Some selected physiological and biochemical responses in organically and conventionally grown tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) to increased ambient temperature
2021
Nissanka, Sarath Premalal | Widulanka, Amarasinghe Kadawatha Arachchi Kankanamge Shashi | Jayawardhana, Amuwala Devage Induni Umeshika | Wijeratne, Thushari Lakmini | Mohotti, Anoma Janaki | Mohotti, Keerthi Meepe
This study was conducted to elucidate responses on some selected physiological, soil and biochemical parameters of organically and conventionally managed, mature tea plants to variations in ambient temperature. Increased temperature (2- 4 oC increase) was simulated via structures that fully enclosed tea bushes with transparent polythene, which were compared with open (ambient temperature, average daily temperature around 19 oC) field grown tea in the ‘TRI-ORCON’ long-term organic and conventional comparison trial, Tea Research Institute, Talawakelle, Sri Lanka. Some selected physiological, growth, soil and biochemical parameters were monitored and data were analyzed by General Linear Model. Increasing ambient temperature under both organic and conventional systems increased photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration and specific leaf area. This could be due to the elevated temperature exposing the canopy to conducive temperature within the optimum range. However, water use efficiency, leaf total polyphenol content and yield components measured as shoot dry weight were reduced with increasing temperature. The specific leaf area increased with increased temperature, but this increase was significantly less with the organic system indicating possibility of better water use efficiency in plants. There was no significant difference between the two systems with the other measured parameters. The results depicted that with further evaluation, organic tea cultivation may be highlighted as a precautionary measure to reduce the negative impacts of increasing ambient temperature to ensure sustainability of tea.
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