De invloed van den basentoestand van den grond op de ontwikkeling van de theeplant (Thea sinensis Linn.)

Application of slaked lime retarded growth of young tea plants on most soils in pot trials. Application of S, although beneficial to the growth of tea plants, had an adverse effect on the soil, when applied in large amounts. It lowered both the base saturation and the adsorption capacity of the soil. Therefore the

use of S on strongly weathered soils with a poor reserve of minerals could not be recommended. The injurious effect of applying S to slightly weathered soils with a sufficient reserve of minerals had no practical significance, since the adsorption complex impoverished of bases, enriched itself again by gradual weathering.

Another advantage associated with the use of S was that it seemed to control some parasitic root fungi of the tea plant, fungi which mainly occurred on slightly weathered young volcanic soils.

How far these results of pot trials would also hold for field conditions would largely depend on the thoroughness of mixing S and soil. In new plantations, S could be applied primarily to the plant holes. In nursery trials, however, S should be mixed with the whole top soil. The influence of base status of the soil on adult tea plants was not studied.