Physiological Pattern of Leaf Growth at Various Plucking Cycles Applied to Newly Released Clones of Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis

An experimental research to study the effect of plucking cycles on the physiological pattern of leaf growth of tea plant of newly-released tea cultivated varieties (clones) was conducted at Plantation of the Research Centre for Tea and Quinine Trees of Gambung of Bandung, Indonesia from April 2012 to July 2012. The leaf growth of tea are dependent on several genetic and environmental/agronomic factors The location of the Research Centre for Tea and Quinine tree is 1300 m above sea level. The experiment was conducted by using Split Plot Design to examine two factors, they are various of Gambung clones as the main plot with three levels, they are c1 = Gambung 4; c2 = Gambung 7; c3 = Gambung 9. And plucking cycles as the sub-plot factor with 5 levels, they are: 5 days; 7 days, 9 days; 11 days; and 13 days. So, there are 15 combinations with are repeated 3 times. The plant physiological factors as responses to the treatments measured in leaf growth consisting of: Number and quantity of leaves measured in dry weight (g); number of pecco; Pecco weight; number of burung/banjhi (dormant top) in g; weight of burung/banjhi in g; number of P+3 leaves; weight of P+3 leaves; number of P+2 leaves; and weight of P+2 leaves. Result of the experiment showed that the 13 days cycle allowing the further growth of leaves causing increasing of wet weight of leaves, and the Gambung 9 clone showed the best physiological growth of leaves.