Effect of plant spacing on tea (Camellia sinensis L.) yield at Wollongbar, New South Wales

Abstract

Tea yields were compared from single-row plots (2 m apart, 63-cm spacing within rows) and double-row plots planted at 2 different row spacings (2 m between row centres, rows 90 cm apart, plant spacing of 83 or 56 cm within rows), giving plant densities of 8 000, 12 000 and 18 000 bushes/ha. Over a 6-year period total dry weight yields from double-row plots (10.70 t/ha) were significantly higher than from single-row plots (8.21 t/ha), but there was no significant difference between yields from double-row plots with different within-row spacing.