Global Journal of Biology, Agriculture & Health Sciences

Abstract

EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON PRODUCTION OF DARJEELING TEA: A CASE STUDY IN DARJEELING TEA RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, TEA BOARD, KURSEONG

P. S. Patra, J. S. Bisen, R. Kumar, M. Choubey, A. Basu Mazumdar, Mahipal Singh & B. Bera

A study was conducted at Darjeeling Tea Research and Development Centre (DTR &DC), Kurseong to see the effect of climate change on production of tea. Results demonstrate that productivity of green leaf in 2012 has reduced by 41.97 % and 30.90 % as compared with 1993 and 2002, respectively. Highest productivity of 1974.44 kg green leaf ha-1 was obtained during 1994, thereafter productivity was declined continuously. Coefficient of determinants indicated that highest variation of (81.9 %) green leaf yield was due to relative humidity, followed by total annual rainfall (61.4%) and minimum temperature (13.6 %). Stronger positive and significant correlations were found between green leaf yield and relative humidity (r= 0.905) and total rainfall (r=0.78), whereas average maximum temperature showed negative correlation (r=-0.287) with green leaf yield.

Published Date: 2013-12-27;