Reduced Use of Chemical Fertilizer in 'Jinmudan' Tea Cultivation

Objective Reduced application of chemical fertilizer in cultivating a variety of Jinmudan tea was investigated.

Method A field positioning experiment on Jinmudan tea bushes was conducted from 2020 to 2022 at tea plantation lots without chemical fertilization (CK) or under either conventional fertilization (CF), a combined organic/inorganic fertilizer designed for tea cultivation with 34% reduction on chemical fertilizer use (SF), or a commercial organic fertilizer plus SF with 28% chemical fertilizer reduction (OM+SF). Yield and biochemical indicators of the tea plants were determined, and quality of the brewed tea evaluated.

Result On the lots at the Shaowu and Fu'an sites, the OM+SF combination delivered the highest yield and most amino acids and polyphenols with inconsistent changes on caffeine content in the leaves. The brewed tea made from the teas grown on the same lot under OM+SF or SF scored significantly higher than others by a sensory panel. The cluster analysis showed a significant correlation between the fertilization treatments and the comprehensive traits, such as yield and chemical indicators, of the Jinmudan white tea plants.

Conclusion To reduce chemical fertilizer application by adopting the fertilization mode of OM+SF significantly benefitted the cultivation and quality of Jinmudan tea.