A study was undertaken to assess impact of climate change on productivity of tea lands in Sri Lanka. Findings of the study showed that tea cultivations at low and mid elevations are more vulnerable to adverse impacts of climate change than those at high elevations. The optimum temperature for tea cultivation was found to be about 22 °C. The study also indicated that reduction of monthly rainfall by 100 mm could reduce the productivity by 30 -80 kg of 'made' tea ha" 1 . In different tea growing regions, the optimum rainfall for tea cultivation varied from 223 to 417 mm per month. Increase in ambient C0 2 concentration from the present ambient level (around 370 ppm) to 600 ppm, increased the tea yield by about 33-37 % depending on the elevation. Based on these estimated parameters, a simple crop model was developed for predicting tea yield under future climate scenarios. The model was incorporated into a special software package developed to assess impact of climate change on productivity of tea plantations. Yield projections by the crop model showed that rising temperatures and diminishing rainfall reduce tea yield in many tea growing regions except Wet zone Up country (WU). The results also predicted that tea yields are likely to increase at high elevations while the yields at low elevations are likely to reduce due to climate change. Hence, sustainable adaptation measures are proposed to minimize such adverse effects.
The objective of this study was to elucidate the physiological basis of the significant yield decline that occurs during the fourth year of the pruning cycle of tea. Biomass partitioning, which was hypothesized to be a major factor in causing this yield decline, was measured by destructive harvests of entire tea bushes, in two contrasting, mature, field-grown tea cultivars (TRI 2025 and DT1) at the end of different years of the pruning cycle. In both cultivars, yield showed continuous increases from year 1 to 3, followed by reductions of 44% and 35% in TRI2025 and DT1 respectively in the fourth year. Patterns of biomass partitioning to roots, stems or branches did not correlate with the above yield variation whereas harvest index, canopy leaf area index and mature leaf dry weight showed variations which paralleled the yield variation. The fourth-year decline in harvest index was brought about by reductions in both shoot number per m 2 and mean individual shoot weight, which indicate a reduction in sink strength. Both cultivars showed reductions in light-saturated photosynthetic rate of maintenance foliage during the second half of the pruning cycle, indicating reduced source capacity. Hence, a combined reduction of both sink strength and source capacity during the fourth year could have brought about the significant yield reduction in tea. A significant increase of root starch in the fourth year indicated a down-regulation of physiological activities of the bush towards the end of the pruning cycle. Mechanisms responsible for this down-regulation need to be elucidated by further research.
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