The Characteristics of Major Tea Cultivars for Green Tea (Part 5)

Abstract

On the tea bushes four year afer transplanting, yields of 1st and 2nd crops were compared among 13 major cultivars at Mizobe, Kagoshima in 1990. Susceptibility to frost injurry was also examined.In 1990, several times of frost were recorded after the bud opening of 1st crop. Early budding cultivars such as 'Yutakamidori' 'Asatsuyu' 'Yamakai' 'Asahi' and 'Ujihikari' were severely damaged by the frost. Late budding cultivars, however, were resistant.Among the tested cultivars, results of relative earliness to the optimum plucking time were the same as those previously reported elsewhere, except for 'Yutakamidori' which reached the plucking time five days later than expected.In experiment I where two-year-old seedlings were transplanted, 'Kanayamidori' showed the greatest yield among the cultivars in both 1st and 2nd crops. 'Yutakamidori' exhibited significantly lower yield than the others in 1st crop. This was due to the frost injury.In experiment I where one-year-old seedlings were transplanted, 'Sayamakaori' 'Goko' 'Yabukita' and 'Okumidori' showed greater yield than the others in 1st crop. Among the four cultivars, however, number of opened leaves on a plucked shoot was different. This seems to be important for analyzing the yield component in future. In 2nd crop, 'Sayamamidori' and 'Yabukita' were superior than the others with respect to the yield. 'Komakage' and 'Ujihikari' showed the least yield among the cultivars in both 1st and 2nd crops.Concerning the relative yield of the 13 varieties, the resluts obtained in the present experiment were mostly the same as those previously reported from other area of Japan.