Since the beginning of autumn, high temperatures have persisted in Guizhou Province. According to the weather forecast from the Guizhou Meteorological Bureau, the temperature will remain above 30 degrees Celsius for the next one to two weeks.
Currently, under the continuous influence of high temperatures, some Tea plantations in our province have experienced drought damage. To mitigate the severity of drought in tea plantations and improve the survival rate of young tea plantations, as well as cultivate productive tree canopies, we recommend that tea farmers and enterprises take measures to prevent and combat drought. Here are some anti-drought and disaster reduction techniques for tea plantations, which we hope will be useful for reference across the region.
Impacted Tea Plantation
Drought Prevention Techniques:
(1) Water Retention through Irrigation. For tea plantations with irrigation capabilities, different methods such as sprinkling, spraying, drip irrigation, and channel flooding can be used according to local conditions. Sprinkling is the most effective overall, while drip irrigation is highly water-efficient. Channel flooding and manual hose watering are simple and convenient. Irrigation should be carried out before 10:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. In particular, for seedling nurseries, in addition to covering with shade nets, daily sprinkling or watering and timely ventilation are necessary. For tea plantations with poor water sources, the following measures can be combined to combat drought. (2) Reduce Operations. Under persistent high temperatures and drought, it is advisable to avoid operations such as weeding, pruning, cultivation, and fertilization in tea plantations to prevent exacerbating the effects of drought and heat. (3) Mulching with Grass. Mulching between rows in tea plantations can effectively reduce ground evaporation. The best materials for mulch include wild grass, crop straw, and legume green manure. The thickness of the mulch should be 8-10 centimeters, using approximately 1,500 kilograms per mu. For newly developed young tea plantations, appropriate shading should be provided, and weeding should be prohibited. If conditions permit, shade nets can be used to lower heat radiation and reduce water evaporation.
Impacted Tea Plantation
(4) Supplementing Water and Fertilizer. During droughts, young tea plantations can benefit from appropriate fertilization to supplement water and nutrients, which can enhance the tree's resistance and reduce soil compaction and promote soil moisture retention. The best fertilizer to use is diluted human manure, applied by watering. Foliar feeding with a 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution can also be done, sprayed on the leaves after 5:00 p.m., every 5-7 days, for 2-3 times, to effectively strengthen the drought resistance of tea seedlings and alleviate drought conditions.
(5) Strengthen Pest and Disease Control. During droughts, pest and disease infestations tend to increase. Efforts should be made to avoid the compounded harm of drought and pests/diseases. Major tea tree pests and diseases during this period include small green leafhoppers, tea thrips, black scale insects, tea caterpillars, and mites, especially in young tea plantations, which are susceptible to small green leafhoppers and tea thrips. Integrated green control measures including agricultural, physical, and biological methods can be employed. Pesticide application should be done on overcast days or in the morning or evening on sunny days.
Tea Plantation Sprinkler System
Post-Disaster Recovery Measures for Tea Plantations:
Based on the actual situation of the disaster in the area, once the high temperatures have largely subsided, the following recovery measures can be taken for tea plantations:
(1) Recovery Measures for Mature Tea Plantations Affected by Drought:
1. Fertilization. After the drought, timely tillage and fertilization should be carried out to replenish nutrients. Before pruning, fertilizers should be applied, with tillage depth around 10 centimeters to improve soil water retention. Specialized tea fertilizers (40-60 kg per mu) and compound fertilizers should be applied in conjunction with tillage, with increased potassium fertilization to reduce flowering and seed production in the autumn and winter, allowing damaged tea trees to quickly recover and promoting new shoot growth, forming a uniform canopy. Fertilizers should be deeply applied along the edge of the canopy. Mulching or planting green manure between rows is recommended.
2. Pruning. On rainy days, depending on the degree of branch drying, light pruning, deep pruning, or heavy pruning can be performed to remodel the canopy: For tea plantations with mild damage where the tender branches at the top of the canopy are scorched and mature leaves turn red, light pruning can be performed, cutting off the damaged parts of the canopy, about 5 cm deep; for severely damaged tea plantations where the upper branches and leaves have withered and fallen off, deep pruning or heavy pruning should be performed, cutting off all dead branches and leaves, about 20 cm deep, stimulating the growth of new shoots and lateral branches.
(2) Rescue Measures for Young Tea Plantations: In October-November, dead young seedlings should be removed and replaced with the same variety of tea seedlings to ensure no gaps in the tea rows. Timely watering should be provided to improve the survival rate of replanted seedlings. It is recommended to plant shade trees, such as Osmanthus, cherry blossom, maple, and ginkgo (deep-rooted broad-leaved trees), between rows in tea plantations, with 10-20 trees per mu, implementing intercropping of tea and forest, improving the ecological environment and microclimate of the tea plantation. Anti-drought and anti-freeze measures should also be taken to protect the seedlings.
Water and Fertilizer Integration in Tea Plantations
Guizhou Tea Fragrance
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