The effect of pruning on growth and chemical composition of cultivated bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides D.C)

Abstract

A trial to determine the effect of pruning at different heights on growth and quality of cultivated bush tea was conducted. Pruning of bush tea largely led to crop losses. Unpruned bush tea plants remained the tallest plants, with higher number of branches, bigger leaf area and a larger biomass than apically pruned, middle pruned and base pruned bush tea plants. Pruning at different heights also proved to have little or no effect on quality of bush tea. While only total polyphenols remained higher in unpruned tea plants, no significant differences were observed in tannin and total antioxidant content in unpruned, apically pruned and middle pruned tea plants. Key words: Pruning, bush tea, chemical composition, growth.