RESPONSE OF TEA QUALITY PARAMETERS TO TIME OF YEAR AND NITROGEN-FERTILIZER

Though tea production continues throughout the year in Kenya, there were monthly variations in yields and chemical composition attributable to the changes in environmental conditions. Total volatile flavour compounds (VFC), group I VFC, group II VFC and caffeine were higher throughout the experimental period in black teas manufactured from plants where fertilisers were applied than where fertiliser was not applied. Levels of thearubigins (TR) and flavour index (FI) were generally high when there was no fertiliser application. Theaflavins (TF) levels varied with the time of the year but there was no clear trend due to fertiliser.