PRECISION-BASED OPTIMIZATION OF PLUCKING HEIGHT FOR TEA SHOOT YIELD, QUALITY, AND SUSTAINABLE SHOOT GROWTH ACROSS DIFFERENT PRUNING YEARS

Gina Nur’aini Buchory; Erdiansyah Rezamela; Iftita Fitri

doi:10.15575/gdcs.v66i.3400

Authors

Gina Nur’aini Buchory PT. Riset Perkebunan Nusantara, Indonesia
Erdiansyah Rezamela PT. Riset Perkebunan Nusantara, Indonesia
Iftita Fitri PT. Riset Perkebunan Nusantara, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15575/gdcs.v66i.3400

Keywords:

Plant health, Plucking technology, Pruning year, Shoot growth, Tea plucking

Abstract

Plucking management is a critical factor in maintaining tea production, shoot quality, and next generation of shoot growth. Improper plucking practices, particularly excessive low plucking, can negatively affect plant health by slowing down the shoot growth cycle, reducing the availability of maintenance leaves, and ultimately leading to decreasing shoot yield. Therefore, the need for precision-based plucking height to sustain optimal vegetative growth and yield in each plucking year is needed to be understood. One potential solution is the implementation of precise plucking height which is expected to improve shoot regeneration, maintain plant health and plucking table, and also enhance sustainable productivity in tea plantations. This study was conducted from October to November 2024 at a Tea Plantation in Bandung Regency using a split-plot randomized complete block design consisting of two factors (4×4) with 3 replications. Pruning year as the main plot consisted of 1st year (T1), 2nd year (T2), 3rd year (T3), and 4th year (T4) after pruning. The subplot was plucking height with 0 cm (K0), 1 cm (K1), 2 cm (K2), and 3 cm (K3) pad. Parameters comprised shoot yield per plot (kg), plucking points/m², pekoe shoot percentage, remaining P+1 shoot percentage, remaining P+2 shoot percentage, remaining banjhi shoot percentage and fresh shoot quality were measured. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) (p≤0.05) and followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (p≤0.05) if there were significant differences. The highest fresh shoot yield per plot was obtained from the T4K0 combination (70.77 kg plot⁻¹). The highest percentage of remaining shoots P+1 was recorded in the T4K1 treatment (29%). The minimum percentage of remaining banjhi shoot was resulted from T1K2 combination (14%). Meanwhile, fresh shoot quality was highest in the T2K1 combination (78%), followed by T2K2 (75%).

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Gina Nur’aini Buchory, PT. Riset Perkebunan Nusantara

Indonesia Research Institute for Tea and Cinchona

Erdiansyah Rezamela, PT. Riset Perkebunan Nusantara

Indonesia Research Institute for Tea and Cinchona

Iftita Fitri, PT. Riset Perkebunan Nusantara

Indonesia Research Institute for Tea and Cinchona

References

Aaqil, M., Peng, C., Kamal, A., Nawaz, T., Zhang, F. & Gong, J. (2023). Tea Harvesting and Processing Techniques and Its Effect on Phytochemical Profile and Final Quality of Black Tea: A Review. Foods, 12(24), 4467.

Abas, T. (2013). Unjuk Kerja mesin Petik Tipe 120 pada Pemetikan Tanaman Teh assamica dengan Jarak Antara Baris 120 cm. Jurnal Penelitian Teh dan Kina, 16(2), 59-66.

Amiri, M. E. & Asil, M. H. (2007). Determination of Optimum Harvestable Length of Shoots in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Based on the Current Shoot Growth, Rather Than Interval Plucking. Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment, 5(2), 122-124.

Anjarsari, D., Ariyati, M. & Rosniawaty, S. (2020). Studi Ekofisiologis Tanaman Teh Guna menignkatkan Pertumbuhan, Hasil, dan Kualitas Teh. Jurnal Kultivasi, 19(3), 1181-1188.

Athallah, F. N. F., Wulansari, R. & Pramudita, A. A. (2021). Evaluation Between The Year of Pruning and Land Slope on Nutrient Uptake and Availability in Tea Plantation. Journal of Degraded and Mining Lands Management, 9(1), 3175-3180.

Directorate of Food Crops, Horticulture, and Estate Crops Statistics. (2025). Indonesian Premantent Estate Crops Statistics 2024. Jakarta: BPS-Statistics Indonesia.

Hanafi, A., Syahrian, H., Rahadi, V. P. & Prayoga, M. K. (2025). Analisis Karakter Pertumbuhan 16 Klon Teh Tipe Assamica (Camellia sinensis var. Assamica) pada Fase Pembibitan. Jurnal Sains Teh dan Kina, 4(1), 1-13.

Haq, M. S. & Karyudi. (2013) . Upaya Peningkatan Produksi Teh (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) Melalui Penerapan Kultur Teknis. Warta PPTK, 24(1), 71-84.

Hossen, M. I., Ahmed, T. & Arefin, R. (2021). Effect of Different Types of Pruning Operations on Yield and Quality of Tea. Asian Plant Research Journal, 8(4), 44-51.

Jayasinghe, H. A. S, Suriyagoda, L. D. B., Karunarathne, A. S. & Wijeratna, M. A. (2018). Modelling Shoot Growth and Yield of Ceylon Tea Cultivar TRI-2025 (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze). The Journal of Agricultural Science, 156(2), 1-15.

Kumar, R., Bisen, J. S., Singh, M. & Bera, B. (2015). Effect of Pruning and Skiffing on Growth and Productivity of Darjeeling Tea (Camellia sinensis L.). International Journal of Technical Research and Applications, 3(3), 28-34.

Liu, J., Zhang, X., Jin, X., Wang, M., Zhang, Y., & Wang, X. (2024). Nutrient Allocation Patterns in Different Aboveground Organs at Different Reproductive Stages of Four Introduced Calligonum Species in a Common Garden in Northwestern China. Front. Plant Sci, 15:1504216.

Long, L., Shi, Y., Ma, L. & Ruan, J. (2022). Characterization of Young Shoot Population, Yield, and Nitrogen Demands of Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Harvested under Different Standards. Horticulturae, 8(4), 275.

Maudu, M., Mudau, F. N. & Mariga, I. K. (2010). The Effect of Pruning on Growth and Chemical Composition of Cultivated Bush Tea (Athrixia phylicoides D.C). Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 4(22), 2352-2358.

Nissanka, S. P., Coomaraswamy, A. A. & Seneviratne, C. K. (2004). Change in Growth and Productivity from Pruning and Skiffing as a Method to Prolong Pruning Cycle. Australian Agronomy Society Proceedings, 1176, 1-4.

Owuor, P. O., Obanda, M. A., Othieone, C. O., Horita, H., Tushida, T. & Murai, T. (1987). Changes in the Chemical Composition and Quality of Black Tea Due to Plucking Standards. Agric. Biol. Chem, 51(12), 3383-3384.

Pathiranagem, S. R. W., Wijeratne, M. A. & Costa, W. A. J. M. D. (2019). Evaluation of The Impacts of Mechanical Harvesting on Tea Yield (Cultivar TRI 2027) in The Low Country of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka J. Tea Science, 84(1&2), 22-30.

Rezamela, E., Suyitno, R. P. C., Buchory, G. N., Fitri, I., Suherman, C. & Sholeh, M. A. (2025). Analisis Regresi Linier Berganda Pengaruh Iklim Mikro terhadap Produktivitas Teh (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze.) di Perkebunan Gambung. Jurnal Sains Teh dan Kina, 4(1), 22-34.

Rohmah, N. dan Wachjar, A. (2015). Pengelolaan Pemangkasan Tanaman Teh (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) di Wonosobo. Bul. Aghorti, 3 (1), 79 – 86.

Safitri, I. A. dan Junaedi, A. (2018). Manajemen Pemangkasan Tanaman Teh (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) di Unit Perkebunan Tambi, Jawa Tengah. Bul. Agrohorti, 6 (3), 344 – 353.

Salimah, S. N., Junaedi, A. & Sudradjat. (2023). Pengelolaan Pemetikan Tanaman Teh (Camellia sinesis (L.) O. Kuntze) di Wonosobo, Jawa Tengah. Bul. Agrohorti, 11(2), 249-259.

Sukasman. (1988). Pemangkasan pada tanaman teh menghasilkan. Di dalam: Prosiding Seminar Pemangkasan Teh. Balai Penelitian Teh dan Kina Gambung. Bandung, 49 – 64.

Yilmaz, G., Kandemir, N. & Kinalioglu, K. (2004). Effects of Different Pruning Intervals and Fresh Shoot Yield and Some Quality Properties of Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) in Turkey. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 7(7), 1208-1212.