Soil for Tea Cultivation

Soil for Tea Cultivation

Soil for Tea Cultivation

Best Soil for Tea - Alluvial soil, Gneiss or

Granite full soil( Sedentary soil)

Volcanic Ash,

Sulphur(40%) plus loamy soil

(if less then apply 20 kg S/ha.)

Well drainage soil,

Acidic soil (pH 4.5 - 5.5),

Carbon - 1%( if less then apply

humus & oilcake @ 5 ton/ ha.)

Type of Soil on basis of Texture (Sand , Silt & Clay) :-

1. Sandy Soil - This soil consists of small particles of weathered rock(Sand) upto 85%. It is poorest soil for growing plants and has very low nutrients with poor water holding capacity, This type of soil is very good for the drainage system.

2. Silt Soil - The particles of Silt Soil (80% silt & 12% Clay)are smaller than sand and larger than clay. It is the smooth and fine quality of the soil that holds water better than sand. It is mainly found near the river, lakes and other water bodies. The silt soil is more fertile compared to the other three types of soil. Therefore, it is also used in agricultural practices to improve soil fertility.

3. Clay soil - It has the smallest particles(40% Clay, 40% Silt & 20% sand), the particles in this soil are tightly packed together with each other with no airspace. This soil has very good water storage qualities. It is very sticky to the touch when wet but smooth when dried. Clay is the densest and heaviest type of soil which does not drain well or provide space for plant roots to flourish.

4. Loamy Soil - It is a combination of sand 40%, silt 40% and clay 20% with humus. For instance, it has the ability to retain moisture and nutrients; hence, it is more suitable for farming. This soil is also referred to as agricultural soil. Apart from these, it also has higher calcium and pH levels because of its inorganic origins.

Structure of Soil :- This indicates the size of soil particles which are good for cultivation.

1. Columnar Structure:- The soil particles have Prismatic and columnar structures(vertical columns or pillars) in microscopic level. And have vertical cracks with poor drainage & water circulation.

2. Blocky Structure - The soil particles cling together in nearly square or angular blocks having more or less sharp edges. Relatively large blocks indicate that the soil is not good in movement of water.

3. Platy Structure - The soil particles made up of aggregated in thin plates or sheets piled horizontally on each another. It is good for water circulation. It is commonly found in forest soils.

4. Granular Structure:- The soil particles of granular and crumb structures are individual particles of sand, silt and clay grouped together in small, nearly spherical grains. Water circulation are very good & easily through such soils.

C:N Ratio - Carbon/ Nitrogen ratio shows soil fertility and activities of microorganisms in soil. 24:1 ratio is good for soil fertility.

ppm - This is an abbreviation for "parts per million" and it also can be expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L). This measurement is the mass of a chemical or contaminate per unit volume of water

pH (Potential of Hydrogen oins)- 4.5 - 5.5
(Reciprocals logrithem of H± oins concentration in 1 litre solution is called pH).

Or

pH = log 1/H+ Or -log(H+) ( S.P.L. Sorenson)

Or

The molar concentration of hydrogen in a solution like 10-5 = 0.00001 = 5 in pH scale(means Acidic solution)

pH scale - A scale developed to measure the Acidity & Alkalinity in a solution

It ranges from 0 to 14
0 - below7 - Acidic Solution (as Acid)
7 - Neutral Solution (as Water)
Above 7- 14 - Alkaline solution (as Base)

Determine by...

i) Electrometric method (1:2.5 solution

in machine)

ii) Colorimetric method (By Red or Blue

colour on litmus paper)

Soil Testing -

1. Top soil - from upper surface of ground to 9" deep (0 - 9")

2. Sub soil - from 9" to 18" deep.

3. Collection of soil for testing by marking 5 points/ha.(4 corner & middle) and collect seperately Top & Sub soil of a section. After that mix it as per Top & Sub soil and ready 1 sample for Top soil and 1 sample of sub soil of a section into a double sleeve polythene with perfect lebelling.

4. Send soil samples to TRA for the testing of N status, phosphorus (P) status, Potash (K) status, Sulphur status, Carbon status, pH status,C:N ratio and how to improve the fertility of soil.

Acid Forming factors :-H2Co3,H2So4,HNo3 & heavy rain be caused to acidity means availability of Al,Mn & Fe is access.

Improvement by - Apply when pH is low..

i) Dolomite {Camg(Co3)2}- 2 ton/ ha.

ii) Quick lime (Cao) - 200 gram/ sqr. Meter

iii) Hydrated( Slaked) lime{Ca(OH)2}- 2 ton/ha.

iv) Marl(CaCo3) - 2 ton/ha.

v) Spray soluble chelated Ca (means Ca element with other molecule for easy consumption).

Base Forming factors - Alkali soils means availability of Ca,Mg, K & Na is access.

Improvement by - Apply when pH is high..

i) Zypsum (CaSo4)- 1 ton/ ha.

ii) Pyrites (FeS2) - 100 gram/ sqr. Meter

iii) Al Sulphate {Al2(So4)3}- 1 ton/ha.

iv) Sray soluble chelated Al

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