Tea World

Lesson 009

Clones of Different Countries

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Early selections of clones in N.E. India were made from mature sections of commercial tea estates and others from seedling populations. However, now the selections are from progenies of clonal crosses in addition to collection of germplasm in old fields of commercial tea estates. Tocklai Experimental Station, Assam, India has so far released 31 clones under TV-series ( labeled TV-Tocklai Vegetative) under categories like Standard clone, Yield clone  and  Quality clone. In addition, there are 151 Garden-series clones (selected by TRA in association with tea estates from the old tea sections) and industry clones. However, all the clones are now not recommended for planting. Similarly, UPASI Tea research Foundation of South India releases a number of UPASI–series clones suitable for the region. So far, the TRF has released 32 clones for commercial planting named as UPASI-1 to UPASI-28 and TRF-1 to TRF-4. Most of these clones are widely used by the industry for replanting along with a few estate selections. The Research and Development Department of Tata Tea Ltd., Kerala, India has also selected seven promising clones like TTl-1 to TTl-7.

Bangladesh Tea Research Institute, Maulvibazar, Bangladesh has developed some 13 clones like BT-1 to BT-13.

There are 123 National and more than 160 Provincial registered tea cultivars in China many of which have been bred by hybridisation and systematic selection and these are suitable for manufacture of different types of tea. In China, the tea cultivars have been developed by 23 different institutions including national and local tea research institutes, Agricultural Universities, local agricultural departments, Tea experimental stations etc. Among the registered cultivars, there are jats, land races and clones and improved clones. The famous clone are Longjing 43, Longing Changye, Yankang 10 etc.The clone Yankang10 is an excellent clone for black tea processing.

In Taiwan, as many as 66 cultivars have been developed by Taiwan Tea Experimental Station, Taoyuan. Among them Chisin Oolong, Chinsin Dapan, TTES No12, TTES No.13 and Shy jih Chuen are very popular. Chinsin Oolong is the most important planting material in Taiwan tea industry occupying half the total tea area.

In Korea, many cultivars have been developed by Tea Experimental Station, Boseong. Some of them are Bohyang, Myungseon, Chamnok, Seonhyang, Miyang, Jinhyang, Oseon etc.

In Sri Lanka, a few clones have been selected from the seedling population of Assam tea. Sri Lanka has selected the several TRI-2000, 3000, 4000 series clones for different climatic zones. Among those TRISL 2023, TRISL 2024, TRISL 2025, TRI 2026 are most popular which are recommended for replanting.

In Japan, the main sources of selecting vegetative clones are the hybrid progenies resulting from crosses between different kinds of tea. A good number of clones with high yield, good cup characters and a high degree of tolerance to low temperature have been selected by Tea Experimental Station, Shizuoka. Among the clones so far approved for planting, Yutakamidori, Sayamakaori, Yabukita, Kanayamidori and Okumidori are five major clonal cultivars in Japan. The other cultivars are Koyanishi, Rokuro, Yamkari, Kurasawa, Okuhikari, Sawamzuka etc. There are some 70 registered varieties of tea in Japan.

A number of East and Central African countries have selected and used clones for commercial propagation. In Kenya, Tea Research Foundation of Kenya has released ten clones. In Malawi clones having good quality and high yield have been released. Among the clones TRFCA-PC 122, TRFCA-PC105, TRFCA-PC-123, TRFCA-PC 131, TRFCA-PC-81, TRFCA-PC-108 are the recommended clones in Malawi.

In Indonesia, clonal planting is the current practice. The Research Institute for Tea and Cinchona, Gambung have released ten clones like GMB 1 to GMB10 which are very high yielders and tolerant to blister blight.

In Vietnam, the Tea Research Foundation of Vietnam, Vinh-Phu has also selected clone like LDP1, LDP2 which are very high yielders.In addition two  quality clones viz., 276 and 215 (cross between PH 1, a jat,  and Shan tea) have been released. A number of good clones have been selected in Georgia.

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