Fertilizer Conservation and Efficiency Improvement forTieguanyin Tea Cultivation in Anxi

A field experimentation designed by using 5 differentapproaches to conserve fertilizer and improve efficiency on chemical fertilization was conducted from 2018-2020. Effects ofthe various fertilization methods on soil fertility as well as tea yield andquality were analyzed. Agronomic efficiency and economic benefits of theexperimental approaches were evaluated. The results showed that all 5 testedapplications reduced the chemical fertilizer use by 33-53%, or a total nutrientinput by 17-41%, while increased the fresh tea leaf yield by 4.21-9.18% along with varying degrees ofimprovement on tea quality and anincrease on annual revenue of 800-6,200 CNY per hm². Among thevarious methods, the specially designed fertilizationraised 5.55% on yield, 89.19% on nutrient agronomic efficiency, 6.42% on fertilizerutilization rate, and 0.34 on soil pH. The organic fertilizer substitution, onthe other hand, increased 6.39% on tea yield, 3.37% on fertilizer utilizationrate, 52.27% on availablemagnesium, 221.89% on calcium,and 0.58 on soil pH. Although all approachescould improve the Teiquanyin tea cultivation, the speciallydesigned fertilizer and the partial replacement of chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer delivered superior performanceand were recommended for extended applications at tea plantations in Anxi.