Breeding New Tea Variety, Ganlu No. 1

Objective A new variety suitable for making a local specialty green tea in Sichuan, 'Ganlu No. 1', was bred.

Method Using the method of individual selection and systematic breeding, a tea cultivar was chosen from the small-and-medium-leaf population found in the wild in Mengding Mountains and propagated for analysis and evaluation.

Result The selected Ganlu No. 1 plant was a shrub with medium size leaves that sprouted uniformly and exceedingly early in spring, which was 3 d to 6 d earlier than the reference 'Fuding dabaicha' does. The tea bushes had plump and strong buds showing a robust growth potential. The hundred-bud weight averaged 93.22 g and the fresh leaf yield 484.15 kg·mu⁻¹, which were 50.09% and 22.13%, respectively, higher than those of the reference. Chemically, the fresh Ganlu No. 1 leaves were rich in functional ingredients with a composition of 50.40% water extract, 21.70% polyphenols, 4.10% caffeine, and 14.27% catechins. The catechin quality index was superior to that of control. In addition, Ganlu No. 1 was strongly resistant to low temperature, drought, disease, and insect infestation.

Conclusion Ganlu No. 1 was a high-quality, high-yield tea variety suitable for cultivation in areas of similar climate like Mt. Mengding in Sichuan and for the traditional plucking on one-bud-and-one-newly-opened-leaf practiced in the area. The leaves was judged appropriate for the production of the famed specialty green tea as well.