Standardization of Organic Manure and Bio-inoculants for Production of Improved Planting Material of Tea

Tea is one of the important plantation crops of India as well as West Bengal, contributes considerably in national economy and earns foreign exchange. During 2014–15, total production of tea in India was 1233.14 m kg, out of which only 100 m kg were organic tea. Mainly due to importers demand of organic tea, there is urgent need to enhance organic production of tea crop. Indiscriminate use of inorganic agricultural inputs-fertilizers, weedicides, pesticide and fungicides and lesser use of organic matters deplete soil health, residues remain beyond MRL in processed tea, ultimately reduction in export. Tea Board provides 55% subsidy for organic tea production. For organic cultivation of tea, the planting materials should also be organically produced in nursery, which is very scanty for perennial crops in general and plantation crops in particular. With this background, the present investigation was carried out at instructional farm of the department of Plantation Crops and Processing, UBKV, Pundibari, with the objective to standardize the organic manures and bio-inoculants for production of improved planting materials of tea, The experiment was conducted from 2013 to 2015 and laid out in completely randomized block design. The planting materials of tea chosen to standardize organic manures and bio-inoculants were TS-462 and TV 26. From the study it can be inferred that, the treatment T₆-vermicompost 50 g/sleeve and bio fertilizers mixture 10 g (Azotobacter + Azospirillium + PSB + Trichoderma + VAM @2.0 g each)/sleeve observed to be the best when compared to other treatments and control.

Present study was thus carried out with the objective to standardize the organic and bio-inoculants for production of improved planting materials of tea