☕️Tea — Plucking, Tipping and Processing

Plucking and Tipping — Core Operations in Tea

• Tipping is an important operation. ^{FCI AGM 2021}

Tipping is one of the most important cultural operations in tea cultivation. It sets the foundation for the plucking table — the flat, uniform surface of the tea bush canopy from which shoots are harvested. Without proper tipping, the bush would grow unevenly, making plucking inefficient and reducing the quality of the harvest.

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• Plucking in tea is synonymous with harvesting in other crops. The tender apical portions of the shoots consisting of two to three tender leaves and the terminal buds are nipped off in plucking. Before starting the normal plucking in the season, the tea bushes are tipped at a pre-determined height retaining a few maintenance leaves and a flat plucking table is formed for convenience of plucking.

Plucking is the act of harvesting tea leaves and is equivalent to the harvesting operation in other agricultural crops. During plucking, the tender apical portions of the shoots — typically consisting of two to three young leaves along with the terminal bud (commonly called “two leaves and a bud”) — are carefully nipped off. This is the portion that yields the finest quality tea. Before the regular plucking season begins, the tea bushes are tipped at a pre-determined height, ensuring that a few maintenance leaves (also called mother leaves) are retained on the bush. These maintenance leaves are crucial because they sustain the bush’s photosynthesis and overall health. This process creates a flat, uniform plucking table that makes subsequent plucking convenient and efficient.

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• Plucking accounts for the maximum cost in tea cultivation. The quality of the made tea largely depends on the green leaves plucked. Plucking is carried out by pluckers in the tea gardens and a strict supervision is necessary to maintain the quality of green leaves.

Plucking is the most expensive operation in tea cultivation, accounting for the largest share of production costs. This is because it is primarily done by hand to ensure that only the tender, high-quality shoots are harvested without damaging the bush. The quality of the finished (made) tea is directly dependent on the quality of the green leaves that are plucked. Coarse plucking (taking older, mature leaves) produces inferior tea, while fine plucking (taking only the youngest leaves and bud) produces premium-grade tea. Plucking is carried out by trained pluckers in the tea gardens, and strict supervision is necessary to maintain standards and ensure that only the appropriate shoots are harvested.

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• Harvesting in Tea is done by Plucking.

To summarize this key point: unlike most other crops where harvesting involves cutting or mechanical collection, harvesting in tea is done exclusively by plucking — the careful hand-picking of young shoots. This method preserves the delicate flavour compounds in the leaves and protects the health of the bush for future harvests.

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Terminology Meaning

Understanding the following key terminology is essential for studying tea cultivation. These terms frequently appear in competitive exams:

• Primaries: The shoots or branches developed from the light pruned bush are called primaries.

Primaries are the new shoots or branches that emerge after a tea bush undergoes light pruning. When a tea bush is pruned, it stimulates the growth of fresh vegetative shoots from the pruned surface. These newly developed shoots are called primaries, and they form the basis of the next cycle of harvestable growth. The vigour and number of primaries determine the productivity of the bush in the upcoming season.

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• Tipping:
  • When the primaries grow above a pre-determined height, these are decapitated or tipped at that height parallel to the ground surface.
  • Initial few rounds of plucking are termed as tipping.
  • This will encourage lateral growth and disperse the bush at a convenient height.

Tipping refers to the practice of decapitating (cutting off the top of) the primaries when they grow above a pre-determined height. The cut is made parallel to the ground surface to create a level plucking table. The initial few rounds of plucking after pruning are considered part of the tipping process. The primary purpose of tipping is to encourage lateral (sideways) branching rather than upward growth. This disperses the bush canopy at a convenient height for pluckers and increases the number of plucking points, which ultimately leads to higher yield.

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• Tipping height:
  • The height at which the tea buses are tipped above the pruning/skiffing mark is the tipping height.
  • Its main objective is to retain the maintenance leaves on the bush.
  • Tipping is done at a height of 35 cm from the second tipping at 60 cm from ground level.

Tipping height is the specific height above the pruning or skiffing mark at which the primaries are tipped. The main objective of maintaining a proper tipping height is to ensure that adequate maintenance leaves are retained on the bush. These maintenance leaves are essential for photosynthesis and for maintaining the overall vigour of the bush. Typically, the first tipping is done at a height of 35 cm above the pruning mark, and the second tipping is done at 60 cm from ground level. Getting the tipping height right is critical — tipping too low reduces the number of maintenance leaves (weakening the bush), while tipping too high makes plucking difficult.

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Curing

Curing (also called processing or manufacturing) is the process of converting fresh green tea leaves into the finished product (made tea). There are two principal methods of tea processing:

• CTC (Crush, Tear and Crull) Processing ^{NABARD 2021}
• Orthodox Processing

CTC Processing stands for Crush, Tear, and Curl — a method where the withered tea leaves are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with sharp teeth that crush, tear, and curl the leaves into small, hard, granular pellets. CTC tea produces a strong, brisk, and dark liquor and is the most common type of tea consumed in India (especially as chai). It brews quickly and is well-suited for use with milk and sugar.

Orthodox Processing is the more traditional method where the leaves are rolled (either by hand or machine) to shape them into twisted, wiry strips. Orthodox teas retain more nuanced flavours and aromas compared to CTC teas. This method is preferred for producing premium, specialty, and export-grade teas such as Darjeeling tea.

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Red Coffee Borer

• Zeuzera coffee
• It is the major pest of tea.

The Red Coffee Borer (Zeuzera coffeae) is the major pest of tea despite its name suggesting an association with coffee. This is a stem-boring insect whose larvae bore into the branches and stems of the tea bush, creating tunnels inside the wood. Infested branches show wilting and dieback, and in severe cases, entire bushes can be killed. The pest is difficult to control because the larvae are protected inside the stems. Management strategies include pruning and burning of infested branches, using pheromone traps, and maintaining field hygiene.

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Additional Learning Resources

• Tea Cultivation and Processing
• Tea Plucking and Tipping

Summary Cheat Sheet