STUDIES ON THE ALLELOPATHY OF TEA PLANT Camellia sinensis (L.)KUNTZE

The autotoxic effects of aqueous extract of tea plant stem,leaf,root andfruitpeel on the germination and the seedling growth of tea were studied.The allelo-pathic effects of aqueous extract from leaves of shade trees species in tea plantationwere studied.The study indicated that there were autotoxic effects of aqueous extractfrom tea stem,leaf,root,and fruitpeel.Different levels of allelopathic effects wereexisted in aqueous extract from leaves of different species among shade trees in teaplantation,the order of their inhibitory effects on the tea seedling growth was:Delonixregia Raf.>Leacaena glauca(L.)Benth>Acacia confusa Meer>Eucalytus citriodoraHook.>Albizia falcata(L.)Backer ex Mei,>Acacia auriculaformis A.cum>Eucalyptusrobusta Stmith. Tea polyphenols and coffeine were proved to be important phytotoxicchemicals of tea plant allelopathy.Some methods for avoiding the tea plant autotoxicity andallelopathy in tea plantation were proposed.The research results provided a scientific base forthe design of artificial tea plant community with reasonable structure.