Global Advances in Tea Science

This book contains state of the art reviews by leading world authorities on tea science. It opens up new vistas of discovery for researchers and offers altnerate solutions to presistent problems for policy planners and vigilant tea planters. It will also serve as a mine of information to those individuals, researchers, policy planners in the corporate sectors and the governments, who seek solutions to vexing problems in other fields of knowledge. Tea Researchers: Conceptualisation of the tea plant of tomorrow has physical, physiological, chemical and pharmacological dimensions. Assessment of the potential and its achievement by priority research on the identified gaps of knowledge, could be very fruitful indeed. Genetic engineering; bio-control; value added products; enhancing worker productivity; biosynthesis of quality parameters; better processing at lower inputs; and human health concerns are some of the very exciting avenues which have opened up during the last decade of the current millenium. Tea Planters: The contents of this book explain to vigilant tea planters the reationale of field recommendations by the scientists and the head offices; offer alternatives for decision making; seek answers to questions like whether to rejuvenate or replant; whether to redesign the old drainage system or invest in a new irrigation unit; how much nutrient should be applied and when; whether the microbial fertilisers have a proven worth or are a passing fad; should one switch over to the sophisticated chemicals to control 500 odd pests or adopt biological control measures and consign all the costly sprayers to the scrap heap. This book gives the planters many ideas to decide on future strategies, to increase their production, the product quality, and the earnings at a lower cost of inputs. labour expenses, and processing.