Detailed Explanation of Tea Tree Variety Regionalization: How Suitable Varieties Are Laid Out in Each Region
Research work on how tea tree varieties are distributed across different regions and how their suitable planting areas should be divided. China's tea regions are vast, spanning from 18°-38°N, 94°-122°E. In terms of vertical distribution, the highest extends to mountains at an altitude of 2600m, and the lowest to low hills at an altitude of only a few meters.
The genetic characteristics of tea tree varieties and latitudinal zonality across regions give rise to a certain degree of zonality in tea types and quality styles. Tropical or southern subtropical regions in the south are suitable for the growth of arbor-type large-leaf tea tree varieties and are suitable for producing black tea, with high content of polyphenolic substances closely related to black tea quality; the mid-subtropical region is suitable for the growth of small arbor-type or shrub-type tea tree varieties and is suitable for producing oolong tea, green tea and black tea; the northern subtropical region is suitable for the growth of shrub-type medium- and small-leaf tea tree varieties and is suitable for producing green tea.
South China tea region: located south of Dazhang Creek and Yanshi Creek in Fujian Province, Meijiang and Lianjiang in Guangdong Province, Dangjiang and Hongshui River in Guangxi, and Nanpan River, Wuliang Mountain and Baoshan Yingjiang in Yunnan Province. The varieties are mainly arbor-type large-leaf types, suitable for producing black tea, oolong tea, Pu'er tea, etc. The varieties and strains in the regional trial planting and promotion are, for black tea, Mengku large-leaf cultivar, Menghai large-leaf cultivar, Fengqing cultivar, Hainan large-leaf, Lingyun Baimao cultivar, Fenghuang Shuixian, Yinghong No. 1, etc.; for oolong tea, Tieguanyin, Benshan, Huangdan, Maoxie, large-leaf oolong, Fenghuang Shuixian, etc.; for Pu'er tea, Yunnan large-leaf tea tree varieties.
Southwest tea region: located south of Micang Mountain and Daba Mountain, north of Hongshui River, Nanpan River and Yingjiang, west of Shennongjia, Wu Mountain, Fangdou Mountain and Wuling Mountain, and east of Dadu River. Suitable for producing black tea, green tea, Tuo tea, border tea, etc. The varieties and strains in the regional trial planting and promotion are, for black tea, Yunnan large-leaf tea tree varieties, Chongqing Pipa cultivar, Nanjiang large-leaf cultivar, Junlian Zaobaijian, Meitan Taicha, Qianmei 419, 701, Shuyong No. 1, etc.; for green tea, Fuding Dabaicha and Kunming Shilixiang. Meitan Taicha, Junlian Zaobaijian, Nanjiang large-leaf tea, Qianmei 601, etc.
Jiangnan tea region: located south of the Yangtze River and north of Dazhang Creek, Yanshi Creek, Meijiang and Lianjiang. The tea tree varieties are mainly shrub-type varieties, suitable for producing oolong tea, green tea, white tea, dark tea, as well as special famous teas and scented teas. The tea tree varieties and strains in the regional trial planting and promotion are, for green tea, Fuding Dabaicha, Shanghaizhou cultivar, Jiukeng cultivar, Xiangguliao Baimao, Huangshan cultivar, Wuyuan cultivar, Qimen No. 3, No. 7, Xiangbolu, Dajianye, Longjing No. 43; for broken black tea, domesticated Yunnan large-leaf cultivar, Zhenghe Dabaicha, large-leaf Yunfeng, Juhuachun, Jinqiu; for congou black tea, Zhenghe Dabaicha, Maoxie, Fuding Dabaicha, Yichang cultivar, etc.; for oolong tea, Shuixian, Rougui, etc.; for white tea, Zhenghe Dabaicha, Fuding Dabaicha, etc.
Jiangbei tea region: located north of the Yangtze River, south of the Qinling Mountains and Huaihe River, and east of the Yihe River in Shandong. Variety distribution is mainly shrub-type medium- and small-leaf cultivars, with relatively strong cold resistance, and the tea type is green tea. The promoted varieties and strains are Qimen cultivar, Jinzhai Yanzhihe cultivar, Shucheng cultivar, Ziyang cultivar, Xinyang cultivar and Baimao tea, etc.