Which cultivation method is more conducive to improving the quality of spring tea

Reasonable cultivation methods can not only improve the physical structure of tea garden soil, but also balance the three aspects of soil, thereby increasing the effectiveness of soil nutrients, promoting the absorption of nutrients by tea trees, and ultimately promoting the improvement of tea quality and yield.

What are the effects of different cultivation methods on the physical properties of tea garden soil and tea quality?

This study compared and analyzed the effects of three preferred tillage methods, namely deep tillage (15-20 cm), manual shallow hoeing (about 10 cm), and manual trenching (15-20 cm), on physical properties such as soil bulk density, total porosity, and water holding capacity, compared with traditional no tillage methods. At the same time, the effects of these tillage methods on the nutrient status and spring tea quality of tea trees were also explored.

01. The impact of cultivation methods on soil water holding capacity

Soil moisture is one of the key elements that make up soil and an important indicator for measuring soil fertility. It mainly includes three forms: hygroscopic water, capillary water, and gravity water.

The results showed that the soil water holding capacity showed a significant decreasing trend with the increase of soil tillage depth. The optimal machine for deep tillage (62.4%) and manual trenching (64.8%) were significantly lower than those for manual shallow hoeing (73.6%) and no tillage (74.6%) treatments. This result indicates that using no tillage or shallow hoeing for cultivation can maintain a high level of soil water holding capacity, which is beneficial for promoting the effective utilization of soil moisture.

02.The influence of tillage methods on soil bulk density and porosity

The cultivation method has a significant impact on soil structure and function, especially within the depth range of 20-30 cm. Soil porosity is a key factor determining soil moisture, air storage capacity, and nutrient conversion efficiency. Good soil aeration has a direct promoting effect on oxygen supply, soil respiration, microbial community abundance, and enzyme activity.

There are significant differences in soil bulk density and total porosity among different cultivation methods. The soil bulk density of the no tillage treatment was the highest, reaching 1.31 g/cm ³, while the soil bulk density of the cultivated layer was significantly lower in the manual trenching and optimized machine deep tillage treatments than in the no tillage and manual shallow hoe treatments.

The soil porosity of manual trenching and optimized machine deep tillage treatments is similar, at 58.6% and 58.2%, respectively, while the soil porosity of manual shallow hoeing and no tillage treatments is 51.58% and 50.51%, respectively, significantly lower than the first two tillage methods.

From this, it can be seen that the deep plowing and manual trenching treatment of preferred models can effectively reduce the soil bulk density of tea gardens, increase the total porosity of soil, thereby improving the physical properties and biological activity of soil, and providing more favorable conditions for the growth of tea tree roots and the health of soil ecosystems. By optimizing cultivation techniques, it can promote the improvement of soil structure, enhance soil water retention and aeration capacity, and thereby improve soil productivity and ecological service functions.

3. The effect of tillage methods on the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of one bud and two leaves in three rounds of spring

By measuring the nutrient content of three rounds of one bud and two leaves, the effects of different tillage methods on the nutrient content of tea trees were clarified. The results showed that there was no significant difference in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrient content among the tillage treatments of spring tea in the first round.

In the second round of spring tea, the nitrogen content of the artificial trench digging treatment was significantly lower than that of the artificial shallow hoe and the optimized machine deep plowing treatment, while the difference was not significant compared to the no tillage treatment; The potassium content of the manual trenching treatment was significantly lower than the other three treatments.

The nitrogen and phosphorus content of the third round of spring tea artificial trenching treatment and optimized machine deep plowing treatment were significantly lower than those of artificial shallow hoeing and no tillage treatment; In addition, the potassium content in the no tillage treatment was significantly higher than that in all other treatment methods, while the potassium content in the deep tillage treatment of the preferred model was the lowest.

Therefore, cultivation methods have a profound impact on soil nutrient dynamics and tea tree nutrient absorption. Reasonable cultivation can be implemented to improve soil nutrient supply capacity, thereby promoting tea tree growth and improving tea quality.

04. The influence of cultivation methods on the quality of spring tea in three rounds

The cultivation method can regulate the effectiveness of soil nutrients and have a significant impact on the growth and quality of tea trees.

In the first round of spring tea, the tea polyphenol content in the deep plowing treatment of the preferred model was significantly lower than that of other tillage treatments, and its phenol ammonia ratio was significantly lower than that of the no tillage treatment. In contrast, the caffeine content in the deep plowing treatment of the preferred model was significantly higher than that of other tillage treatments, and the free amino acid content was also higher than that of other treatments, but there was no significant difference.

There was no significant difference in the content of tea polyphenols among the cultivation treatments in the second round of spring tea. However, the free amino acid content in the artificial shallow hoe and artificial trench digging treatments was significantly higher than that in the no tillage and optimized deep tillage treatments. Therefore, the corresponding phenol ammonia ratio was lower than that in the no tillage and optimized deep tillage treatments. Moreover, the caffeine content in the artificial shallow hoe treatment showed an increasing trend compared to other cultivation treatments.

In the third round of spring tea, the content of free amino acids in the no tillage treatment was significantly higher than that in the artificial shallow hoe and artificial ditch digging treatments, but there was no significant difference in the phenol ammonia ratio between the treatments; The caffeine content in the deep plowing and manual trenching treatments of the preferred model is higher than that in the shallow hoeing and no tillage treatments. Among them, the caffeine content in the deep plowing treatment of the preferred model is significantly different from that in the shallow hoeing and no tillage treatments.
These results indicate that the choice of cultivation methods plays an important role in maintaining and optimizing the quality of spring tea, that is, through precise cultivation management, the overall quality of tea can be improved.

05. Conclusion

Farming activities increase soil aeration and permeability by breaking the soil structure, thereby alleviating soil compaction.
Compared with no tillage or manual shallow hoeing, the preferred machine type deep tillage and manual trenching treatment may reduce the soil’s water holding capacity, but they effectively increase the total porosity of the soil, reduce soil bulk density, and create favorable conditions for the growth and nutrient absorption of tea tree roots. However, the impact of cultivation on tea quality is not constant. For example, in the first round of spring tea, the deep cultivation treatment of the preferred machine significantly reduced the polyphenol content of one bud and two leaves tea, while all cultivation methods increased its free amino acid content. In the second round of spring tea, manual digging and shallow hoeing significantly increased the content of free amino acids, but in the third round of spring tea, all cultivation methods led to a decrease in the content of free amino acids. Therefore, tea plantation cultivation needs to comprehensively consider cultivation methods, cultivation time, and other cultivation techniques to achieve the best results. It is necessary to comprehensively weigh the advantages and disadvantages of cultivation, improve the soil and enhance the soil fertility of tea gardens through reasonable cultivation, and ultimately achieve increased tea production, income, and efficiency.