Studies on Litter Production Decomposition and Nutrient Recycling in Tea Agro Ecosystem of Cachar District Southern Assam

Abstract

Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze.) is one of the leading cash crops in world agriculture and India is the largest producer of tea in the world after China (Dutta et al., 2010). Growth of tea plant is dependent on many factors comprising of those that are inherent in the plant itself and those exerted on the tea crop by nature such as soil and climatic conditions, pest and diseases, and man through crop husbandry and cultural practices (Kamau, 2008). The alluvial soil, geological newness, pest and disease problems and water stagnation in the low lying areas of the Barak valley are mainly responsible for poor productivity. Besides, method of tea cultivation and water management in Barak Valley differ considerably from those of Brahmaputra Valley and rest of the country. newlineThe study site of the present work was Rosekandy Tea Estate situated in the Barak Valley of Cachar district, Assam. The area has an altitude of 26-30 m above MSL and falls under 24°8´N latitude and 29°15´ E longitude. Rosekandy Tea Estate (the field study area) was established in 1860 by Mr. Sunderman. Total grant area of this estate is 1702.01 hectare and area under tea is 574.70 hectare. The estate is located at a distance about 28 km from Silchar having Chatla Beels on all sides. newlineLitter decomposition is a key process connecting ecosystem structure and function, and involving microbial and faunal components. Mechanisms of soil faunal contribution to litter decomposition include digestion of substrates, increase of surface area through fragmentation, and acceleration of microbial inoculation to materials (Swift et al., 1979; Wise and Matthias, 1994; Coleman and Crossley, 1996; Ekschmitt et al., 2005; Janzen, 2006). In addition to plant debris, litter contains fungal and bacterial components and some of the micro and macro fauna. It seems that the process of litter decomposition takes a critical role in tea agro ecosystem and it regulates the productivity to some