Effects of Nitrogenous Fertilizer Rates, Plucking Intervals and Location of Production on the Micronutrient Levels of Clonal Black Tea

Abstract

Micronutrients are important to both animal and plant life. In plants, the levels can vary widely due to biotic and
abiotic factors. Tea is widely grown and its beverages are claimed to be the most widely consumed fluids after water. Some
factors causing changes in tea growth and yields, and hence nutrients assimilation include location of production, fertilizer
application and harvesting policies. Influence of location of production, nitrogenous fertilizer rates, and plucking intervals
on clone TRFK 6/8 black tea micronutrients were investigated. The micronutrients levels significantly {P less than 0.05) varied with
location of production. Although Mn and Se levels were not influenced by nitrogenous fertilizer rates, Fe and Zn (F less than 0.05)
increased while Cu {P less than 0.05) decreased with an increase in nitrogen fertilizer rates. Plucking intervals had no influence on
clonal black teas micronutrients levels. Overall, the levels were within the range that had been noted in a previous study to
supply inadequate daily requirements of micronutrients. Thus biotic and abiotic factors in this study cannot be used to cause
the micronutrients levels to be high enough to adequately supply the micronutrients daily demands of human requirement. Tea
cannot therefore be considered a suitable source for the daily requirement of micronutrients for human beings despite its high
consumption.