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EFFECTS OF GRAFTING ON TEA 2. DROUGHT TOLERANCE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2008

G. TUWEI
Affiliation:
Unilever Tea Kenya Ltd, Kericho, Kenya
F. K. K. KAPTICH
Affiliation:
Unilever Tea Kenya Ltd, Kericho, Kenya
M. C. LANGAT
Affiliation:
Unilever Tea Kenya Ltd, Kericho, Kenya
B. G. SMITH
Affiliation:
Unilever Plantations and Plant Science Group, Cambridge, UK
R. H. V. CORLEY*
Affiliation:
Highlands, New Road, Great Barford, Bedford MK44 3LQ, UK
*
Corresponding author: Herewardc@aol.com

Summary

The drought tolerance of tea clones in Kenya can be improved by grafting onto appropriate rootstocks, with more susceptible clones showing greater improvement. It appears that drought may have distinct effects on rootstock and scion, with rootstock performance correlated with xylem water potential, while scion performance was correlated with stomatal conductance. Drought tolerance is not the only requirement for a rootstock under Kenyan conditions, however, and the most tolerant rootstocks do not necessarily give the greatest overall yield increase when non-drought years are included.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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References

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