Soil moisture

Recently, in response to the persistent high temperatures and drought conditions across multiple regions of the province, the Provincial Tea Industry Technology System and the Science and Technology Service Team for the "515" Action Plan in the tea industry have been working under high temperatures and visiting grassroots levels to conduct research and guidance. Considering the actual situation of tea production in our province, the following technical measures are proposed to cope with extreme high-temperature weather, for reference by tea-producing areas. I. Emergency Technical Measures for Tea Garden Management 1. Timely and Reasonable Irrigation For tea gardens with irrigation facilities, various methods such as spray irrigation, drip irrigation, and surface irrigation can be employed to water the plants, preferably during the morning or evening. Spray irrigation is particularly effective, as it not only alleviates water shortages caused by drought but also reduces near-surface temperatures in the garden, mitigating the impact of high temperatures. When using surface irrigation, care should be taken to avoid excessive water flow that could result in surface runoff, wasting water resources and causing soil compaction in the tea garden. 2. Scientific and Effective Shading Using shade nets to provide shading for tea gardens can immediately and…

Guidelines for High-Temperature Drought Early Warning and Disaster Mitigation Measures in Tea Gardens Hunan Provincial Tea Industry Technology System Li Saijun & Li Wei July 25, 2024 Since early July, our province has been experiencing persistent high temperatures and droughts, with the drought rapidly worsening in most areas, severely impacting normal tea garden production. On July 25, the Hunan Meteorological Observatory issued the first red alert for extreme heat of the summer. In response to this extreme high-temperature and drought climate disaster, the Hunan Provincial Tea Industry Technology System has timely provided technical guidance, proposing specific measures for pre-disaster prevention and protection, as well as post-disaster recovery work in tea gardens. I. Pre-Disaster Prevention and Protection Measures (1) Interspace Covering ① Lay an appropriate amount of straw, fallen leaves, etc., in the gaps between tea plants to cover the soil surface at a thickness of 5-10 cm. This layer helps protect the soil, reducing water evaporation and aiding in the retention of nutrients in the soil. ② Intercropping green manure can effectively provide shade, reduce temperatures, and improve the microclimate within the tea garden, thus effectively preventing damage to tea plants from high temperatures and intense sunlight. (2) Scientific Shading…

On July 1, our city experienced heavy rainfall, with 24-hour accumulated precipitation exceeding 100 millimeters at 23 monitoring stations, the highest being 172.9 millimeters at Changling station. The intense short-term rainfall led to landslides, collapsed embankments, mud accumulation, and waterlogging in some tea gardens, causing varying degrees of flood damage and related secondary disasters. To minimize losses from tea production due to disasters, Tongcheng Kangzhiyuan Family Farm promptly launched science popularization activities for disaster mitigation in tea gardens. Tea farmers can take the following remedial measures: 1. Drainage and Clearing of Silt and Waterlogging For tea gardens with standing water, drainage ditches should be promptly cleared and dredged, and deep trenches opened to drain the water as soon as possible, avoiding waterlogging that could harm the tea trees due to prolonged water accumulation. At the same time, mud, sand, stones, and other debris that have washed into the tea garden, as well as mud on the branches and leaves of tea plants, should be cleared away promptly. Efforts should be made to reduce soil moisture and environmental humidity as soon as possible to prevent root rot or decay caused by prolonged soaking of tea trees. 2. Restoration of Tea Gardens…

Recently, strong convective weather has been frequent in Guangxi, and excessive rainfall can easily cause waterlogging in tea gardens, leading to wet damage to tea plants. Tea plants are crops that prefer moisture but fear flooding. In tea gardens with poor drainage or high groundwater levels, tea plants often grow poorly in large areas and have low yields. After wet damage, even repeated renovation of the tree canopy and increased fertilization levels cannot change the low-yielding appearance of the tea garden, and the plants may even gradually die. 01 Symptoms of Wet Damage The main symptoms of wet damage to tea plants include fewer branches, sparse buds and leaves, slow growth or cessation of growth, grayish-white twigs, yellowing leaves, stunted and diseased trees, gradual death, extremely low tea yield, fewer absorbing roots, limited lateral root extension, shallow root layers, some lateral roots growing horizontally or upward instead of downward. In severe cases, the outer skin of the conducting roots turns black, is less smooth, and develops many small, tumor-like protrusions. When wet damage occurs, the fine roots at greater depths are affected first. Soon after, the shallower fine roots also begin to suffer. The surface of the thick roots appears…

To prevent drought damage in tea gardens and reduce losses in tea production, supplementary measures to replenish water and suppress evaporation can be taken before the onset of drought. These include irrigation to supplement water, loosening the soil and weeding, inter-row grass covering, etc., to maintain and regulate soil moisture and improve the microclimate around the tea plants, thereby enhancing the tea trees' drought resistance. Irrigation Replenishment Tea garden irrigation methods include furrow irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, among others, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Furrow irrigation is suitable for flat tea gardens and can quickly increase soil moisture levels, promptly rescuing drought-stressed tea trees, but it consumes a large amount of water, has a small impact on air humidity, and can lead to waste of water resources through surface runoff and deep seepage, as well as damaging some of the topsoil structure. Drip irrigation reduces evaporation and saves water, but it requires a higher initial investment and cannot effectively improve the microclimate of the tea garden. Therefore, in recent decades, sprinkler irrigation has been the primary method used for drought prevention and mitigation in tea gardens. Sprinkler Irrigation can not only increase soil moisture but also lower…