On the Effects of the Foliage Spray of Manure Components on the Tea Plant (Part 1)

Abstract

We studied the absorbing ability of the man ure components of the tea leaf, using urea mainly, from 1951 to 1952. The summerized results are as follows. The effect of foliage spray with urea on the growth of the tea plant was not seen, although the spraying of 0.5% solution was repeated seven times.
We recognized that the suitable period of the foliage spray was 2 or 3 days before pluc-king, after tracing the daily variations of growth and the total nitrogen content of the tea leaves. Total-N, soluble-N, caffeine-N, residual soluble-N were increased by the foliage spray with urea of 0.5% solution. Chlorophyll and caro-tenoid showed the same tendency.
The foliage spray of 4 mixtures, containing N, P, K, and Mn, was carried out, but its effect was not distinct. The sbsorbing ability of the leaf surface was greater on its upper side than on the back side. Any injured leaf was not seen by the foliage spray, unless using more than 0.5% solution of urea and other manures used in this exp-eriment. It was harmless to use urea mixed with the common insecticides and fungicides on the tea cultivation.