Effect of fertilization regime on tea yield, nutrient accumulation and soil fertility

Fertilization is an important agricultural measure that improves not only tea yield and quality, but also soil quality; all of which sustain tea garden utility. A 4-year field orientation experiment was conducted with 6 fertilization regimes to study the effects of fertilization regime on tea yield, nutrient accumulation and soil fertility. The fertilization regimes included none-fertilization, tea formula fertilizer, half tea formula fertilizer and half organic fertilizer, organic fertilizer, full tea formula fertilizer and legume green manure and half tea formula fertilizer plus half organic fertilizer with legume green manure. The tested nutrients included nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, polyphenols and water extracts. The study was designed to facilitate the selection of reasonable tea fertilization models. Results showed that the fertilization regimes produced higher yields, accumulated nutrients and soil fertility than none-fertilization regime. Moreover, the regime of half tea formula fertilizer plus half organic fertilizer with legume green manure regime had the highest output of 5 929 kg·hm^-2. Compared with the none-fertilization, it increased tea yield by 106.17%. Its accumulated nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were 4.962 kg·hm^-2, 0.48 kg·hm^-2 and 5.966 kg·hm^-2, increased by 88.6%, 57.41% and 98.87% over the none-fertilization regime respectively. The polyphenols and water extracts contents were 23.39 kg·hm^-2 and 119.41 kg·hm^-2, increased by 73.29% and 85.56%, respectively, compared with the none-fertilization regime. It also improved tea garden soil organic matter by 1.29 times, total nitrogen by 1.7 times, total phosphorus by 2.98 times, available nitrogen by 1.59 times, available phosphorus by 34.3 times and available potassium by 3.3 times. It was therefore beneficial to adopt the fertilization regime of half tea formula fertilizer plus half organic fertilizer with legume green manure regime in tea production.