The test of local adaptability of tea varieties for black tea has been carried out at the nine experimental spots in Kagoshima, Miyazaki and Nagasaki prefecture using fifteen varieties. The field experiment has been continued from March 1963 and the tested plants were Assam variety and its hybrids.
In this paper some of our findings, in the growth and the ability to survive over the winter of four to six years old plant are described.
The field experiments proved that the following varieties performed good growth in each spot.
Oshima Island………AAN 552, AA 750, Hatsuntonti j i, Ai 2
Makurazaki…………AAN 552, AA 750, Hatsumonti j i, G
1Ak 398
Takaono………………AAN 552, Satsuntabeni
Ariake………………Akane, Benihomare, Hatsumomiji, Satsumabeni
Chiran………………Benihonnare, Tadanishiki
Matsumoto…………Hatsutnomiji, Akane, Indo, Benihontare
Higashisonoki………Akane, Benihomare, Hatsumomiji, G1Ak 343
Kurino………………Tadanishiki, Indo
Mimata………………CA 288, Hatsumomiji, Satsuntabeni
On the basis of these results, it seems reasonable to assume that Assam variety and its hybrid (AAN) are generally adapted to the warm islands in Kyushu region, AAN Assam hybrid can survive over the winter and perform good growth in the warm coastal regions such as Makurazaki and Takaono, and in the other cool regions, winter hardiness of AN Assam hybrid or hardier variety is required for its normal and good growth.
Furthermore, the bark splitting near the ground caused by frost which had been found in some plateaus of southern Kyushu at early winter period seemed to be a serious damage on the growth and survival over the winter of young plant.
As a rule, the growth in warm region was clearly better than that in cold region.
In the cold region, non-hardy varieties gradually increased the rate of survival over the winter year by year after planting.
It is also necessary to pay careful attention to the microclimate for deciding the local adaptability of the tea variety.
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