer mixtures recommended for mature tea

Low Mid/Up Uva

VP Seedling VP Seedling VP Seedling

VPLC880 STLC365 VPUM910 STUM400 VPUVA945 STUVA435

VPLC – Mature VP tea mixture for low country

STLC – Seedling tea mixture for low country
VPUM – Mature VP tea mixture for up and mid country
STUM 400 – Seedling tea mixture for up and mid country
VPUVA – Mature VP tea mixture for UVA
STUVA – Mature VP tea mixture for UVA

8. Herbicides and their Usage in tea

Herbicide Target weeds

1. Oxyfluorfen Grasses and broadleaves

2. Diuron Immature broadleaves and immature foxtail

Panicum repens (couch)
3. Glyphosate
Imperata cylindrica (illuk)
Cotact weed killer. Resistant weeds are Illuk,
4. Paraquat Couch grass, Foxtail grass, Getakola, Morning
glory, Malhabarala, Wal Kohila
5. Glufosinate Ammonium Getakola, Hulanthala

6. 2,4-D Morning glory, Arunadevi, Mikania

7. MCPA -do-

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9. Common Pests of Tea
Common
Scientific Name Nature of damage Control Measures
name
Shot Hole Xyleborus fornicatus Make galleries and IPM
Borer introduces the Ambrosia Resistant clones TRI
(Order fungus (Monacrosporium 2043, 3018, 4044, k 145
Coleoptera) ambrosium) Maintain bush vigour
Brood feeds on fungus Sanitary measures @
Branch breakage pruning – wound dressing
Wood rotting fungus & ex: Candarsan
Termite infestation Chemical – Fenthion 50%
EC 4.5 l in 1000 l of
water
Low Country Neotermes greeni & Enter the bush through IPM
Live Wood Glyptotermes dilatatus stem and excavate Planting trap crops –
Termites galleries down to the Gliricidia sepium
(Order collar Use of resistant clones
Isoptera) Wilting or scorching of Sanitary measures @
branches – Galleries pruning
transfer across the Natural predators –
vascular ring Lizards, frogs
Microbial pesticides –
Biosafe or
Entomopathogenic fungus
Metarhizium anisopliae
Up Country Postelectrotermes Enter through roots Uproot infested paths
Live wood militaris Make their way up to until 2 rings
Termite stem Burning up rooted
(Order Advance stage of material in-situ
Isoptera) infestation – Galleries If infested more than 30
exposed at prune cuts years – replanting whole
field
Tea Tortrix Homona coffearia Feeds from inside the Natural control –
(Order leaf nest starting in just Pathogenic fungus and
Lepidoptera) open bud bacteria, Predators
Descends to lower Parasites – Macrocentrus
leaves when it grow homonae
Chemical - Mimic
(Tebufenozide), Ataborn
(Chlorfluazeuron),
Dipterex ( Trichlorfon)
Biotraps
10. Common Diseases of Tea

Common
Causal organism Symptoms Control Measures
name
Blister blight Exobasidium vexans White colour basidium Avoid dense shade
on undersurface of the (particularly in mist
leaves pockets)
Protrusion seen on the
lower surface, which Apply recommended
becomes white and copper fungicide
powdery as spore
production

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11. Common weed species

Lokapalu - Mikania scandans

Heen maduwel - Iomoea augustifolia
Morning glory - Ipomoea learii
Wild spinach - Andredera cordifolia
Puraria - Puraria phaseoloides
Couch grass – Panicum repens
Thickedhead - Crassocephalum crepidioides
Hulanthala - Eluthananthara rudaralis
Wal-rubber - Euphorbia cyathophora
Lantana - Lantana camara

12. Plucking

Light plucking/single leaf plucking/ Hard plucking/fish leaf plucking

mother leaf plucking

13. Pruning

1. Clean pruning

• This may be adopted at

higher elevations

• Results late or poor

recovery due to absence
of foliage

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2. Rim lung pruning

• 3-4 healthy branches are

left at the periphery of
bush

• Lung branches should

have in all about 200-300

3. Cut-across pruning

• As it is possible to obtain
an early crop this pruning
method can be
recommended for the
fields that are about to
uproot or diversify

4. Skiffing

• Slashing or leveling
operation

• Lightest type of pruning

• This can be used to delay

a rush crop or to extend
the pruning cycle

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 5. Rejuvenation pruning
• Type of hard pruning carried out when the foundation frame of the bush reaches an
unproductive stage
• The height of the pruning can vary depending on the status of the frame

14. Tea Manufacturing

Black Tea Manufacturing

I. Leaf Weighing and Leaf counting

II. Withering -To reduce the moisture content of the leaf and to trigger several important
biochemical reactions.

III. Rolling - During rolling leaf is twisted and simultaneously broken up the cell structure of
the leaves and release the natural juices and enzymes giving the made tea its flavour and
aroma.

IV. Roll Breaking - To remove fines from the bulk; and to cool the bulk of leaf
V. Fermentation - to bring about the changes necessary to make tea liquor palatable.
Fermentation reaction starts as soon as the leaf is damaged during rolling and roll-
breaking.

VI. Firing/Drying - to check fermentation by the removal of the moisture from the leaf up to
3 % in order to improve the keeping quality of tea.

VII. Sifting - The separating of the tea particles into various shapes and sizes confirming to
trade requirements involves many operations.

VIII. Packing - So as to even out the slight variations of character that do exist in the same
grade of tea manufactured over a period of several days the “Bulking” is carried manually
before packing.

CTC Tea Manufacturing

I. Withering – very soft withering
II. Preconditioning – Use triplex CTC rollers
III. Fermentation – continuous fermentation
IV. Drying – Fluidized Bed Drier
V. Sifting and grading
VI. Packing

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 15. Marketing Channel of Tea

PRODUCER

Sri
Lanka
Auction (95%) Private treaty Forward contract Ex-factory Direct sales

Blender / Packer / Exporter

Domestic wholesale

Importer / Wholesaler

Country of Retailer
destination

Consumer

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16. Supply Chain of Sri Lanka Tea