Currently, our city has entered a phase of clear, hot weather. To mitigate the adverse effects of high temperature and drought on Tea production and minimize disaster losses to stabilize summer and Autumn Tea production, the Chongqing Agricultural Extension General Station and the Chongqing Tea Industry Technology System Innovation Team have formulated technical guidance for tea production in response to high temperature and drought disaster mitigation.

Technical Measures for Tea Production in Response to High Temperature Heat Stress and Drought

1. Strengthen drought monitoring. In areas prone to drought, tea gardens should monitor drought conditions and implement preventive measures in advance.

2. Timely irrigation to combat drought. Where conditions permit, tea gardens should irrigate appropriately during early morning or late evening using drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, or watering, with irrigation every 2-3 days. For newly planted seedlings and nursery tea plants, ensure thorough watering.

3. Tea garden mulching. Where feasible, tea gardens may lay straw mulch between rows to cool the soil and retain moisture. Mulching materials should be locally sourced and free from harmful or toxic substances, such as rice straw, stalks, or weeds, with a thickness of 5-10 cm between the rows.

4. Shade protection for tea gardens. Where possible, tea gardens can be covered with shade nets or simple shade structures, especially for young tea gardens and nurseries. Shade nets should be at least 50 cm above the canopy and not directly over it, as this could worsen the harm.

5. Reduce field operations in tea gardens. Avoid picking, pruning, weeding, and fertilizing, as these activities can exacerbate drought and heat stress.

Post-disaster Recovery Technical Measures

1. Timely and appropriate pruning. After the drought, timely pruning should be carried out according to the degree of branch and leaf desiccation. Light pruning, deep pruning, or even stump cutting may be necessary to remove dead branches and regrow a healthy canopy. For tea plants that are lightly or moderately affected, no pruning is recommended; instead, leave the branches to regrow the canopy, with topping or light pruning performed in October-November. For severely affected tea plants, prune away the dead parts promptly. Prune 1-2 cm below the dead part for surface branches and leaves; for damaged main branches, prune 30-45 cm above ground level; for severe damage to the above-ground part but normal roots, perform stump cutting 5-10 cm above ground level.

2. Rational fertilization. When high temperatures and drought subside, young tea gardens can use a 0.5% solution of monopotassium phosphate for foliar fertilization, while productive tea gardens should receive 20-30 kg of compound fertilizer per mu to promote recovery. Based on the growth of the tea plants, basal fertilizer application can be done earlier, using 100-150 kg of mature rapeseed cake (or commercial organic fertilizer or mature livestock manure) and 30 kg of specialized compound fertilizer for tea plants mixed and deeply applied in trenches 15-20 cm deep.

3. Proper autumn tea retention. Regardless of whether pruning was done, drought-affected tea gardens should retain the autumn tea to strengthen the canopy. After the tea plants stop growing in late autumn, if the buds are still green, a topping or light pruning can be done. Close the garden early to help the tea plants recover their strength and reduce the impact on the next year's Spring Tea yield.

4. Timely replanting of tea seedlings. For young tea gardens, if tea seedlings die, new seedlings should be replanted in the autumn or winter of the same year. For tea gardens where many tea plants have died, the soil should be deeply turned, supplemented with fresh soil, and then new tea seedlings replanted.