Frost Injury of Tea Fields in Makurazaki Tea Research Station of the National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science on March 11, 2010

Abstract

The tea fields of the Makurazaki tea research station, the National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science, suffered severe frost injury on March 11, 2010, when subfreezing conditions of the tea canopy surface of 'Meiryoku' continued from 1 am to 7 am. The lowest temperature was -2.9°C at 5:00am. Frost injury of tea shoots was observed in early budding tea cultivars which had sprouted before March 8. Varietal differences in the frost injury of each tea cultivar were also observed. The severity of frost injury of each tea field increased as altitude decreased. Recovery of frost-injured tea shoots of early budded cultivars was observed at the end of the season of the first crop of tea.