Growth performance of tea (Camellia sinensis [L.] Kuntze) as influenced by light intensities on the field in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Tea is one of the most important beverage crops consumed for its antioxidant properties in many parts of the world. Growing tea in Southwest Nigeria is constrained by the warm climate occasioned by high light intensity of the area. Regulation of Light intensity (LI) is necessary for possible cultivation of tea in this area. Information on response of tea to LI in Southwest Nigeria is scanty. Therefore, field experiment was carried out in Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria Ibadan to assess the growth of two tea cultivars, 143 and 318 under three light intensities: 100% (1.04x105lux), 65% (6.75x104lux) and 45% (4.57x104lux) achieved by using sheds of 0, 1 and 2 palm fronds layers, respectively. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design arranged in Split plots with four replications. Data on Number of leaves (NL), Number of branches (NB), Plant height (PH, cm), Stem diameter (SD, cm), Leaf area (LA, cm2) and Dry matter (DM, g) accumulation were obtained following standard procedures, and were analyzed with descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α0.05. Cultivar 143 performed significantly better than 318 with 88.94NL, 18.73NB, 62.99PH, 0.94SD, 2194LA and 56.38DM under 45% light intensity. The highest NL (84.07), NB (15.86), PH (68.63), SD (1.06) and LA (2885.75) was produced under 45% light, while the least was produced under 100% LI. Total DM ranged from 30.20 g/plant under 100% LI to 65.80 g/plant under 45% LI. In conclusion, optimal vegetative growth and dry matter accumulation of tea cultivar 143 was achieved under 45% LI using sheds of 2 layers of palm fronds.