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THE ROLE OF WATER IN THE GROWTH OF THE TEA (CAMELLIA SINENSIS) CROP: A SYNTHESIS OF RESEARCH IN EASTERN AFRICA. 2. WATER PRODUCTIVITY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2010

M. K. V. CARR
M. K. V. CARR*
Affiliation:
Emeritus Professor, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK
*
†Address for correspondence: Pear Tree Cottage, Frog Lane, Ilmington, Shipston on Stour, Warwickshire, CV36 4LQ, UK. Email: mikecarr@cwms.org.uk
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Summary

With a focus on eastern Africa, the results of research on the water requirements and responses of tea to irrigation and drought are reviewed. In particular, work undertaken at the Ngwazi Tea Research Station (formerly Unit) in southern Tanzania is synthesized. Topics covered include: crop water use, yield responses to water for mature and immature tea, comparisons between clones (including composite plants), plant density/water availability interactions, dry matter production and partitioning, drought mitigation, crop modelling and irrigation systems. Emphasis is placed on the practical aspects of the work and its relevance to the tea industry it serves. A companion paper reviews our understanding of the water relations of the tea plant and, in particular, the mechanisms responsible for the responses observed in the field.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 46 , Issue 3 , July 2010 , pp. 351 - 379
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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