Multidisciplinary Advances in Tea Science: Smart Cultivation, Digital Processing, and Health Innovation

Dear Colleagues,

Tea, one of the world's most popular beverages, is a globally significant crop and cultural icon. Its research spans agriculture, food science, environmental sustainability, health sciences, and economics. Emerging multidisciplinary approaches—including spectroscopy, phenomics, AI, intelligent sensing, big data, and molecular biology—are revolutionizing tea science, offering novel solutions to enhance production efficiency, quality control, and sustainable practices, while fostering health and economic value.

This Topic focuses on advancing multidisciplinary methodologies across the tea industry chain, from cultivation and processing to product development. Key themes include (1) multi-modal data integration (remote sensing, imaging, and AI) for precision agriculture in tea growth and ecosystem management; (2) spectral/thermal analysis and intelligent sensory systems (e.g., e-nose and e-tongue) for smart processing technologies and digitized quality assessment; (3) bioactive compounds in tea/flower tea and their functional mechanisms; and (4) advanced detection methods using biochemical, optoelectronic, and novel materials for tea quality and safety. By bridging multidisciplinary methods with industry needs, this Topic aims to catalyze the modernization, sustainability, and global competitiveness of tea production systems.

Dr. Chunwang Dong
Dr. Lin Chen
Dr. Yang Li
Topic Editors