Correlation and Genetical Analyses of the Several Characteristics at the Stage of Individual Selection in the Tea Plant (Part 2)

Genetic Variability, Heritability, Genetic Advance and Association of Agronomic Traits of Early Flushing Tea (Camellia sinensis L) Clones at the Nursery Stage

“…Variability among the tea seedling population regarding plant architecture, leaf size and geometry flushing behavior, resistance to diseases and drought, yield and quality of made tea are utilized in selection process for the development of desired tea clones for specific climatic conditions (Yao et al, 2007) Shoot population, the fraction of these shoots that are actively growing, the rates of growth of these shoots and the mean weight of the harvested shoots are the four factors which determine the potential production and yield distribution in tea plantation throughout the year (Matthews and Stephens, 1998b). In cool climate where the tea remains dormant during winter, the early shoot sprouting/flushing behavior is a useful selection criterion as the early tea flushers are considered the quick growers (Toyao, 1965). Potential tea growing areas of Pakistan are situated in the Northern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some parts of Kashmir having temperate climate where the tea remains dormant from November till Mid of March.…”