Selection and Testing Field Performance of Tea Clones of Soktim and Kanyam Tea Estates in Nepal

Abstract

Nepal has a very long history of tea cultivation, dating back to 1862, when the Ilam Tea Estate was established. Thereafter, Soktim and Kanyam tea estates were established, where we can find several seed-grown tea plantations. This paper has been prepared after a thorough review of the early efforts by experts in Nepal to select desirable tea clones from the natural variability in the selected tea estates. Moreover, it has also described the procedures and criteria for selecting elite clones. Likewise, it also highlights the genetic and morphological differences between seed and clone plantations and their complementarity as planting materials. Based on the review and descriptions, it is suggested to conserve valuable tea germplasm present in the existing old seed-grown plantation. The risk of new clonal plantations' genetic vulnerability is emphasized, as using a small number of well-liked clones narrows their genetic base.