Tea cultivation operational group in Galicia

The main objective of this Operational Group is to enhance the value of Galician tea production and develop more efficient and sustainable production systems, to increase the productivity and competitiveness of the Galician plantations in the A Mariña and Salnés regions.

To achieve this, the following is needed: selection of optimal varieties adapted to the current climate in Galicia and the quality demanded by the market; the lack of experience in industrial cultivation of the different existing varieties of Camellia Sinensis requires a detailed study of the planting conditions of the species (frames, fertilisers, possible phytopathological problems, etc.); to make its use profitable, it is essential to reduce production costs, especially labour costs; the savings that can be achieved by using fertigation systems would compensate for the initial cost of the investment necessary for its installation; organic cultivation of plant species prevents the use of herbicides, so the labour required for initial maintenance is very high, so it is necessary to study natural mulches that reduce these costs by minimising the growth of weeds that compete with the camellia, minimising possible pathogens derived from the use of the cover; certain types of tea require semi-shade, so it is interesting to consider the use of tree shading.