Rates of net photosynthesis (PN) and transpiration (E), and leaf temperature (TL) of maintenance leaves of tea under plucking were affected by photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) of 200-2 200 µmol m-2 s-1. PN gradually increased with the increase of PPFD from 200 to 1 200 µmol m-2 s-1 and thereafter sharply declined. Maximum PN was 13.95 µmol m-2 s-1 at 1 200 µmol m-2 s-1 PPFD. There was no significant variation of PN among PPFD at 1 400-1 800 µmol m-2 s-1. Significant drop of PN occurred at 2 000 µmol m-2 s-1. PPFD at 2 200 µmol m-2 s-1 reduced photosynthesis to 6.92 µmol m-2 s-1. PPFD had a strong correlation with TL and E. Both TL and E linearly increased from 200 to 2 200 µmol m-2 s-1 PPFD. TL and E were highly correlated. The optimum TL for maximum PN was 26.0 °C after which PN declined significantly. E had a positive correlation with PN. and T. S. Barman, U. Baruah, J. K. Saikia.
Partitioning of 14C-labelled photosynthates to various parts of un-pruned tea clones TV1 and TV25 was assessed in vivo by exposing maintenance leaves to 14CO2 at monthly intervals throughout the year. The plants from shoot apex to root tip were divided into twelve components to assess the allocation and retention of 14C-photosynthates by the maintenance foliage. Out of the total photosynthates produced by the maintenance leaves, only 11.08 % was allocated to the commercially useful harvestable two and a bud shoots which is accepted as the harvest index of tea. The photosynthetically active maintenance leaves retained 19.05 % while 24.56 % was distributed to the branches. The bottom and the top parts of the trunk utilized 7.44 and 7.21 %, respectively. The thick roots at the base of the trunk, medium sized roots, pencil size roots, and feeder roots imported 7.28, 7.72, 7.65, and 8.01 % of 14C assimilates, respectively. Except retention by leaves, all the plant parts of vigorous clone TV25 required higher percentage of assimilates than TV1. The mean quantities of net photosynthates utilized by the stem and the roots were 69.37 and 30.63 %, respectively. and T. S. Barman, J. K. Saikia.