Advances in Developmental Biology and Cultivation Techniques of Tea Plants

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2025) | Viewed by 916

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Tea Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
Interests: auxin; cultivation; floral bud development; lateral bud development; shoot branching; tea plants; transcription factor

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Guest Editor
College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
Interests: light; nitrogen metabolism; protein interaction; tea plants; tissue culture

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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Tea Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
Interests: tea plants; flavonoid; stress physiology; plant hormones; secondary metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Tea Quality and Safety Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
Interests: cultivation; evolution; flower; flavor; insect; tea plants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The tea plant is an extraordinary perennial evergreen crop that is cultivated all over the world. The bud leaves are collected for tea and food production, and contain several active health-promoting ingredients. Tea is a type of non-alcoholic beverage and has enormous economic value, with the growth and development of tea plants being influenced by the cultivar, management level and cultivation environment. The management techniques employed include pruning, picking, fertilization, as well as disease and pest control, etc. Many environmental stresses affect the yield and quality of tea. New agri-input and management models, such as carbon-neutral tea production and mechanical picking, are adopted to achieve higher efficiency and more environmentally friendly tea production.

Plant developmental biology studies the molecular genetic control of cell growth, differentiation and morphogenesis, which is the process that gives rise to tissues, organs and anatomy. The aim of this Special Issue is to reveal the regulatory mechanisms implicated in the development of the tea plant using a multidisciplinary approach that includes physiology, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, genomics, biochemistry, proteomics, metabonomics, and evolutionary biology, etc. In order to achieve the above objectives, many studies still need to be performed.

The areas of particular emphasis in this Special Issue include transcriptional control mechanisms, embryonic patterning, cell–cell interactions, growth factors and signal transduction, and regulatory hierarchies in developing tea plants. We sincerely welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews, and perspectives related to the following topics: fertilization techniques and soil management; exogenous application of hormones or plant growth regulators; molecular mechanisms of tea plants in response to stresses; new propagation or cultivation technologies; the genetic regularities and regulatory mechanisms of tea yield and quality; the screening and functional validation of elite genes; the effects of ecological factors, including ozone and carbon dioxide, on the growth and development of tea plants; the development of tea leaves, lateral buds and lateral branches; the development of floral bud and flower; and flowering control.

Dr. Liping Zhang
Dr. Min Li
Prof. Dr. Xin Li
Prof. Dr. Jianyu Fu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • tea plants
  • cultivation
  • development
  • environment
  • field management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1323 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Selenium Application for Enhanced Quality and Nutritional Value of Spring Tea (Camellia sinensis)
by Qing Liao, Pan-Xia Liang, Ying Xing, Zhuo-Fan Yao, Jin-Ping Chen, Li-Ping Pan, Yao-Qiu Deng, Yong-Xian Liu and Dong-Liang Huang
Horticulturae 2025, 11(4), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11040423 - 16 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 410
Abstract
Tea (Camellia sinensis) is a globally cherished beverage, valued for its flavor and health benefits, largely attributed to bioactive compounds like polyphenols and amino acids. Selenium (Se), an essential trace element for humans and animals, plays a dual role in promoting [...] Read more.
Tea (Camellia sinensis) is a globally cherished beverage, valued for its flavor and health benefits, largely attributed to bioactive compounds like polyphenols and amino acids. Selenium (Se), an essential trace element for humans and animals, plays a dual role in promoting plant growth and enhancing human health, yet its impact on tea quality remains underexplored. In this work, the effects of selenium application rate (with 0, 150, 225, and 300 g·ha−1 of Se) on soil selenium availability, enzyme activity, and the biochemical composition of spring tea, including chlorophyll, polyphenols, free amino acids, and polysaccharides, were studied. Results show that selenium application significantly increased soil selenium availability, with higher rates promoting its conversion into bioavailable forms. Soil enzyme activities, such as sucrase and urease, were notably influenced by selenium. In tea leaves, selenium content and glutathione peroxidase activity increased, while chlorophyll content initially rose but declined at higher application rates, with the Se225 treatment (225 g·ha−1 of Se) yielding optimal results. Selenium reduced polyphenol content, increased free amino acids, and lowered the phenol-to-amino acid ratio, improving tea sensory quality. Polysaccharide content also peaked at the Se225 treatment. These findings highlight the potential of selenium-enriched tea as a functional food and provide a scientific basis for optimizing selenium application in tea cultivation. Full article
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