• Crop Management
• Processing and Value Addition

Crop Management

• Climate & Soil
• Varieties
• Production of quality planting materials


• Cultivation Practices
• Pests
• Diseases
• Harvesting
• Organic Farming

Climate and soil

The tea growing tracts of South India, extending along the Western Ghats, vary in their elevation from 300 to 2,300 m above MSL and experience an annual rainfall ranging from 90-750 cm. These plantations, with their adjoining forest ecosystem contribute greatly to the maintenance of terrestrial ecology by providing extensive land cover and minimizing soil erosion.

Tea grows best in areas with a maximum temperature of 16-32ºC and a well distributed rainfall of about 150 cm per annum. Relative humidity should be around 80% most of the time and should never be less than 40%. The area should not be prone to frost. The soil should be acidic (around pH 5.0) having good drainage facility.

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