The Germination of Tea Seed (Part 1)

Abstract

To enhance and accelerate the germination of tea seed, a few experiments were carried out with regard to the relation of the picking period and conditions for storage to the seed germination using the Japan varieties, the Assam hybrids and the Assam varieties.The seeds of the above 3 groups generally ripened early, midst and late respectively, and their ripening period extended over 2 months (Table 1 and Fig. 2).The optimum picking period of the crossed seeds was considered to be the falling time from tree, and these ripe seeds thus picked germinated quickly and showed a high rate of germination too. On the contrary, the unripe seeds germinated slowly and unevenly and showed relatively low germination percentage (Table 1 and Fig. 2).Being stored in polyethylene bag for about 3 weeks at 5 to 10°C, these unripe seeds which were picked within 40 to 50 days before ripening, however, showed as good germination as the ripe seeds (Table 1 and Fig. 3).It was observed that the tea seeds especially unripe ones or ripe ones of the Assam varieties showed a low rate of germination after storage in a paper bag, and this low rate of germination was considered to be due to drying and loss of weight in seeds (Figs. 1, 3 and 4).Lastly it was seen that the ripe seed stored in a polyethelene bag at about 5°C optimally maintained its vitality for longer than 2 years and showed a high rate of germination.