How the Global Tea Industry Copes With Fungal Diseases – Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Tea (Camellia sinensis (L) O. Kuntze) is a plantation crop, grown commercially in Asia, Africa and South America. Among biotic threats to tea production, diseases caused by fungal pathogens are most significant. Worldwide, tea plants are challenged by several root, stem, and foliar diseases. Foliar diseases, blister blight, grey blight, and brown blight are particularly important as they adversely affect the bud and the two youngest leaves, causing loss of harvestable shoots. Over the past several decades, climate change and field management practices have influenced the risk of crop damage by several fungal pathogens, as well as the development and spread of diseases. Management interventions, such as the adoption of good cultural/agronomic practices, use of fungicides and microbial biocontrol agents, plant defense elicitors, and deployment of resistant cultivars, have mitigated damage to tea plants caused by fungal diseases. A clearer understanding of knowledge gaps and the benefits of plant disease management strategies available is needed. The present article reviews the prevailing knowledge of major fungal pathogens of the tea crop, their genetic variability, the damage they cause and its economic impact, the need for new disease management strategies as climate change intensifies. We will also emphasize important knowledge gaps that are priority targets for future research.

Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Learning Model of Plant Disease Prediction–Blister Blight for Tea Plant

“…Tea crop required specific conditions for its successful growth. Tea crops grow well in 10-30C, with annual precipitation of 1250 mm [10]. China, Sri Lanka, India, Kenya, Vietnam are the major teaproducing countries.…”

A retrospective analysis of plant and human epidemics for COVID-19 comprehension

“…The plantations loss in 15 years caused a radical change from coffee to tea consumption in England (Reddy, 2003;Schumann, 1991;Schieber, 1972). In 1824, the British introduced tea plants (Camellia sinensis) from China, a country that had already domesticatedcultivated and genetically improved the plant for almost 3000 and 1000 years, respectively (Pandey et al, 2021;Meegahakumbura et al, 2018), but it was not until 1867 that it was established as a crop in Ceylon. By 1893 it was exporting one million packets of tea and had displaced coffee completely.…”

“…By 1893 it was exporting one million packets of tea and had displaced coffee completely. Unlike cultivated C. arabica (Scalabrin et al, 2020), the tea plant exhibits high genetic variability in domesticated lineages with stocks of up to 5100 (China and India) and 20000 (Global) accessions, including natural or artificial hybrids, mainly derived from origin centers (Meegahakumbura et al, 2018;Pandey et al, 2021). This may explain the absence of high impact epidemic reports and incipient technological applications in etiology and control (Pandey et al, 2021).…”

“…La pérdida de plantaciones en 15 años provocó un cambio radical del consumo de café por té en Inglaterra (Reddy, 2003;Schumann, 1991;Schieber, 1972). En 1824, los británicos introdujeron plantas de té (Camellia sinensis) de China, país que ya había domesticado-cultivado y mejorado genéticamente la planta por casi 3000 y 1000 años, respectivamente (Pandey et al, 2021;Meegahakumbura et al, 2018), pero fue hasta 1867 que se estableció como cultivo en Ceylán. En 1893 ya se exportaba un millón de paquetes de té y había desplazado al café totalmente.…”

“…En 1893 ya se exportaba un millón de paquetes de té y había desplazado al café totalmente. A diferencia del C. arabica cultivado (Scalabrin et al, 2020), la planta de té exhibe alta variabilidad genética en linajes domesticados con acervos de hasta 5100 (China e India) y 20000 (Global) accesiones, incluidos híbridos naturales o artificiales, principalmente derivados de los centros de origen (Meegahakumbura et al, 2018;Pandey et al, 2021). Esto puede explicar la ausencia de reportes epidémicos de alto impacto e incipientes aplicaciones tecnológicas en etiología y control (Pandey et al, 2021).…”