Changes in the Contents of Free Sugar of Tea Shoots during Development and by Shade Culture

Abstract

The free sugar contents in tea shoots grown under unshade or shade culture were compared between 1st crop ones (April and May) and 3rd crop ones (August). The difference of free sugar contents of various leaf presented in one tea shoot were also investigated. (1) Except the stachyose content in tea shoots grown under shade culture, the free sugar contents increased during development of tea shoots. The stachyose content hardly increased during development. (2) Under unshade culture, the degree of the increase of the free sugar contents during development of tea shoots was greater than that under shade culture. (3) The free sugar contents of tea shoots cropped at 1st crop differed little from those cropped at 3rd crop. (4) The free sugar contents were much in the leaves of lower position, and the proportion of the fructose content to the total of the free sugar contents in green stem was greater than in leaves.