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Tea Research Association celebrates centenary
Tea Research Association has played a pioneering role in tea research leading to pathbreaking initiatives subsequently adopted by the industry.
Guwahati: Tea Research Association, the
oldest and largest of its kind in the country, at Tocklai in
Assam has played a pioneering role in tea research leading to
pathbreaking initiatives subsequently adopted by the industry.
The research organisation, which began its existence as the Tocklai Experimental Station in 1911, concluded its year-long centenary celebrations on November 22 by holding a World Tea Science Congress inaugurated by former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
TRA Director Mridul Hazarika said the research station had launched a decade-long scientific effort to give something unique to the tea industry and undertaken research in several non-conventional areas along with conventional research.
The research institute has emerged as one of the major biotechnology research institutes of tea in the world. A major centenary highlight of the TRA was launching of a tea based non-carbonated soft drink promoted as a health drink along with Plant Growth Promoting Microbes to be made commercially available to the tea industry.
Hazarika pointed out that the significant results of tea research by the organisation had led to release of 30 Tocklai Vegetative (TV) clones, 14 biclonal seed stocks and 151 region-specific garden series clones to the tea industry.
Hazarika claimed it was due to the efforts of the TRA that the industry introduced extended pruning cycle in lieu of annual prune for higher productivity and better distribution of crop.
Optimisation of plant population, new techniques of bringing up young tea, reducing the gestation period from planting to full bearing, land planning, drainage and balance manuring for higher productivity and soil Amendment techniques have been some of the highlights of tea research initiated by the TRA. Research by the TRA also established the necessity for a light canopy of shade for tea plantations in the plains of Northeast, Hazarika pointed out.
The TRA has also successfully invented several tea machinery adopted by tea gardens, like the MacTear Rotorvane, Borbora Continuous Leaf Conditioner, Continuous Tray Drier, Continuous Fermenting Machine, Borua Continuous Roller, Tea Breaker-cum-Stalk Separator, Green Leaf Storage Device, Continuous Withering Machine Electronic Monitoring and Control System for Withering.
Another major contribution of the organisation has been in the field of safer pesticides for effective pest and weed control, with emphasis on integrated pest management and generation of data on pesticide residues in tea from multi-locational supervised field trials.
The TRA has also successfully introduced bioagents - Trichoderma and Bacillus for control of certain tea diseases and their formulation for commercial application. PTI
The research organisation, which began its existence as the Tocklai Experimental Station in 1911, concluded its year-long centenary celebrations on November 22 by holding a World Tea Science Congress inaugurated by former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
TRA Director Mridul Hazarika said the research station had launched a decade-long scientific effort to give something unique to the tea industry and undertaken research in several non-conventional areas along with conventional research.
The research institute has emerged as one of the major biotechnology research institutes of tea in the world. A major centenary highlight of the TRA was launching of a tea based non-carbonated soft drink promoted as a health drink along with Plant Growth Promoting Microbes to be made commercially available to the tea industry.
Hazarika pointed out that the significant results of tea research by the organisation had led to release of 30 Tocklai Vegetative (TV) clones, 14 biclonal seed stocks and 151 region-specific garden series clones to the tea industry.
Hazarika claimed it was due to the efforts of the TRA that the industry introduced extended pruning cycle in lieu of annual prune for higher productivity and better distribution of crop.
Optimisation of plant population, new techniques of bringing up young tea, reducing the gestation period from planting to full bearing, land planning, drainage and balance manuring for higher productivity and soil Amendment techniques have been some of the highlights of tea research initiated by the TRA. Research by the TRA also established the necessity for a light canopy of shade for tea plantations in the plains of Northeast, Hazarika pointed out.
The TRA has also successfully invented several tea machinery adopted by tea gardens, like the MacTear Rotorvane, Borbora Continuous Leaf Conditioner, Continuous Tray Drier, Continuous Fermenting Machine, Borua Continuous Roller, Tea Breaker-cum-Stalk Separator, Green Leaf Storage Device, Continuous Withering Machine Electronic Monitoring and Control System for Withering.
Another major contribution of the organisation has been in the field of safer pesticides for effective pest and weed control, with emphasis on integrated pest management and generation of data on pesticide residues in tea from multi-locational supervised field trials.
The TRA has also successfully introduced bioagents - Trichoderma and Bacillus for control of certain tea diseases and their formulation for commercial application. PTI