Introduction to Superior Clonal Tea Varieties (Part One)

The application and promotion of superior tea varieties in tea production is one of the most effective ways to achieve high quality, high yield and high benefit. This is especially true of superior clonal tea varieties, which not only have such fine traits as strong stress resistance, excellent quality and good yielding ability, but also have stable characteristics, uniform sprouting and distinct flushing rounds, which favor the promotion of mechanized picking and the regulation of peak picking and processing periods. Of the more than 100,000 mu of tea gardens now existing in our city, the vast majority are Huzhou local population varieties and Jiukeng population varieties developed before the 1980s. The varietal traits of these tea gardens are mixed, and a considerable portion of them are aged tea gardens and medium- and low-yield tea gardens, which need to be adjusted in varietal structure through replanting and variety replacement. In order to improve the quality of production tea gardens and the economic benefit of tea production, whether developing new tea gardens or transforming old ones in the future, the leaders of the tea areas and the broad community of tea farmers must attach great importance to the application and promotion of superior tea varieties, and gradually realize the improved-variety status and clonalization of tea varieties. This is also an important foundational project for realizing the modernization of the tea industry in our city. Below, a group of superior clonal tea varieties suitable for planting in our city will be recommended to tea farmer friends in installments: 1. Yingshuang: Yingshuang is a national-level superior tea variety. It is a new clonal tea variety selected as a single plant by the Hangzhou Tea Research Institute from the natural hybrid progeny of Fuding Dabaicha and Yunnan Daye Zhong. It belongs to the small tree type, medium-leaf class, early-sprouting variety. Its tree posture is upright, the branching position is relatively high, and the plant is relatively tall; the density of branches and sprouting is medium, the growth vigor is strong, there are many flushing rounds, the bud-nurturing ability is especially strong, and the growth period is long. Spring tea sprouts early, and dormancy in autumn and winter is late; spring sprouting can be five to seven days earlier than local varieties. Autumn bud and leaf growth can continue until "Frost's Descent," hence the name "Yingshuang" (Welcoming Frost). The buds and leaves are stout and the yield is high. In the introduction trial tea garden in our city, cultivated with the narrow-bed double-row technique, the dry tea yield at five full years reached 461 kg per mu, and the cumulative yield per mu in the first 5 years reached 1,151 kg. The leaf color is uniformly green, the leaf texture is soft, there is abundant down, the tenderness retention is especially strong, and the quality is excellent. When processed into green tea, the strips are tightly rolled, the color is emerald green, the aroma is high and lasting with a slight floral fragrance, the taste is strong and fresh, and the infused leaves and liquor color are bright. It is especially suitable for making famous and superior green tea. The quality of black tea processed from it is also good. It is suitable for clonal propagation; the mother tea trees have a high shoot-bearing rate, and both the survival rate and the seedling output rate of short-shoot cutting propagation are high. Its only weakness is slightly weaker stress resistance. In winter, severe freezing injury easily causes leaf drop; in early spring, tender buds exposed to severe late frost are easily frostbitten; and in summer and autumn, especially hot and dry weather can easily cause wilting of buds and leaves. Cultivation points: During planting, appropriately close planting is needed, and the height of formative pruning should be appropriately lowered. Introduction in high mountain areas at wind gaps facing the slope should be done cautiously, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened, and summer and autumn fertilizer should be appropriately increased. Timely control of pests and diseases, especially mites and bud blight. This variety is suitable for planting in the hilly areas, gentle slopes and mountain famous tea production areas with good microclimate conditions in our city. 2. Longjing 43: Longjing 43 is a national-level superior tea variety. It is a new clonal tea variety selected as a single plant by the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences from the Hangzhou Longjing population variety. It belongs to the shrub type, medium-leaf class, extremely early-sprouting variety. The plant is medium in size, the tree posture is semi-spreading, the branches are dense, the leaf color is green, and the sprouting density is high. Sprouting is uniform, the bud-nurturing ability is strong, and the yielding ability is good. In the trial planting in our city, the dry tea yield of a five-full-year tea garden reached as high as 489 kg per mu, and the cumulative dry tea yield per mu in the first five years was 1,088 kg. The bud type is medium, the buds and leaves are short and stout, and there is little down. It is suitable for making green tea, especially flat-shaped famous and superior teas such as Longjing and Qiqiang. The appearance is flat, straight and elegant, the aroma is rich and lasting, the taste is sweet, mellow and refreshing, and the infused leaves and liquor color are green and bright. It has strong adaptability and good cold resistance, and the survival rates of both cutting propagation and transplanting are very high. However, the new shoots have short internodes, poor tenderness retention, and are prone to aging. Its drought resistance is slightly poorer, and it is easily infected by red leaf spot disease. Cultivation points: When cultivating, it is advisable to choose soil with deep soil layers and rich organic matter. Deep plowing should be carried out, and picking should be done in batches and in a timely manner. Where conditions permit, grass should be spread between the rows in summer, or water should be diverted for drought resistance.