Drought and Disease Resistant Tea Plants Introduced to Sri Lankan Tea Plantations

Sri Lanka's Tea Smallholding Authority introduces two new varieties of modified tea plants in order to tackle increased global demand for purity and in an attempt to put an end to the damage caused by adverse weather conditions.

Better Crop Yield

Tea plants belonging to the Tea Research Institute’s (TRI) 3000 and 4000 series have been introduced to tea plantations  belonging to the Tee Shakthi Factory of Mawarala in a bid to meet the demands of the changing tea industry within the country. The modified plants, which were created using advanced breeding techniques and by using molecular biological screenings, are resistant to drought and disease and are reported to produce a better crop yield than other varieties.

It is hoped that cultivators can harvest cuttings of the modified tea plants from the Tee Shakthi estates in a bid to propagate their own nurseries with the new species.

Smallholder cultivators have been provided with 165,786 cuttings by the Tee Shakthi estates.

Climate Change

Climate change has affected Sri Lanka's tea industry greatly; unpredictable weather conditions such as severe drought and extended periods of frost and cold weather have damaged the country's tea outputs. Reduced production output has had severe consequences for a country that caters for a number of specialist, seasonal teas.

Sri Lanka is home to Dimbula and Uva teas which are sold for higher prices at auction. These teas do not last long in dry or frosty conditions as their distinctive characteristics are completely depend upon reliable weather patterns. Without this the entire crop can be rendered un-usable.

The best Dimbula teas are produced from January to March in Sri Lanka and require cold mornings followed by hot days in order to reach their full potential.  Even a slight change in temperature can affect the quality of the tea.