Detailed Explanation of Tea Seed Storage Methods and Technical Key Points

Technical measures for storing tea seeds so they do not deteriorate and affect the germination rate.

Tea seeds are large seeds, and the seed kernel has a relatively high moisture content. Under ordinary temperature, humidity and air conditions, the moisture content of stored tea seeds has a great influence on their viability. When the moisture content is below 20% or above 50%, the germination rate of tea seeds drops significantly, while the germination rate is highest when the moisture content is around 30%. Therefore, during storage of tea seeds, the moisture content should be kept at around 30%.

The suitable storage conditions for tea seeds are a temperature of 5-7°C, a relative humidity of 60-65%, and the air must be fairly well circulated.

Tea seeds can be stored by the following methods: after the tea seeds are harvested, if they are to be sown or shipped out within a short period, they can be spread out in a cool, dry room, with a thickness not exceeding 15 cm, turned over once every 7-8 days, and covered with a little straw so that the upper and lower layers of seeds lose water evenly. If sowing must be delayed for a relatively long time, the stratification method should be used for storage. The method is to choose a cool, dry room without direct sunlight, spread a thin layer of dry grass on the ground, then spread a layer of dry sand 3-5 cm thick on top, place a layer of tea seeds 10-15 cm thick on the sand, and then spread another 3-5 cm of sand on top. Sand and tea seeds are stacked layer upon layer in this way for four or five layers, and the top layer of tea seeds is covered with straw. If the quantity of tea seeds is relatively large and no suitable room is available, a pit can be built outdoors on a slope with dry soil and good drainage for storage. The pit is elongated, 1 wide, 50 cm deep, and its length depends on the amount of tea seeds; it should be dug along the slope to avoid water accumulation.

In order to regulate the air temperature inside the pit, an ventilation tube is placed obliquely in the pit every 1.0-1.2 m. For tea seeds stored in a pit, the moisture content at the time of storage is preferably around 25%. Each meter of pit length can store about 75 kg of tea seeds.