Agriculture Practices For Sustainable Tea Farming

By Author: Prashant Mann
Total Articles: 7
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First discovered 5000 years ago in China, tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, second to water. It is the dried leaf of Camellia sinensis, a small shrub or bush grown for its leaves. When added to boiling water along with milk and sugar, it produces an aromatic drink.

Tea is one of the most important beverage crops in India and is popularly known as ‘chai’. India is the second-largest producer and exporter of tea in the world. The production and trade of tea crops has the potential to be powerful for the economic growth of the country, poverty alleviation, and food security but it can prove to be difficult. Tea is grown as a large monoculture plantation and often suffers from a range of pests and diseases. In recent years, farmers have become increasingly dependent on pesticide use. These chemical-based pesticides serve as potential risks to human health. Little or no attention is given to alternative and more ecological pest management methods.

With consumers becoming more concerned about pesticide residues in tea, some horticare specialists have started providing more eco-friendly ...
... insecticides for tea gardens in India. Apart from using sustainable pesticides and fungicides for tea plants in India, farmers also have to look for more sustainable methods to farm tea crops.

Sustainable agriculture protects and improves the natural environment and conditions of farms/gardens while also being productive, competitive, and efficient. In this article, we will list eight factors one should keep in mind while farming tea through sustainable means.

• Check Soil Fertility

The organic composition of the soil is vital as it provides nutrients and water to the crop. Avoid using heavy machinery on the land especially when it is wet, as it will lead to soil compaction that can lead to waterlogging and poor plant growth. The appropriate soil acidity is between 4 and 5.5 pH for optimal growth.

• Prevent Soil Loss

Soil erosion is one of the major reasons for the decline in agricultural productivity in India. Tea land is vulnerable to soil loss at the time of planting and after the pruning of plants. Farmers must take appropriate measures to prevent soil erosion like constructing drains to avoid rapid flows that can cause erosion and planting along the contours on steep lands.

• Provide Proper Nutrients

A combination of fertilizers and tea garden plant biostimulants by JivAgro can be used to maintain the health of the crop. Biostimulants help reduce the need for additional fertilizers and increase plant growth, resistance to water, and abiotic stresses. Also applying inorganic fertilizer in excess or at the wrong time will lead to waste and can also damage the environment.

• Renewable Energy

Whenever possible, ensure the usage of renewable energy resources. For example, make sure that all the firewood on your farm must be derived from sustainable sources like commercial plantations and not natural forests. Larger farmers can consider using hydroelectricity or wind power to support energy needs.

• Reduce Wastage of Water

Ensure economy of water usage for both irrigation and domestic purposes. Consider using drip irrigation rather than sprinklers for watering the crop. Farmers may also use buildings with appropriate roofing and feed water tanks to collect rainwater for domestic use.

• Proper Pest Management

Using pesticides on mature tea plants must always be avoided. The use of pesticides might kill the natural enemies of the pests and allow the development of an epidemic. If herbicide use is necessary for weed control, it must not be used without access to appropriate application equipment and eco-friendly herbicides.

• Conserve the Biodiversity

To maintain the natural balance of the area, converse a wide range of plant and animal species on the farm. This will also help in supporting the future generation of farmers. Growing a large variety of crops will support biodiversity and in addition to this, provide alternative income.

• Support the Local Economy

Most rural communities are dependent on sustainable agriculture. Farmers can build and sustain these communities by buying and resourcing locally. By buying locally sourced insecticides and fungicides for tea plants, the transportation costs are reduced noticeably.

If tea is grown keeping the above factors in mind it should provide a good yield for many years and will also keep the land productive. This will ensure that the farms can be safely passed on to the next generation.