Sustaining Darjeeling Organic Tea (Camellia sinensis L) Production and Tea Quality Through Organic Inputs in the Himalayan Foothills

The utilization of locally available organic de-oiled cakes and their combination with compost, liquid vermicompost, bone meal, and biodynamic formulations is becoming an emerging practice in organic farming. We aimed to optimize organic inputs with seven de-oiled cakes, viz. Sesamum indicum L, Carthamus tinctorius L, Oryza sativa L bran, Azadirachta indica, Brassica nigra L, Arachis hypogaea, Pongamia pinnata L, and a bone meal for sustaining organic Darjeeling tea (D-tea) yield, quality, profitability, and soil fertility in the Himalayan foothills. Darjeeling tea gardens (elevation 1014.68 m above mean sea level), suitable for a four-year pruning cycle, with different pruning types DS (dip skiff, 1st year), UP (un-prune, 2nd year), LP (light prune, 3rd year), and UP1 (un prune, 4th year), were imparted to process black tea following the orthodox method focusing on retaining the aroma and flavor of the tea. An optimized organic application resulted in a significant tea yield (> 600 kg ha(-1), P = 0.0001) and higher tea quality (total polyphenols, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids). Interestingly, theaflavins and thearubigins were higher than the control with the foliar application of liquid vermicompost. Total N-content in the pluckable-tea shoot was more in the compost treatment; however, phosphorus and potash contents were more with the optimized dose. Tea quality parameters were seasonally distinct. The authors recommended the optimized dose of organic inputs for sustained tea production, improved soil sustenance through NPK balance, bulk density, organic-C, dehydrogenase activity, and water holding capacity in soils, producing high-quality organic tea; however, compost and liquid vermicompost improved tea qualities at par in the old Chinary-tea plant remained promising for profitability/net income. The first flush tea qualities are elite, and total polyphenols correlate positively with caffeine, theaflavins, thearubigins, total chlorophyll, and the color of the made tea.

Automated summary

The utilization of locally available organic de-oiled cakes and their combination with compost, liquid vermicompost, bone meal, and biodynamic formulations is becoming an emerging practice in organic farming. The optimized organic inputs resulted in significant improvements in tea yield, quality, and soil fertility. The authors recommended the use of optimized organic inputs for sustained tea production and improved soil sustenance.