TITLE:
Effects of Foliar Fertilizer Application on Quality of Tea (Camellia sinensis) Grown in the Kenyan Highlands
AUTHORS:
Rachael Njeri E. Njogu, David K. Kariuki, David M. Kamau, Francis N. Wachira
KEYWORDS:
Tea, Total Polyphenols, Nutrient Residue, Foliar Fertilizer
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.18,
August
18,
2014
ABSTRACT: In Kenya, foliar
fertilizers have not found use in tea production despite their numerous advantages
as exhibited in other crops. A fertilizer trial test was established in three
sites of the major tea growing regions, with 36 plots per site to determine the
effects of foliar fertilizer application on tea quality. Two foliar fertilizers
were tested; foliar fertilizer 1 (FF1) and foliar fertilizer 2 (FF2), with a
positive control of soil fertilizer (SF) and a blank. Two leaves and a bud tea
samples were collected every two weeks after each foliar fertilizer
application. These were then analyzed for tea quality (total polyphenols, TP),
nutrient residues for the different clones and geographical locations. The TP
contents for clone TRFK 31/8 were as follows: FF1 = 17.8%, FF2 = 17.9%, SF = 16.56%
and Zero = 17.4%. Tukey-Kramer pair wise comparison test results between the
foliar fertilizers and SF showed that the FF1 (HSD = 4.78) and FF2 (HSD = 5.27)
fertilizers had significantly (P