Sarhad J. Agric. Vol.25, No.1, 2009 EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT GROWING ENVIRONMENTS AND BLACK vs. TRANSPARENT POLYTHENE TUBES ON THE GROWTH OF TEA SEEDLINGS FAYAZ AHMAD, SAIR SARWAR, MUHAMMAD HANIF and BAKHT MAND KHAN National Tea Research Institute, Shinkiari, Mansehra, Pakistan ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted at National Tea Research Institute (NTRI), Shinkiari, Mansehra during 2005-06 with the objectives to find and recommend the most suitable growing environment with a better combination of polythene tube colour i.e. black or transparent for the successful raising of tea seedlings. Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) seedlings were raised in polythene tubes (black and transparent) under five different growing environments i.e. open sunlight, open sunlight + transparent plastic sheet, live shade, nylon net shade and nylon net shade + transparent plastic sheet. It was found that germination %age (95.50), survival %age (83.50), plant height (37.68 cm), number of leaves per plant (16.95), root length (13.33 cm), fresh plant weight (14.63 g) and dry plant weight (6.60 g) was highest in nylon net shade + transparent plastic sheet as compared to the other growing environments. Seeds sown under live shade took maximum days (175.33) to germination while minimum days to germination (142.61) were recorded in the open sunlight + transparent plastic sheet treatment. The differences between the seedlings grown in the black and transparent polythene tubes as well as the interaction between the environments x polythene tubes colour were non-significant for the above mentioned plant growth parameters, however black polythene tubes gave higher survival %age (65.33), plant height (23.39 cm) and root length (10.95 cm) as compared to the transparent polythene tubes having 64.33%, 23.26 cm and 9.73 cm survival %age, plant height and root length respectively. On the basis of these findings it is concluded that tea seedling nursery can be raised more successfully under nylon net shade + transparent plastic sheet by using black polythene tubes. Key Words: Tea, nursery, seedlings, shade, nylon net, polythene tubes Citation: Ahmad, F., S. Sarwar, M. Hanif and B.M. Khan. 2009. Effects of different growing environments and black vs. transparent polythene tubes on the growth of tea seedlings. Sarhad J. Agric. 25(1): 1-6. INTRODUCTION The tea drinking habit has spread all over the world. It is second only to water as the most favourite beverage on the earth (Amarakoon, 2004). Tea is taken both by rich and poor in Pakistan. Pakistan is the 3 rd largest importer of tea in the world and imports all its black tea from 19 different tea-growing countries. The Govt. of Pakistan imported 104 thousand MT of black tea amounting to Rs. 11.60 billion during the year 2005-06 with the major share from Kenya. The demand is increasing day by day due to increase in population. Besides the medicinal and refreshing values of tea, its cultivation can serve as a source of income generation for the poor communities in relevant tea growing areas of Pakistan. Cultivation, management, processing and marketing of tea can be expected to provide ample employment opportunities for absorbing the labour force of area in their native places (NTRI, Annual Report, 2005-06) Tea is propagated by seeds as well as vegetatively through cuttings. Tea cultivars are self-incompatible due to the presence of s-alleles and only 2-3 percent fruit set is reported by selfing and requires cross-pollination for viable seeds (Bezbaruah and Saikia, 1977). The ultimate success of any perennial crop like tea largely rests on raising good seedlings and management. The integration of tea propagation through seed and clone is possibly best appreciated from the fact that seed population being highly heterogeneous provide the useful genetic materials for the development of superior clones (Barua, 1963). According to Banerjee (1993) seed-grown varieties have some useful characteristics i.e. they are easy to grow, seed contains reserve food for initial growth, adapt into wide range of environment because of genetic heterogeneity, strong tap root provides several physiological advantages like drought resistance and better utilization of nutrients. Waheed (2005) however, reported that plant raised by seeds are variable with yield potential and other characteristics as compared to vegetative means but the main advantage of seed plants is their genetic base as they are produced from the crosses between divergent parents. Generally a partial shade is necessary for the successful raising of tea seedlings. According to the findings of Tea Research Institute of East Africa (1969), the tea nursery should be provided with light dapped, which should be raised at least two meter above the beds. The shade should be thinned out gradually. Harler (1966) reported that adequate shade is absolutely essential after planting in the nursery. Johnson (1962) revealed that at some times during the nursery period, beds will need shading. In the regions bordering the equator, it is a common practice to build overhead shade consisting of thatch grass tied to bamboo frames about 1.52 m above the ground supported on