“Socio-Economic Status and Production Potential of Tea-Based Agroforestry System in Champawat and Harinagri Tea Gardens of Kumaon Himalayas”
Loading...
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
College of Forestry, Ranichauri
Abstract
The cultivation of tea depends greatly on the presence of shade trees. The shade trees are crucial for controlling the environment of the tea ecosystem because they improve soil fertility, lower temperature, lower evaporative capacity, and save soil moisture. Additionally shade has a variety of other advantageous benefits on physiological processes like photosynthesis, tea growth, and yield. The shade trees give the tea plants some partial shade, which is crucial for raising the standard of the tea leaf. Growing excellent tea crops requires the right kind of shade trees and their adequate maintenance.The current study was carried out in two Kumaon Himalayan tea gardens of Uttarakhandviz. Harinagri tea garden and Champawat tea garden, present at an elevations of 1346m and 1622m asl respectively. Both tea gardens were divided into four main plots for the study of the effects of various shade trees on tea growth.
In the present study total of 9 shade trees were documented from both the studied tea garden and their effect on growth of tea was studied individually.Various tree parameters viz. height, diameter and crown spread were studied for the shade trees present in association with the tea crop. Inorder to study the effect of different shade trees on the tea crop, primary shoot height and bush surface area was studied for the tea crop.
The production potential of both tea gardens was examined by gathering secondary data from Uttarakhand Tea Development Board, Champawat and Kausani offices. Primary data collected for the tea gardens revel that the Organic tea garden i.e. the Champawat tea garden had more plantations under it and hence more production of tea leaves and tea as compared to the Inorganic tea garden of Harinagri which was planted by the Kausani tea development board. Chlorophyll A, Chlorophyll B and total Chlorophyll of the tea leaves in the understory of associated trees were also studied for both the study site. Chlorophyll estimation revealed that Phyllanthus emblica is the most preferred shade tree for the Champawat tea garden and Grewia Optiva for Harinagri tea garden as the chlorophyll content of tea leaves in the understory is preferable over other shade trees. A comprehensive survey was conducted to examine the socioeconomic conditions of tea plantation workers with a particular focus on the female workforce. For socioeconomic study 50 women respondents were chosen from each tea garden the socioeconomic situation of tea workers and those who depend on them is neither very excellent nor very bad. Although the women workers in the tea gardens are permanent employees, they are paid on a daily basis, so they only receive compensation for the hours they really put in. The condition of women tea workers is more fragile if the tea garden is locked out or the job is temporarily interrupted, but it has been operating throughout the entire covid period, which has encouraged the locals to migrate less. In fact, reverse migration has been prominent in the past year.In light of all theoutcomes, the present study analyses the significance of shade trees in an agroforestry system in the studied tea plantations and gives an idea about the preferable and unsuitable shade tree species for the tea plantation.