The effects of the air temperature during growing period on the growth of new shoots were investigated using 4-year-old tea bushes grown in growth chamber with plucking table similar to matured tea, concerning the progress of percentage of banjhi shoots to the total (P.B.S) and a, period of shoot growth from the bud opening to the optimum plucking time, and the minimum and the optimum temperature and the effective heat unit accumulation for shoot growth were made clear.
1. The progress of P.B.S was hastened with rising temperature, but when an air temperature exceeded 25°C it was delayed. The P.B.S of new shoots around plucking time increased approximately 11% per day in any crop season when plants were grown at the respective seasonal mean temperature.
2. A period of shoot growth was shortened steadly with rising temperature up to 25°C, but beyond that, the effect of temperature was not seen. A period of shoot growth at controlled temperature such as 16°C for the first crop season, 21°C for the second and 27°C for the third crop season was approximately 18 days, 17 days and 14 days, respectively.
3. The P.B.S in the first and the second crop season increased about 1% and 1.3% per day every 1°C rise in temperature, respectively, while in the third crop season it was retarded approximately 0.7% per day every 1°C rise in temperature. A period of shoot growth in the first and the second crop season was shortened 1.2 days and 1.4 days every 1°C rise in temperature, respectively, while in the third crop season there was no effect of temperature on it.
4. The optimum and the minimum temperature for new shoot growth in Yabukita was estimated to be within 25-29°C and around 7.6°C, respectively. The effective heat unit accumulation for the first, the second and the third crop was calculated as approximately 150°C, 210°C and 240°C, respectively.
5. The diurnal temperature range of 10°C retarded the progress of P.B.S as compared with smaller diurnal temperature ranges (0, 5, and 6°C) within optimum temperature, and it was observed that in the first crop season the larger the diurnal temperature range, the less the effective heat unit accumulation, while in the second crop season reverse observation was the case.
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