Fundamental Understanding of Tea Growth and Modeling of Precise Tea Shoot Picking Based on 3-D Coordinate Instrument

Tea is a popular beverage worldwide and also has great medical value. A fundamental understanding of tea shoot growth and a precision picking model should be established to realize mechanized picking of tea shoots with a small product loss. Accordingly, the terminal bud length (Lbud), tea stem length (Lstem), terminal bud angle (αbud), tea stem angle (αstem), and growth time (t) were considered as the key growth parameters; the sum of the vertical lengths of the terminal bud and stem (ξ), the picking radius (r), and the vertical length of the stem (Zstem) were considered as the picking indexes of the tea shoots. The variations in growth parameters with time were investigated using a 3-D coordinate instrument, and the relationships between the growth parameters and the picking indexes were established using an artificial neural network (ANN). The results indicated that the tea growth cycles for periods P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 were 14, 7, 6, 4, 4, and 6 d, respectively. A growth cycle diagram of the tea growth was established. Moreover, a 5-2-12-3 ANN model was developed. The best prediction of ξ, r, and Zstem was found with 16 training epochs. The MSE value was 0.0923 × 10−4, and the R values for the training, test, and validation data were 0.99976, 0.99871, and 0.99857, respectively, indicating that the established ANN model demonstrates excellent performance in predicting the picking indexes of tea shoots.

AGROINDUSTRI BERBASIS TEH RAKYAT SEBAGAI USAHA MENINGKATKAN KESEJAHTERAAN PETANI TEH

ABSTRAKPeluang berkembangnya agroindustri teh rakyat cukup besar, akibat semakin tingginya permintaan pasar luar negeri dan dalam negeri dalam bentuk“instant tea”.Namun, kondisi tersebut belum dapat dimanfaatkan dengan baik oleh petani teh maupun pelaku agroindustri teh rakyat. Ini terlihat dari, rendahnya produktivitas kebun teh milik petani, sehingga kurang dapat memenuhi permintaan pucuk teh oleh pelaku agroindustri the rakyat. Selanjutnya, pelaku agroindustri teh rakyat hanya dapat mengolah pucuk tehnya dalam bentuk teh hijau (curah) dengan harga yang murah. Akibatnya, pihak agroindustri teh rakyat membeli pucuk dari petani dengan harga murah dan mutu rendah. Penelitian dilakukan untuk mengkaji kendala yang dihadapi dan keberlanjutan agro-industri teh. Penelitian dilakukan dengan menggunakan pendekatan studi deskriptif survey. Tempat penelitian yang dipilih adalah Kabupaten: Garut (Kecamatan Cisurupan), Cianjur (Kecamatan Sukanagara) dan Bandung (Kecamatan Pasirjambu), yang merupakan sentra teh di Provinsi Jawa Barat.Data diperoleh melalui wawancara dengan:pejabat pada instansi pemerintah, koperasi, pabrikan, asosiasi petani teh, kelompok tani, serta petaniteh yang diambil secara purposive. Sedangkan responden diambil secara proposional dari ketiga wilayah penelitian, dansetiap kecamatan diambil 30 orang petani teh. Data dianalisis secara deskriptif, dengan pendekatan system thinking. Kendala yang dihadapi agroindustri teh rakyat, yaitu masih kurang dalam: 1) ketersediaan pucuk teh sebagai bahan baku, 2) pengetahuan untuk meningkatkan nilai tambah pucuk teh, 3) kemampuan penyediaan modal dan mesin olah pucuk teh, dan 4) dukungan pemerintah dalam mempromosikan teh olahan rakyat (misalnya: dalam rapat atau kegiatan yang berlangsung di pemerintahan belum memanfaatkan produk olahan teh dari petani). Kondisi ini berdampak terhadap keberlanjutan agroindustri teh rakyat.Kata kunci: agroindustri, berkelanjutan, kemandirian, nilai tambah, teh rakyat. ABSTRACT The increasing market demand, abroad and domestically in the form of "instant tea" (food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetics), and also support from the higher government through GPATN program makes the oopportunities of tea small holder groups into tea agro-industry business is quite huge.But infact, this opportunity cannot be utilized properly by tea small holder. Most of the tea small holders still sell their products in the form oftea fresh leaf. This research was conducted to investigate the constrain of tea small holder in agroindustry development.The study was conducted using a survey descriptive study approach. Selected location research is located at the center of tea small holder in West Java province, i.e.District of Garut, Cianjur and Bandung. In this research, the data were collected by interviews with relevant parties, i.e. officials at government agencies, cooperatives, manufacturers, associations of tea farmers, tea small holder groups, and tea farmers.While respondents were taken proportionally from the three study areas, and each district was taken by 30 tea farmers. Data were analyzed descriptively, with a system thinking approach. Constraints faced by the tea tea agro-industry, which are still lacking in: 1) the availability of tea shoots as raw materials, 2) knowledge to increase the added value of tea tops, 3) the ability to provide capital and tea shoot machines, and 4) government support in promoting tea processed by the people (for example: in meetings or activities that take place in the government have not utilized tea processing products from farmers). This condition has an impact on the sustainability of the people's tea agro-industry.Key words : agro-industry, independence,sustainability,tea small holder, value added

Pengaruh Dosis dan Interval Pemupukan Zn-30% terhadap Produksi dan Komponen Hasil Tanaman

<em>Zinc deficiency (Zn) in tea </em>[Camellia sinensis<em> (L.) O. Kuntze</em>] <em>may inhibit growth and decreases shoots production. To overcome the deficiency, zinc is generally given in the form of zinc sulphate fertilizer (Zn 22.75%) through foliar application. Today there is a micro-fertilizer with a higher zinc consentration (Zn-30%). The research aimed to determine the effect of dosage and application interval of Zn-30% micro fertilizer on production and yield component of tea shoot. The experiment was conducted in Pasirmalang Estate, Afdeling Wetan Block Pakurendeng II, PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII Pangalengan Bandung, West Java, altitude ±1,600 m asl, from November 2016 to June 2017. The tea clone used was productive GMB 7. Experiments were designed by randomized block design with 2 factors and 4 replications. The first factor is Zn-30% that consisted of 4 levels i.e. Zn-30% with a dose of 300, 250, and 200 g/ha respectively, and ZnSO₄ with a dose of 2 kg as control. The second factor is interval of application that consisted of 2 levels, once and twice applications after plucking. Variables observed were production and yield components of tea shoot. The results showed that application of Zn-30% with a dose of 300 g/ha in one time interval of application after plucking effectively increased shoot production compared to other doses, but not significantly different with </em><em>ZnSO₄ in two time interval of application. Application of Zn, either in the form of oxide salt or zinc sulphate, increased the percentage of pecco shoots and reduces number of banji shoots.</em>

Modelling shoot growth and yield of Ceylon tea cultivar TRI-2025 (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze)

The present study was aimed at stimulating the growth and yield of Sri Lankan tea cultivar TRI 2025 grown in different climatic regions in the country. The model was developed and calibrated using weather, crop and soil data collected from different climatic zones. The model is designed to simulate shoot replacement cycle, leaf area of a shoot, shoot growth, dry matter partitioning and tea shoot yield. The model was validated using shoot development and growth data not used for model calibration. These validation data were collected from low, mid and high elevations representing temperature and rainfall gradients in the country. Model calibration showed that thermal time required to initiate the fish leaf, 1st, 2nd and 3rd normal leaf in a tea shoot from the time of natural senescence of the scale leaves were 129, 188, 235, 296 °C days, respectively, and a tea shoot reached the harvestable stage after 393 °C days. The model simulated leaf area (cm2) and fresh weight (g/m2) of tea shoots at different developmental stages and locations which were in good agreement with the measured values at the validation stage (R2 > 0.92 and 0.98, respectively). Similarly, simulated shoot yields (g/m2/month) at the validation stage were strongly correlated with the measured values (n = 12, R2 > 0.58, RMSE = 5–17 g/m2/month). Thus, the model can be used to estimate the shoot yield of tea cultivar TRI 2025 grown in different climatic conditions in Sri Lanka. Areas requiring further improvements to the model are also discussed.

PENGARUH APLIKASI INSEKTISIDA BERBAHAN AKTIF ASETAMIPRID TERHADAP ULAT PENGGULUNG PUCUK (Cydia leucostoma) PADA TANAMAN TEH

Tea Shoot roller (Cydia leucostoma Meyrick) is one potential pests that attack tea shoot, mainly on the new tea shoot after prunning, it caused plant growth becomes stunted. One of control that can be done is by application of insecticides. To determine the effectiveness of insecticide Acetamiprid, the trial has been conducted at Block A7, Gambung field trial, Kabupaten Bandung, during ± 3 months, from October up to December 2016. The trial was designed in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five treatments and four replications. The treatment tested covered insecticide Asetamiprid 30% at 1; 0.75; 0.50; 0.25 l/ha and control. The insecticide was sprayed six times using knapsack sprayer one day after plucking, with one week interval. Tea shoot roller attack intensity was observed weekly at the time of plucking. Shoot production, phytotoxicity, as well as rainfall were also observed as a supporting data. The results showed that after three times of spraying, insecticide Asetamiprid 30% at all formulation doses tested could effectively suppress the attack intensity of tea shoot roller. The last observation result, after six times spraying, revealed that the average efficacy level relatively high, i.e. 73,24%. Therefore, for controlling tea shoot roller on tea it could be recommended the use of insecticide Asetamiprid 30%.

Pengaruh Kombinasi Aplikasi Jamur Paecilomyces fumosoroseus, Lem Perangkap, dan Insektisida Imidakloprid terhadap Empoasca sp.

In order to obtain an effective and efficient control method in integrated pest management, a research to know the effectiveness of combination treatments on Empoasca sp. on tea plant had been conducted. The trial was carried out at Gambung Experimental Station (1,250 masl) and designed in Randomized Complete Block design (RCB), with 8 treatments and 3 replications. The treatment tested comprised with A. Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Pfr); B. sticky trap (ST); C. imidacloprid (I); D. Pfr + ST; E. Pfr + I; F. ST + I; G. Pfr + ST + I; and H. control. Pfr multiplied in rice medium 2.5 kg ha-1 and imidacloprid 0.125 L ha-1 were sprayed, while sticky trap was set in the middle of 5 m x 5 m plot. The parameters observed were attack intensity of Empoasca sp., population of Empoasca sp, and tea shoot production. The results showed that after 3 times application of all treatments revealed a decrease in the attack intensity of Empoasca sp. After the fourth application, combination treatment of sticky trap (ST) + imidacloprid (I) consistently showed higher efficacy than other treatments. In the sixth observation, the average of Empoasca sp. attack intensity of combination treatment (ST + I) was 15.95% with an average population of 0.67 Empoasca sp. per plot. In the meantime, tea shoot production was 33.64% higher compared with control.