THE CONTROLLING OF COPPER SULPHATE SPRAYING TIME CAN IMPROVE BLACK TEA QUALITY

Always controlled environment has been said to some enclosed places like growth chambers, glasshouses and hydroponics.
A change of applying time of some chemicals (for example fertilizers) can be a new topic at horticultural controlled environments.
To study the effect of copper sulphate spray on some tea qualitative traits, an experiment was carried out using split plot with randomized block design with three replications.
Copper sulphate concentrations (including; Cu₀=0, Cu₁=0.5% and Cu₂=1%) and time of spraying (including; T₁=June early, 1^st phase, T₂= August early, 2^nd phase) were distributed in main and subplots respectively.
Some important qualitative characteristics (indices) including theaflavin (TF), thearubigin (TR) and TF/TR ratio were measured after each spraying.
Data analysis of variance showed that different concentrations of copper sulphate did not have a significant effect on measuring qualitative traits.
However, time of spraying had a significant effect on all of the traits i.e., TF, TR and TF/TR. Since TF/TR ratio is an important black tea quality index, thus we can improve tea quality by application of copper sulphate in summer especially in drought years.

X International Controlled and Modified Atmosphere Research Conference

S. Sedaghathoor, F. Bagheri

tea quality, spraying time, Cu, TF, TR

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.876.48