The soil properties, climate, type of management, and fermentation process critically affect the productivity and quality of tea. In this study, tender tea leaves were collected from central Taiwan, and organic components in their infusions as well as physical and chemical soil properties differentiated using aerial photographs where good (G) and bad (B) growth exhibitions were determined. Eleven physical and chemical soil properties as well as five compounds in tea infusions were analyzed to determine the main factor that affects the growth of these tea trees. The Fleiss’ kappa statistic results revealed that the wet aggregate stability, pH, and exchangeable potassium content exhibit the most significant effect, with scores of 0.86, 0.64, and 0.62, respectively. Soil quality calculated using the mean weight diameter based on 11 soil properties revealed that ~67% of the total score of G is greater than that of B. Generally, contents of total polyphenols (51.67%) and catechins (51.76%) in the infusions of B were greater than those of G. In addition, significant positive correlations between the free amino acids content and soil properties, including pH and copper content, were observed. However, a negative correlation between the free amino acids and flavone contents and most of the soil properties was observed. The survey data set obtained from this study can provide useful information for the improved management of tea plantations.
C. sinensis cv. Sijichun is a representative Taiwanese low-altitude tea cultivar native to central Taiwan. To enrich the taste of tea in a geographically disadvantaged area, soil management became necessary but was obscure. The purpose of this study was to screen the main soil factors that influence the quality composition levels of tea to optimize the efficiency of tea tree horticulture. Soil and tea leaf samples collected from 20 tea plantations determined thirteen soil properties, nine leaf element nutrients and aluminum, and five main extractable quality compositions, including polyphenols, catechins, flavones, free amino acids, and caffeine in tea infusion. Pearson’s correlation analysis and principal component correlation analysis showed that soil available nutrients cannot respond to the concentration of corresponding essential elements in tea leaves; nevertheless, adequate leaf macronutrients and Zn could enhance polyphenol, free amino acid, and caffeine contents, but decreased flavone contents, and showed their consistent effect by soil characteristics. Of note, soil pH, EC, exchangeable calcium, exchangeable magnesium, total concentration of manganese, and total concentration of copper were shown as significant impact factors on free amino acid content. In summary, regulating the pH of soil under 3.51–5.21 in our study and managing soil effective Ca, Mg, and Zn supply could help to obtain a greater umami taste of tea.
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