IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GROWTH, QUALITY, AND YIELD OF WUYI ROCK TEA (CAMELLIA SINENSIS) AFTER BREEDING EARTHWORMS IN SITU IN TEA GARDENS IN CHINA

This study aimed to evaluate in situ the effects of earthworms on the growth, quality, and yield of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze. Our results show that the incorporation of earthworms and organic waste in the soil significantly enhanced both the tea bud density and hundred-bud weight for both summer and autumn tea, but did not significantly influence the number of leaves per shoot or single leaf area. Furthermore, earthworms enhanced the quality of summer and autumn tea, in terms of significantly higher amino acid content, lower polyphenol and caffeine content, and maintenance of the total water extract content. Principal component analysis found that the four groups of samples were well separated at the first principal component and that free amino acids and polyphenols had the greatest effect between the treatment and the control group. Furthermore, these two parameters were also the primary reasons for differences between summer and autumn teas under the same treatment. Therefore, in situ earthworm breeding could be a promising alternative to chemical fertilizers and assist in the sustainable, pollution-free production of tea since it can improve both the and of tea and eliminate considerable amount of waste.