Effect of Tea Plucking Time on Black Tea Quality

Changes in black tea quality were studied for three subsequent years and in different times of plucking (spring, summer and autumn) in the form of two leaves and a bud. Percentage of waste, total sensory scores, total soluble solid, caffeine, theaflavin, thearobigin, total color and brightness were evaluated in black tea. The data were analyzed in split plot design based on randomized complete blocks. In hybrid tea, quality parameters in second time of plucking (summer) were high. In clone 100, total soluble solid and caffeine were in summer 1.85, 0.18 and 6.14, 0.79 more than spring and autumn tea, respectively. Total sensory scores, thearobigin and total color were more in spring and summer than autumn. The waste in autumn was more than spring and summer. Hybrid tea and clone 100 were significantly different in quality characters but not in waste amount (P<0.05).